School Attendance & Engagement Lead

Manchester City Council; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Pension contribution

26 days annual leave

Cyclescheme

Employee assistance programme

Discounts and perks

Job summary

Manchester City Council is seeking an Attendance Officer to join MEA and drive improved attendance and engagement among pupils. The role involves working with pupils, families, school leaders and external agencies to remove barriers to attendance and ensure access to high‑quality education.

The successful candidate will have experience with children and families, strong safeguarding knowledge, and the ability to handle complex cases with resilience and professional judgment in a supportive

Qualifications

• Experience of working with children, young people and families within education, social care or community settings.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, child protection and relevant legislation.
• Ability to manage complex cases and make balanced decisions.
• Resilient, organised and able to work calmly under pressure.
• Skilled in building positive relationships with pupils, parents, staff and external agencies.
• Committed to inclusive practice and improving outcomes for all students.

Responsibilities

• Implement and support school attendance policies and procedures, ensuring staff understand their impact on pupils and families.
• Manage a caseload of attendance cases, maintaining documentation and preparing evidence for legal action.
• Track, analyse and report on attendance data to inform interventions.
• Coordinate and undertake home visits with partner agencies such as Police and Health and Social Care.
• Deliver training to staff, governors and stakeholders on attendance regulations and best practice.
• Engage in safeguarding processes and contribute to learning provision for pupils facing attendance barriers.

Job description

Manchester City Council is seeking an Attendance Officer to join MEA and drive improved attendance and engagement among pupils. The role involves working with pupils, families, school leaders and external agencies to remove barriers to attendance and ensure access to high‑quality education.

The successful candidate will have experience with children and families, strong safeguarding knowledge, and the ability to handle complex cases with resilience and professional judgment in a supportive