Home Academy Liaison Officer

Harris City Academy Crystal Palace; Greater London; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

An outstanding educational institution in Greater London is seeking an experienced Educational Welfare Officer to oversee attendance and support at-risk students. You will manage caseloads, conduct home visits, and ensure compliance with education standards. The ideal candidate will hold a degree and have experience in an inner-city school, understanding the barriers affecting attendance. This role offers a salary of £27,901.52 to £28,310.58 and benefits, including performance bonuses and a pension scheme.

Benefits

Performance and Loyalty Bonus

Pension Scheme with employer contributions

Wellbeing Cash Plan

Qualifications

• Qualifications to degree level or equivalent.
• At least three years' experience in a pastoral capacity.
• Experience of successfully dealing with issues influencing poor attendance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Educational Welfare across the academy.
• Manage caseload of 'at risk' students and improve attendance.
• Conduct home visits to engage families.

Skills

Behaviour for learning policies

Knowledge of barriers to learning

Safeguarding procedures

Dealing with challenging students

Working with families

Education

Degree level or equivalent

Job description

Responsibilities

• Overseeing Educational Welfare across the academy.
• Managing a caseload of 'at risk' students, where attendance falls below 85% and implement strategies to improve attendance.
• Monitoring and improving the attendance of most vulnerable students.
• Ensuring compliance with statutory duties, including reporting persistent and severe absenteeism.
• Conducting home visits to engage families and address barriers to school attendance.
• Maintaining accurate attendance records and preparing reports.
• Representing the academy at external meetings e.g. Social Services Case Conferences, Child in Need Meetings, LAC Reviews.
• Communicating effectively with all external agencies including possible alternative providers.
• Ensuring effective communication/consultation as appropriate with the parents of students.
• Leading on legal interventions for non-attendance where necessary.
• Co‑ordinating appropriate and tailored alternative provision for students unable to thrive in mainstream education.
• Supporting the school's inclusion strategy.
• Maintaining the alternative provision tracker and monitoring student progress.
• Building and maintaining partnerships with external providers, agencies, and support networks.
• Ensuring safeguarding and health and safety standards in alternative provision settings.
• Acting as a liaison between the academy, external providers, students, and families to ensure seamless support and transition to alternative placements.
• Ensuring compliance with local and national policies related to alternative provision as well as safeguarding protocols.
• Regularly reviewing alternative provision placements and providing feedback to stakeholders.
• Maintaining confidential records of support.
• Preparing reports and maintaining records relating to student referrals and subsequent counselling or support.
• Providing support to the attendance team.
• Providing administrative support to coordinate internal seclusion.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Qualifications to degree level or equivalent.
• Knowledge of behaviour for learning policies.
• Knowledge of the range of barriers to learning that students face.
• Training in child protection and safeguarding procedures.
• Basic knowledge of first aid (e.g., emergency first aid course).
• At least three years' experience of working in an inner city school or educational establishment in a pastoral capacity.
• Experience of dealing successfully with a range of issues influencing poor attendance.
• Experience of working with staff to ensure excellent standards of attendance and punctuality.
• Experience of working with families.
• Experience of working with challenging students and parents, and finding ways in which we can meet their needs more successfully.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

About the Academy

Harris City Academy Crystal Palace is a mixed Academy for 1,300 students aged 11‑18, with a large sixth form of nearly 400 students. The Academy has three consecutive Outstanding judgments by Ofsted, with the most recent inspection in 2025 finding the Academy to be Outstanding in every category. We are a consistently high performing school. Our motto, "All Can Achieve" encapsulates our vision that all members of the Academy community are supported and encouraged to achieve their absolute potential. We believe that a well‑supported and valued staff body is the key to our success.

The actual salary for this role will be £27,901.52‑£28,310.58 (Monday to Friday, 7.45am‑4:00pm, term time only). In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.