Education Welfare Officer

Staffordshire County Council; Staffordshire Moorlands; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority is looking for two full-time education welfare officers to address school attendance issues in Staffordshire. The roles involve managing a caseload of children under statutory action and collaborating with schools to improve attendance rates. Ideal candidates will have experience in local authority settings and strong communication skills. Applications close on November 19th, 2025, with interviews on November 25th, 2025.

Qualifications

• Thorough understanding of Education Act and statutory guidance.
• Understanding of factors influencing attendance issues.
• Able to work effectively under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Manage a high caseload of children under statutory action.
• Provide advice to schools and trusts.
• Support children to access education.

Skills

Experience in managing attendance

Excellent written and communication skills

Ability to work in a busy team

Resilience and effective time management

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity to recruit two full-time education welfare officers!

One on a permanent contract to be based in the Staffordshire Moorlands and one on a fixed term contract to cover maternity leave this is to be based in East Staffordshire.

Both positions will have office locations and be expected to travel to Stafford for team meetings as well as visit schools and undertake visits in the community.

Main Responsibilities

You will:

• be able to work in close collaboration with central and district colleagues to effectively manage a high caseload of children under statutory action, school attendance orders, education supervision orders, section 19 and children missing education.
• provide advice and share best practice between schools and trusts within the area
• be the named officer for approximately 25 Staffordshire schools delivering their targeted support meetings
• work with your colleagues to organise district meetings to share good practice with schools
• support children to access education,
• work with internal and external partner agencies,
• be able to advise on and address the complex issues of school attendance, access to education, part-time timetables, child employment and entertainment.

The Ideal Candidate

You will have:

• Experience of managing attendance in a local authority, school or alternative provision setting thorough understanding of the Education Act, Working Together to improve school attendance (2024 statutory guidance), Keeping Children Safe in Education (2023 statutory guidance)
• A good understanding of the complex factors which may influence issuing penalty notices, investigating and prosecuting for irregular school attendance, supporting children missing education, carrying out child entertainment and employment checks.
• Excellent written and communication skills,
• The ability to work effectively in a busy team and be passionate about working with schools to improve attendance.
• You must be resilient, able to manage your time effectively and work well under pressure.

For more information about the role please contact: Alison Duggan, Deputy Head of Attendance and Inclusion [e-mail]

All applications are to be received by 19th November, 2025. Interviews will be held on 25th November, 2025 at Staffordshire Place 1.

We\'re happy to talk flexible working

Our Recruitment Process

Our Recruitment Process: We anonymise applications during shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. Please complete your application fully, especially the supporting statement, to highlight what you\'ll bring to the role.

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values:

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits:

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process:

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a GoldAward Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as yourapplication meets the minimum criteria for the post.

As you\'ll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that\'s why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.