County Attendance Officer

Oxfordshire County Council; Oxford; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

33 days holiday

LG pension up to 19.9%

Health & wellbeing support

Learning & development

Job summary

Oxfordshire County Council is seeking a County Attendance Officer to work across North/West, City and South Oxfordshire, with flexibility to operate county-wide.

You will undertake case work on irregular school attendance, ensure parents understand their legal responsibilities, prepare evidence for Magistrates' court or single justice processes, and drive whole-school attendance improvements while collaborating with partner agencies.

Qualifications

• Competent with IT systems and able to use school-facing software
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Commitment to safeguarding and child welfare
• Ability to work with schools, families and partner agencies
• Strong time management and organisational abilities

Responsibilities

• Case work on irregular school attendance where legal intervention is required
• Ensure parents understand legal responsibilities for regular attendance
• Prepare and submit evidence for court proceedings
• Implement whole-school attendance systems and policies
• Attend multi-agency meetings (CP, CIN, TAF) as required
• Deliver targeted attendance meetings in schools

Skills

IT skills

Communication skills

Discretion

Organisational skills

Team collaboration

Job description

Salary range: £39,482 - £42,123 per annum (full-time)

Work location: Midland House Oxford,

The role will involve working with schools across South Oxfordshire.

Hours per week: 37 - we are open to discussions about flexible working

Contract type: Full-time Vetting requirements: This role is subject to a Criminal Records Check

Closing date: Monday 28th September 2026

Interview date: Either Monday 5th October 26 or Tuesday 6th October 26 in Person at County Hall, New Road Oxford

About us

The County Attendance Team has a commitment to ensure that all Oxfordshire's school-aged children receive their full educational entitlement promoting inclusion and access to education for all. We want Oxfordshire's children and young people to grow, learn, develop, and achieve their very best.

We understand that good school attendance is integral to supporting social and emotional development. The County Attendance Team are committed to working collaboratively with all Schools/partners/agencies to achieve the best outcome for children and young people.

About the role

We are seeking to recruit to the role of County Attendance Officer on a permanent basis to work predominately across either North/West, City and South of Oxfordshire. The team works across the whole of Oxfordshire so flexibility to work in other areas is also required.

As a County Attendance Officer, you will be undertaking such tasks as:

Case work in relation to irregular school attendance where legal intervention is required

Ensuring parents are aware of their legal responsibilities to secure regular attendance at school.

Preparing and submitting evidence for legal cases to be heard through the Magistrates court or single justice process

Whole-school work to ensure appropriate systems, policies and procedures are in place for the monitoring and improvement of school attendance

Attending Child Protection (CP) Conferences, Child in Need (CIN), Team Around the Family (CIN) or other multi agency meetings when required

Delivering targeted attendance meetings in schools

Carrying out Attendance Audits in schools

Working on a multi-agency basis to achieve the best outcomes for children and families

Acting as lead professional to ensure access to education

Act as a mediator between parents, children and schools to enable improved and timely access to education

Participate in continued professional development, both team and personal, in line with supervision and appraisal agreements and service expectations.

About you

You should be competent with IT systems, good interpersonal skills, an acute awareness of discretion and confidentiality, along with accuracy. The position demands passion, enthusiasm, accountability, and a commitment to delivering an outstanding service to children/families and schools across Oxfordshire.

Please apply if you consider yourself to be:

• Reflective, resilient, tenacious, and flexible
• Committed to inclusion for all children and their families
• Committed to safeguarding children
• Attentive listener
• Motivated and reliable
• Highly organised with good time management skills
• Solution-focussed
• Able to build sustainable, trusting, and influential relationships
• A positive and collaborative team member
• Excellent IT skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Having experience of working with schools and families
• Committed to your own personal and professional development

Rewards and benefits

• Culture of flexible working
• Technology to support agile working where role permits
• Up to 33 days holiday p.a. plus bank holidays
• Option to buy' additional holiday
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer's contribution of up to 19.9%
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development

Your office base may be subject to change as we are currently transitioning between temporary and permanent office locations due to the closure of County Hall. If this is applicable to you, you will be notified, but no reimbursement will apply in respect of travel.

Our commitment to: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to: Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to: Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to: Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.