Occupational Therapist at JESS

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Occupational Therapist at JESS
Education
Listed On: 20 September 2024
Expires On: 30 September 2024
Dubai
Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) is seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist. The role has a start date in early January 2025.
Job Scope
The role of the Occupational Therapist is to support the school in identifying and supporting developmental and/or learning needs of students, thus ensuring JESS continues to be an inclusive learning environment in which diversity is celebrated for all students. The role requires regular liaison with class teachers, specialist teachers, Subject leads, heads of departments and parents regarding student’s welfare and development to enable them to achieve their best and overcome any personal, developmental and/or learning barriers they may be facing.
The Therapist needs to have the ability to maximise the learning potential of all students. It is expected that therapists should actively engage in ongoing professional development related to their specialism, whilst also enhancing their knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and pedagogical practices at JESS. In addition to assessment and interventions, the Therapist will share in the wider pastoral and co-curricular life of the school.
Occasional participation in outreach or promotional activities may be required, but every effort will be made to ensure that this request is reasonable and shared equitably amongst all teaching staff.
Safeguarding Statement
Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. All staff working at JESS will have some contact with children and young people and will therefore be in a position of trust. Staff with teaching duties will be responsible for the students that they teach and may also have additional specific pastoral or other responsibilities for other students they do not teach. In addition, all staff will regularly interact with students who may seek assistance or otherwise interact with them whilst moving around the school. In all cases, the staff’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of the students is to adhere to and always ensure compliance with the school’s Safeguarding and Child Protection policy and procedures to include whistleblowing ensuring all concerns are immediately passed on to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Officer(s) (DSO).
Main Tasks & Duties of a School Therapist (OT/SaLT)
This not an exhaustive list of duties/responsibilities. Please note that this is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the Therapist will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role, as directed by the Headteacher and/or Head of Department. The responsibilities outlined may be modified by the Headteacher upon mutual agreement, to reflect or anticipate changes in the role.

Provide Consultancy Support:

• To observe and work with teachers to offer support and advice for improving the quality and effectiveness of learning and teaching, with regards to Inclusion.
• Lead and/or contribute to Team Around the Child meetings, ensuring that parents are informed, supported, and active participants in their child’s learning journey.
• Lead, co-ordinate, and/or contribute to Parental Engagement workshops, support groups and coffee mornings.
• To give advice and guidance on the developmental needs and programmes of individual students, thus supporting quality first teaching, the inclusive classroom, personalised learning, and differentiation.
• Being involved in the admissions process for new students (where requested) in order to facilitate the identification of needs and guide transition planning.
• Providing information on specific learning difficulties e.g. dyspraxia, ADHD, SLCN, etc. and offering strategies for teachers and Learning Support Assistants to support the students.
• Advising teachers (class and specialists), coaches, Inclusion Support Assistants and Learning Support Assistants on appropriate modifications, accommodations and support strategies for specific learners where appropriate, and in collaboration with the relevant Oasis Link.
• Collaborating with teachers, parents and third parties to create and monitor the effectiveness of the IEPs.
• Advising on and supporting with the modification and adaptation of the learning environment and resources, where appropriate.
• The development and implementation of appropriate assessment procedures for screening and identification, progress monitoring, and target tracking.

Providing Specialist Services:

To provide exceptional services to individuals and groups of students. This includes;

• Contributing to the initial identification and referral process by gathering information on the referred student, observing the student in the classroom, and conducting suitable screening/assessment activities.
• Diagnosing specific learning and/or communication difficulties in response to comprehensive assessment and in accordance with DSM-V guidelines.
• Developing and updating individual student therapy plans, sharing and maintaining these on the relevant school systems.
• Conducting 1:1 and small group therapy sessions in keeping with the expectations of the role (i.e. target of 25 sessions per week).
• Making note of upcoming events, trips, absences etc. which may impact the therapy timetable and coordinating additional/catch-up sessions. Flexibility will be required when timetabling these ‘one-off’ sessions.
• Advising and monitoring on the use of supportive resources, such as assistive technology, sensory tools, modified seating etc.
• Conducting therapy sessions as classroom push-in sessions (on occasion and where appropriate and mutually agreed with parents) in order to model/trial recommended strategies, monitor impact, and support the delivery of exceptional QFT.
• Conducting and/or contributing to high quality parental engagement workshops, coffee mornings and support groups.

Contributing to Staff Development:

To contribute to the enhancement of his/her colleague’s professional development through leading PD sessions, and the exercising of the role as outlined here. This includes;

• Raising awareness and developing a positive culture of inclusion.
• Leading teacher CPD sessions as requested.
• Offering advice to staff on strategies to support particular students.
• Developing and circulating informational material (handouts, posters, display boards, recorded trainings and demos).
• Advising staff on where to find resources and trainings on the internet to support specific students.
• Leading training for Learning Support Assistants, ISAs and 1:1 LSAs (eg JESS Cert, INSET programs, drop-in sessions).

Team Working and Collaboration:
To enhance the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the school-based therapy service by liaising regularly with the multi-disciplinary therapy team across both sites to share best practices, identify areas in need of development/improvement, and report to the Head of Inclusion on the success of the service and suggestions for future development/improvement.

