Education Welfare Officer

Wakefield Council; Wakefield; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Induction and training programme

Professional development opportunities

Varied and rewarding role

LGPS and employee benefits

Job summary

Wakefield Council is seeking an Education Welfare Officer to join our Education Welfare Service. You will work with schools, families and partners to ensure children receive their education entitlement and achieve positive outcomes.

You will manage a varied caseload, coordinate support through multi-agency meetings, and undertake home visits to identify barriers to learning. The role requires effective communication, safeguarding oversight and knowledge of attendance legislation.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children, families and schools to improve attendance.
• Knowledge of safeguarding responsibilities and attendance legislation.
• Ability to manage complex caseloads and coordinate with partner agencies.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with children, families and schools to improve attendance.
• Lead multi-agency meetings to coordinate support.
• Undertake home visits and assessments to identify barriers to education.
• Provide advice on attendance legislation and best practice.
• Support safeguarding processes and identify at-risk children.
• Prepare legal documentation and progress cases through statutory processes.

Skills

Communication skills

Mediation

Problem-solving

Report-writing

Multi-agency work

Independent work

Caseload management

Attendance legislation knowledge

Education

GCSE English and Maths (C/4+) or equivalent

A-Levels or equivalent

Job description

We are looking for an enthusiastic, resilient and highly motivated Education Welfare Officer (EWO) to join our dedicated Education Welfare Service. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in improving school attendance, safeguarding vulnerable children and supporting families across the Wakefield District. As an Education Welfare Officer, you will work with schools, families and partner agencies to ensure children receive their entitlement to education and achieve the best possible outcomes. Using a strengths-based and whole-family approach, you will help identify barriers to attendance, coordinate support and, where necessary, undertake legal interventions in line with statutory requirements.

About the role

You will manage a varied caseload of children and young people whose attendance has fallen below expected levels and work collaboratively with schools and partner agencies to improve attendance and engagement.

The role includes

• Working directly with children, families and schools to improve attendance.
• Leading and attending multi-agency meetings to coordinate support.
• Undertaking home visits and assessments to identify barriers to education.
• Providing advice and guidance to schools on attendance legislation and best practice.
• Supporting safeguarding processes and identifying children at risk.
• Preparing legal documentation and progressing cases through statutory processes where required.
• Working closely with services including Social Care, Early Help, CAMHS, SEND services, Police and other partner agencies.
• Supporting work relating to Children Missing Education and Elective Home Education when required. Experience of working with children, young people and families within an educational, early help, social care or related setting.
• Experience of managing complex caseloads and working with vulnerable families.
• Knowledge of school attendance legislation and safeguarding responsibilities.
• Excellent communication, mediation and problem-solving skills.
• Experience of multi-agency working and partnership development.
• The ability to work independently whilst managing competing priorities.
• Strong recording and report-writing skills.
• GCSE English and Maths (Grade C/4 or above) or equivalent, alongside a good standard of educational or vocational qualifications to A-Level standard or equivalent.

We would particularly welcome applications from candidates with experience in attendance services, early intervention, youth work, social care, family support or education settings.

You’ll be joining a supportive and experienced team committed to improving outcomes for children and families across Wakefield.

We offer

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• A comprehensive induction and training programme.
• Ongoing professional development opportunities.
• A varied and rewarding role where no two days are the same.
• The opportunity to work as part of a highly regarded multi-agency service.
• Local Government Pension Scheme and other employee benefits.

Important information

This role requires regular travel across the Wakefield District to schools, family homes and other community venues.

• Enhanced DBS clearance.
• Satisfactory references.
• Verification of qualifications.
• Medical clearance and right-to-work checks.

Some flexibility in working hours will be required, including occasional evening work.

An Enhanced DBS check will be required for the successful candidate.

What can I expect?

• A competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement with the option to buy up to 10 extra days of annual leave
• Hybrid working (subject to role suitability)
• Access to high-quality training programs to advance your career to the next level.
• We are committed to supporting the wellbeing of our staff. We recognise that resilient teams need good work life balance as well as supportive leadership.
• Discounted and subsidised public transport (Arriva Bus Annual Travel Ticket, Northern Trains Limited (NTL), MetroCard).
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and a Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) scheme providing a tax efficient way to increase our pension.
• Great range of benefits including an Employee Assistant Programme, discounted membership to our excellent leisure facilities with free 12 weeks exercise program, discounts for a range of retail, entertainment, health and leisure providers, a cycle to work scheme, and many more

Safeguarding Wakefield Council is wholly committed to ensuring children and vulnerable adults are fully supported and safe. We are dedicated to the safeguarding of all children and vulnerable adults whilst promoting their welfare. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this responsibility.

DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service)

The successful applicant will be required to complete a Disclosure Application Form and to provide criminal conviction information.

Probation

In accordance with the Council Probation Procedure, this post is subject to a 6-month Probationary Period.

Fluency Duty

To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), public facing roles will be subject to the Fluency Duty.

Diversity

Having a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve helps us to achieve the best outcomes for all. We encourage applications from everyone and actively seek to ensure that everyone feels included in the workplace so that we can make the most of our differences.