Attendance & Welfare Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

The Role

Role: Attendance & Welfare Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Start Date: ASAP

Contract: Permanent and Term Time only plus 5 inset days

Salary Range: NJC Outer London - Grade 6, Spine Point 18 - 20 - £31,982-£32,941 per annum (pro rata of £36,690-£37,790 per annum)

Hours of Work: Monday to Friday - 8am until 4pm (1 hour unpaid lunch break)

Closing Date: Thursday 17th September 2026

Interview Date: Monday 21st September 2026

Inspire Partnership Academy Trust, is a family of schools across Croydon, Medway and Greenwich who aim to offer a life changing education to children. Our schools work in collaboration to transform the lives of the children and communities we serve.

Our core values of Collaboration, Excellence, Friendship, Resilience, Respect and Responsibility, define the way we care for, enrich and teach every child.

What sets us apart from others is the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of educational thinking and practice, supported by excellent training and development and opportunities to take part in ground breaking research projects and collaborative work with talented and innovative colleagues, both at a local and national level.

The Role

We are seeking a dedicated Attendance & Welfare Lead and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) to monitor pupil welfare and lead on attendance and first aid across our school. You will play a vital role in removing barriers to education by driving high standards of pupil attendance, identifying patterns of absence, and working directly with families and external agencies to ensure every pupil is present, safe, and supported.

Working alongside the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), you will take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, including online safety. You will lead strategy discussions, contribute to assessments, and advise staff on child welfare matters, liaising with local authorities and the police as required.

Additionally, you will oversee day-to-day medical welfare as a lead first aider. This involves responding to health needs, managing healthcare plans, and maintaining a nurturing environment where students feel secure.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage morning registration data, complete daily first-day absence calls, and verify non-attendance reasons using the school’s MIS Arbor system
• Update and maintain electronic attendance registers following Department for Education guidelines and legal requirements
• Identify unexplained absences, act on safeguarding concerns immediately, and conduct doorstep home visits when necessary
• Track attendance trends to identify pupils falling below target thresholds, including persistent absentees under 90 percent
• Lead supportive early intervention meetings with parents and carers to resolve barriers to regular school attendance
• Design tailored attendance improvement plans for individual pupils and connect families with early help services
• Collaborate with the Attendance Advisory Service to manage persistent absence cases and access specialist support
• Ensure full compliance with updated Department for Education guidance and local authority attendance legislation
• Process fixed-penalty notices, formal attendance warnings, and legal court referrals for severe non-attendance
• Prepare detailed attendance data reports for the senior leadership team, school governors, and local authority audits
• Implement positive attendance incentive schemes across key stages promote high attendance expectations across the school community through regular newsletters and parent workshops
• Work alongside class teachers and the SENCO to build reintegration plans for pupils returning to full-time education

Welfare & Home School Liaison

• To provide pastoral care and assistance for children.
• To be aware of confidential issues linked to home/pupil/staff/school/work and keep confidential as appropriate
• To attend and participate in relevant meetings such as TAC, Strategy and Child conferences as required
• To lead training, learning activities and performance development as required
• In partnership with the school Inclusion Team, undertake comprehensive assessments of children to determine those in need of particular help
• Deliver pastoral/SEMH support for identified children and supporting them to achieve their targets.
• Maintain contact with families and carers to foster positive relationships with the school and develop support for families
• Provide written reports for outside agencies, school leaders, and governors
• Challenge and motivate children to promote self-esteem and advise them on learning, behaviour, and attendance
• Contribute to the planning and organisation of support services, procedures, and systems
• Meet regularly with parents/carers and the Inclusion team to discuss pupils causing concern
• Make accompanied home visits as and when needed
• Organise and facilitate parent workshops and social events
• Liaise with other schools during transfers to ensure medical and safeguarding records are transferred confidentially

Requirements

• Previous experience working within an educational setting, attendance role, or family support service
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding procedures and school attendance legislation
• Knowledge of attendance processes within education
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive situations with empathy and firmness
• Proficiency in school management information systems (MIS), specifically Arbor
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work independently and under pressure

General Information

The postholder will be required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, following all school policies and the staff code of conduct. The DDSL must be available during school hours, and occasionally out of hours during holidays to share information with agencies if requested.

• To cover classes as and when required by the leadership team
• To carry out interventions, small group work linked to the individual needs of the children including lunchtime club daily
• To take minutes during meetings and engage in admin related activities
• Please review the attached job description for full details. If you have the relevant experience and believe this role is right for you, we welcome your application!