To enhance the capacity of the relevant teaching teams to meet the developmental and learning needs of specific students by;

• Proactively embedding oneself in the school community, interacting and engaging with staff, and inviting them to reach out for advice etc.
• Actively communicating and collaborating with staff at all levels, as well as parents, to relay observations, make suggestions, provide progress updates, and share relevant resources to support the student’s progress.
• Reviewing curriculum maps and year group topics so that therapy plans and objectives (where appropriate) are well informed and relevant to classroom learning, in order to better support participation and progress within lessons.
• Modelling appropriate strategies to the class/specialist teacher and learning support assistants via therapy observations, seesaw videos, and/or classroom push-ins.
• Establishing and maintaining an appropriate cycle of meetings with relevant groups of staff to ensure they are fully informed and well supported to meet the changing needs of their students.
• Reporting and collaborating with his/her Line Manager on a weekly basis.

Pastoral and Wider Community:

• To use non-contact time during school hours to conduct make-up sessions, prepare for upcoming activities, participate in meetings, develop resources etc.
• To contribute to awareness days/initiatives as requested.
• To support the school in during admissions days, open days, conferences etc.
• To participate in local and international school trips, where possible.
• To contribute to the whole school gate and break duty rotas.
• To interact with students using a positive, supportive, respectful and open-minded attitude, language, and tone, and to support and sustain the school’s codes of conduct.

Behaviour and Safety:

• To effectively contribute and provide best practice in combatting risk pertaining to cyber safety, health safety and child protection.
• To always remain alert to the safety and well-being of the students, both at school and during off-site activities.
• To recognise that as role models for students, one’s own personal conduct and the example of behaviour set must be of the highest standards.
• To manage groups effectively, using approaches which are appropriate to students’ needs to inspire, motivate, and challenge.
• To establish a safe, purposeful, and stimulating environment for the well-being of the students, rooted in mutual respect.
• To communicate to the staff and students that they must take a responsible attitude to the resources and equipment with which they have been provided.
• To alert appropriate staff to problems experienced by students and make recommendations as to how these may be resolved.

Safeguarding:

• Work in line with statutory safeguarding guidance the school’s safeguarding and child protection policy.
• Work with the designated safeguarding officer (DSO) to promote the best interests of students, including sharing concerns where necessary.
• Promote the safeguarding of all students in the school.

Communication:

• To communicate regularly in an accurate, positive, supportive, and professional manner with parents (written and verbal).
• To liaise effectively with parents and offer opportunities for them to engage in their child’s learning at home.
• To establish and maintain a positive relationship of cooperation and respect with colleagues.
• To attend Parents’ Evenings and provide accurate information regarding the progress of students.
• To report to parents in the form of written reports as per the school policy.
• To contribute to the newsletters, social media platforms and marketing activity, as requested.
• To maintain confidentiality and to model a professional work ethic.

Administration:

• To liaise directly with admin teams (accounts for invoicing, government relations for KHDA agreements) to ensure smooth and efficient service set-up for new students.
• To participate in and carry out any administrative and organisational tasks as required (e.g. timetabling, environmental set-up, inventory and resource ordering, booking rooms and facilities etc.)
• To maintain up to date records as needed (e.g. Power BI, ISAMS, provision mapping, referral tracking, reports, session notes, Seesaw, accounts).

Professional Development:

• To understand the need to take responsibility for their own professional development, both in relation to their specialism as well as the curriculum and pedagogical practices at JESS (e.g. attending relevant staff INSET sessions).
• To maintain an attitude of continuous personal and professional development and improvement and to keep up to date with research and developments in pedagogy as relevant to their subject and curriculum area.
• To reflect on their own practice critically and use this to improve their effectiveness.
• To participate fully in the staff appraisal and development systems, including welcoming peers to observe therapy sessions.

Other:

• To have professional regard for the ethos, policies and procedures of JESS and maintain high standards in attendance and punctuality.
• To maintain smart and professional standards of appearance.
• To maintain high standards of conduct both in and out of the classroom.
• To act in a way that conforms to the school’s ethos and values and values of the UAE.
• To adhere to the teacher standards and expectations set out in the staff handbook, staff code of conduct, Ministry of Education Code of Conduct and the school policies.
• To participate and support in school activities outside regular school hours to enrich the school experience for the students to include, but not limited to, ECAs, school trips and residentials (international and local), staff meetings, open days, professional development training sessions, conferences and workshops, induction, major school events and if applicable assessment/examination supervision.
• To perform other duties as necessary and as assigned by the Headteacher to ensure compliance and quality services to students and parents.
• To represent the broader JESS ethos and values to parents, staff, and community.

Key Relationships
Internal - Students, Oasis Team, Teachers, Academic Leaders, Academic Support Staff, Senior Leadership Team, Headteacher, Director, and Admin Team.
External - Parents, KHDA, Other Regulators, and Third Parties.
Person Specification

Qualifications and Licence:

• Degree or Diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• DHA Licence.

Experience, Skills and Knowledge:

• Experience of 5 years preferably.
• Experience of using various systems, iSAMS, Microsoft Teams, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Personal Qualities:

• A positive, flexible, ‘can do’ work ethic.
• Ability to multitask and prioritise, planning own workload to fit around the needs of the team.
• Strong teamworking and a willingness to collaborate.
• Have a commitment to ensuring high standards of work and attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely with students, parents and colleagues.
• Commitment to own personal professional development.
• Team player.

Application Process
Please send your CV, cover letter message, and completed JESS application form (attached below) through the submission box.
Applications WITHOUT a filled-in JESS application form will NOT be considered.

• Raising awareness and developing a positive culture of inclusion.
• Leading teacher CPD sessions as requested.
• Offering advice to staff on strategies to support particular students.
• Developing and circulating informational material (handouts, posters, display boards, recorded trainings and demos).
• Advising staff on where to find resources and trainings on the internet to support specific students.
• Leading training for Learning Support Assistants, ISAs and 1:1 LSAs (eg JESS Cert, INSET programs, drop-in sessions)