Family Liaison Officer

Accountable to Headteacher

Purpose of Job

This post is an additional school-based staff member whose job it is to support children and their families in order to provide early help support and reduce barriers to learning. These barriers to learning may be a result of something happening within the school or externally. The Family Liaison Officer will work alongside teaching staff and existing pastoral systems to provide an extra layer of support for pupils.

Duties and Responsibilities

• To build effective relationships with pupils and families - e.g. welcoming families at the school gate, greeting families at parents' evenings, supporting with school trips, offering informal coffee mornings for families etc.
• To act as a point of contact in school for families in need of support.
• To engage with vulnerable families in order to formulate a package of support.
• To maintain regular contact with families of children receiving support to encourage positive family involvement in the child’s learning.
• To maintain record keeping in accordance with the policies and procedures in place in school, including case studies.
• To signpost families and refer for support when appropriate.
• To liaise professionally with external agencies.
• To provide in‑school support for families where attendance is a concern.
• To work as part of the school's attendance team, attending regular meetings, helping to promote good attendance, supporting families with attendance through regular contact such as phone calls and home visits.
• To establish good working relationships with pupils, acting as a role model and setting high expectations.
• To provide consistent support to all pupils, responding appropriately to individual pupil needs.
• To assist with the development and implementation of positive intervention plans in conjunction with the school's SENDCo.
• To promote positive behaviour throughout the school, using Step On deescalation strategies and Step Up training as required.
• To coordinate nurture sessions with the nurture practitioners and SENDCo to support pupils effectively.
• To promote pupils' self‑esteem and independence, employing strategies to recognise and reward achievement within established school procedure.
• To be available to support pupils during lunchtime to help them in resolving conflicts and developing personal, social and emotional skills.
• To provide transition support for new pupils arriving mid‑year or vulnerable pupils.
• To work collaboratively alongside the existing Designated Safeguarding Lead team in school.
• To manage and implement the school’s child protection policy.
• To have a secure awareness of current safeguarding priorities including contextual issues.
• To deliver in‑house CP training.
• To raise the awareness of both teaching, support staff, and any other members of staff and school governors, of the need for effective safeguarding procedures in school, particularly in the area of child protection and of their responsibilities in identifying and reporting possible cases of abuse.
• To manage an effective whole school system (CPOMS) that will monitor the whole child under the safeguarding umbrella.
• To emphasise the need for good levels of communication between all staff.
• To promote understanding and build relationships with other agencies in order to work together more effectively.
• To work with the PSHE lead to promote children’s personal, social and health development in ways which foster security, confidence and independence and to work with the Computing lead to promote e‑safety.
• To develop a network of support which would be made known to staff or parents: e.g. details of parent support groups; parent networks; relevant telephone numbers.
• To seek advice from and report cases to social care as necessary.
• To attend CP, CIN and any other relevant statutory meetings as a representative from the school. Ensure all necessary information is fed back appropriately to school staff.
• To monitor the CP files and ensure they are kept up to date.
• To attend training annually and keep up to date with changes in legislation.
• To manage early intervention where families may need support with parenting, bereavement, mental health, young carers etc. and liaise effectively with parents and children.
• To become a point of contact in school for both parents and children with any concerns under the safeguarding umbrella.
• To be a point of contact for staff, supporting their wellbeing and signposting to external agencies as required.
• To complete any other reasonable task as required by the Headteacher/SLT.

This job description will be reviewed annually and may be subject to amendment or modification at any time after consultation with the post holder and Trustees. It is not a comprehensive statement of procedures and tasks but sets out the main expectations of the Trust in relation to the post holder’s professional responsibilities and duties.

The Great Learners Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks.

Note: The duties of the post may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility.