Attendance Officer - Ref: CH09026

Walsall Community Network; Walsall; Hybrid; GBP 33,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Walsall Council is seeking an Attendance Officer on a fixed-term basis to work 30 hours per week during term time, across the Walsall area. You will engage with pupils, families and schools to identify barriers to attendance and implement strategies to improve educational engagement.

The role requires experience in education or children's services and strong communication and organisational skills. The post is based within the School Attendance Support Service, with remote working and a

Qualifications

• Experience of working in education, children's services, or related bodies.
• Ability to communicate with a range of stakeholders clearly and professionally.
• Commitment to restorative, supportive and solution-focused approaches.

Responsibilities

• Undertake home visits and meetings with parents or carers.
• Liaise with schools and partner agencies to monitor attendance.
• Analyse attendance data and contribute to multi-agency discussions.
• Develop and review plans to improve attendance and engagement.
• Provide advice and challenge to schools to identify effective interventions.

Skills

Communication

Organisational skills

Teamwork

Professional judgment

Job description

Attendance Officer – Ref: CH09026

Grade 6

£32,578- £35,570 (pro rota) – 30 hours (4 Days), Term Time - Fixed Term until 31/03/2027

This is an exciting opportunity to join Walsall Council's School Attendance Support Service as an Attendance Officer.

The School Attendance Support Service works with schools, families and partner agencies to improve school attendance, engagement and access to education. The service supports the early identification of barriers to attendance and works collaboratively to ensure children and young people receive the right support at the right time.

We are looking for a motivated, dynamic and ambitious practitioner with strong organisational and communication skills who can work effectively as part of a team and build positive relationships with children, families, schools and professionals.

The successful candidate will work directly with pupils and their families to identify and remove barriers affecting regular school attendance and educational engagement. This will include developing and supporting strategies to improve attendance and participation at both an individual and school level, with a clear focus on improving outcomes for children and young people.

Applicants will need recent and relevant experience of working within education, children's services, or another statutory or partner agency supporting children, young people and families. They will be confident in communicating with a range of stakeholders, able to exercise professional judgement, and committed to working in a restorative, supportive and solution-focused way.

The role will involve working independently within a statutory framework and graduated system of support. Successful applicants will work closely with pupils, parents, carers, schools and professionals to reduce absence, strengthen engagement in education and support vulnerable children and young people who are at risk of becoming persistently absent, severely absent or not accessing suitable education.

• home visits
• meetings with parents and carers
• liaison with schools and partner agencies
• analysis of attendance information
• contribution to multi-agency discussions
• the development and review of plans to improve attendance, engagement and access to education

The successful candidate will also provide advice, support and challenge to schools, helping them to understand barriers to attendance, identify effective interventions and promote positive educational outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.

This is an excellent opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and families across Walsall, ensuring that barriers to education are identified early and addressed through effective partnership working and targeted support.

For further information about the position, please email Jaseen Kweku, [e-mail]

The role is 30 hours (4 days), Term Time

Remote working

Closing Date: Wednesday 21st October 2026

Short Listing: 22nd and 23rd October 2026

Interviews: TBC

View: Job Description and Employee Specification

This post is covered by the Government’s Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.

Walsall Council takes seriously the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children, young people and vulnerable adults entrusted to our care and it is our expectation that all staff will share this commitment. We will ensure continuous development and improvement of robust recruitment processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for working with children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Note: Applicants appointed to posts that require an enhanced DBS clearance must declare any periods of time that they have lived, studied or worked abroad and be prepared to provide an Overseas Criminal Records Certificate (OCRC) or a Statement of Good Conduct (SOGC) relating to anytime they were overseas.

For this role the successful candidates must undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check. BPSS is the minimum standard to ensure the identity and integrity of an employee who has access to official information using secure networks linking central government and local authorities. A BPSS check involves four main elements; Identity Check, National and Immigration Status, Employment History (last 3 years) and Verification of Criminal Record (unspent convictions only).

We kindly request that recruitment agencies do not contact us regarding this job vacancy. We are not accepting agency applications or referrals at this time.

At Walsall Council, we appreciate that AI can be a useful tool for ideas or guidance. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. Over-reliance on AI can make responses feel less personal, and we really want to understand what makes you unique. Your experiences, skills, and perspective are what set you apart, so please ensure your application as a whole – particularly your ‘Supporting Information’ – reflects your own voice.

Walsall Council’s Children’s Services are the only Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ local authority in the Black Country. During a visit in May 2025, Inspectors described Walsall Council as a place where children were at the heart of. The council’s journey of continuous improvement started in 2017 and has since transformed into a service with a clear vision, clear priorities and a clear plan, all informed by the views of our staff and children. Staff are at the core of delivering great outcomes for children and young people in Walsall, which is underpinned by our Walsall Right 4 Children vision. The latest Ofsted inspection demonstrated that staff in children’s services are proud to work for Walsall Council and feel supported to do great work.