Learning Mentor - Children Looked After

• Full time (37 hours per week), all year-round position.
• Hybrid working model with a balance of home, locality and office working
• Based in a locality but with the expectation that casework is needs focussed and can be across Somerset
• Permanent contract
• 28 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• £28,598 to £32,061 per annum

Are you ready to make a real difference in Somerset? Join us on our mission to transform lives!

The Statutory Virtual School fulfils the statutory duty for Children Looked After and Previously Looked After Children. Working with and alongside the wider Virtual School team who support children and young people with the most complex education situations from birth to adulthood across Somerset Localities.

The Virtual School is committed to ensuring all Somerset Children and Young People with acute needs and additional vulnerability, including our Children Looked After, enjoy education and achieve good outcomes that prepares them well for adulthood.  

As a learning mentor in the Statutory Virtual School, you’ll be a driving force in ensuring positive educational outcomes for Children Looked After. You will work directly with young people, education settings, playing a key role in promoting positive educational outcomes and creating meaningful learning opportunities for children and young people. Your role is central to fostering engagement, removing barriers, and helping each young person reach their full potential.

Here is what your day will be like:

• Championing transitions: provide direct support for children and young people, guiding them through key transitions and helping them thrive, including visiting them in educational settings, at home or in the community
• Offering advice and guidance: Use your expertise to provide specialist advice and guidance to Social Workers, Education Settings, Carers and a wide range of professionals. Provide direct support to education settings and the adults around them so that they can thrive by engaging in education, employment and/or training.
• Collaborating for success: Attend education meetings to advocate for our Children Looked After and to champion education. This will include Personal Education Planning meetings, Team Around the Child meetings and Child Looked After Reviews.
• Building opportunities: Develop and implementing innovative strategies to boost learning, raise achievement, improve attendance and attainment
• Track progress: keep detailed records on corporate systems. This includes attendance, achievement and progress so that no Child Looked After is left behind.
• Team Player: Work as part of a team of specialists who collaborate, problem solve and are committed to supporting Children Looked After to remove barriers and unlock potential.

We are committed to providing comprehensive training, guidance, and support to ensure you excel in this role.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Insightful knowledge: A strong understanding of educational settings. This could be in early years, statutory school age or post 16.
• Statutory expertise: Familiarity with the statutory responsibilities around Children Looked After (CLA) and the unique challenges faced by Children Looked After. Experience of supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Statutory SEND Processes.
• Knowledge of closing learning gaps: Experience of delivering tailored intervention strategies and support plans that address the academic, social, and emotional needs of children and young people.
• Hands-on experience: Previous experience working in educational settings, Children’s Social care, or similar environments.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work independently whilst managing a caseload.
• Strong organisational and time management skills with ability to manage workload and prioritise.
• GCSE (Grade 4) education including English and Maths, along with at least NVQ Level 4/5 qualifications (or equivalent).

We are proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for an informal discussion if there is anything you want to talk about before you apply.

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding.  Working as part of a team we are passionate about the work we do to improve the lives of Children and Young People (CYP) in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

The Salary for the Learning Mentor is Grade 12, ranging from £28,598 to £32,061 per annum.

For an informal discussion about the role, you can contact Elizabeth Fox, Service Manager – Statutory Virtual School using Elizabeth.fox@somerset.gov.uk

Interviews will take place w/c 23rd February 2026

If you have everything you need, just hit the apply button. We can’t wait to hear from you.

In this role you will require a criminal background check via Disclosure and Barring Service.