Senior Children Absent from Education Officer - CME

Coventry City Council; Coventry; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK is seeking a Senior Children Absent from Education Officer to enhance access to education for all children. This full-time, permanent role entails responsibilities like monitoring children missing education and supporting families with school placement. The ideal candidate will have strong communication and organizational skills, with experience in statutory guidance and managing competing priorities. Join us to make a meaningful impact in Coventry.

Benefits

Competitive rewards and benefits package

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a high-demand environment.
• Ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Experience working within statutory guidance.

Responsibilities

• Identifying and monitoring Children Missing Education.
• Providing support to newly arrived families.
• Ensuring compliance with pupil attendance enforcement.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Organizational skills

Sound judgement

Resilience

Job description

Our Values

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

About The Team We Are Recruiting To

The Children Absent from Education (CAFE) Team (part of the Education Entitlement and Enrichment Service) plays a pivotal role in ensuring that no child in Coventry is left without access to learning. By delivering the Council’s statutory duties, the team works tirelessly to safeguard every child’s right to an education and to prevent them from slipping through the cracks of the system.

The Children Absent from Education Team is responsible for

• Pupil Attendance – working collaboratively with schools, families, and partners to promote a culture of good attendance, ensuring barriers are identified and addressed early so that every child attends regularly, thrives in education, and reaches their full potential, while also fulfilling the Council’s statutory duty to take enforcement action where necessary.
• Children Missing Education – identifying, tracking, and re‑engaging children who are not on a school roll, protecting them from vulnerability and ensuring they swiftly return to education.
• Sixth‑day provision for permanently excluded pupils and administration of the Fair Access Processes – securing appropriate education from day six of an exclusion to minimise disruption to learning and reduce the long‑term impact of exclusion.
• Child licensing and employment – managing child performance licensing and work permits, safeguarding children who are working or performing, and ensuring their education remains a priority.

What is the job role?

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people?

We are looking for a Senior Children Absent from Education Officer – Children Missing Education (CME) to join our dedicated Children Absent from Education Team.

This is a full-time, permanent role offering the chance to play a pivotal part in ensuring that every child in Coventry has access to their right to education.

Key areas of responsibility

• Identifying, monitoring, and re‑engaging Children Missing Education.
• Providing support to newly arrived families accessing school places.
• Monitoring, reporting and processes for Part‑Time/Reduced Timetables.
• Pupil attendance enforcement, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements.
• Supporting Leadership with management of other key areas of Children Absent from Education.

All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Who are we looking for?

The successful candidate will bring proven experience of working within statutory guidance in a high‑demand environment, demonstrating resilience, sound judgement, and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively. Strong communication and organisational skills are essential, along with the confidence to handle complex situations, engage with the public, and work collaboratively with a wide range of partner agencies.

You will have a professional and approachable manner, with the ability to manage and organise a team to ensure the Local Authority’s statutory duties are delivered to a high standard. Attention to detail, accuracy in recording, and the ability to prioritise under pressure are vital to success in this role.

As Senior Children Absent from Education Officer – CME, you will have direct responsibility for the team, providing clear supervision, guidance, and oversight while also quality assuring casework, records, and case notes to ensure consistency and compliance.

Confidentiality, discretion, and professionalism are key, as you will be handling sensitive information and enquiries. You will also need the flexibility and adaptability to manage changing demands within a fast‑paced, high‑profile service.

Guarantee Interview Scheme

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Currently in care or have previously been in care
• Disability or long‑term health condition

Contact

If you would like further information regarding this post, please contact:
[e-mail]

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change. We are cutting‑edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse. We are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities. If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - find out more at https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies.

Attached documents

• Job Description and Person Specification.pdf
• Coventry City Council Application Process.pdf