Education Welfare Officer (fixed term)

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

The post holder will be required to record and monitor attendance (in line with DfE requirements) and support the school strategy by working alongside other staff within the schools toreduce overall and persistent absence.

Routinely monitor the attendance of vulnerable students and students who are known to be poor attenders.

Investigate absence (regular medical absence and unexplained absence) and develop initiatives in partnership with School staff to encourage and promote regular attendance.

Be robust in the investigation and management of absences/holidays during term time and investigate reasons for absence which may be unclear.

Allocate ‘catch up’ time to students whose absence rate falls below the schools’ threshold.

Work with other agencies to provide appropriate services for children and young people, including making referrals to social services, educational psychologists, the Connexions service etc. Where relevant.

Working with families, establish appropriate and effective communication channels for the overall improvement of student attendance.

Where appropriate, to gather supporting evidence to recommend legal proceedings in cases of irregular Academy attendance, to prepare reports and to give evidence in Court.

When required, prepare reports for Senior Leadership Team, and represent the schools as required.

Become the liaison for those students who cannot attend school regularly to enable them to receive an adequate education via homework provision or other off site education provision.

Interpret data to inform the implementation of new strategies to assist the schools in dealing with absence.

Prioritise and manage a caseload, which will include complex cases involving disadvantaged students and those young people who are not accessing regular education.

Have an understanding of the support groups, activity groups and youth groups that students or parents/carers can be referred to for supplementary support.

Develop a close liaison with relevant local authorities to maximise professional working relationships, both in terms of advice and support for the schools.

Maintain thorough case notes, issue letters to parents and, if required support the Senior Leadership Team in preparing court reports.

Other

The duties and responsibilities in this job description are not exhaustive. The postholder may be required to undertake other duties that may be required from time to time within the general scope of the post. Any such duties should not substantially change the general character of the post. Duties and responsibilities outside of the general scope of this grade of post will be with the consent of the postholder.

The postholder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with LAAT Equal Opportunities policies.

The postholder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the LAAT Health and Safety policies and procedures.

All employees need to be aware of the possible abuse of children and vulnerable adults and if you are concerned you need to follow the Academies’ Safeguarding Policy. In addition, employees working with children have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of during their work.