Attendance Officer

The Complementary Education Service supports schools in ensuring statutory educational provision for pupils who cannot attend school in the usual way. This may be due to medical illness, pregnancy or emotional and psychological difficulties. Teaching is provided within our teaching base in the centre of the borough (Formby) and through provision of home tuition and online learning packages. We work in partnership with outside agencies including CAMHS, Health partners and Social Care. The Service supports schools in raising the levels of achievement, attendance and participation for vulnerable groups to enable them to engage in appropriate learning opportunities with a view to reintegrating with their mainstream or specialist settings.

JOB PURPOSE

• To work alongside key staff and the Early Help/School Attendance Service, at Pinefield to reduce levels of unauthorised absence and under the direction/guidance of senior staff to promote whole service attendance strategies and to work with pupils and families to improve levels of attendance.
• To contribute to raising attainment and achievement by improving attendance.
• To provide (home/Service link) support for the service in meeting their obligations and attendance target, including persistent absence.
• To promote positive attitudes to pupils and families towards education and to ensure that parents/carers are made fully aware of their statutory responsibilities.
• To make daily unsupervised contact (First day response) with families to assess the reasons impacting on the attendance of individual pupils.
• To establish and develop a professional service to support the service in raising attendance.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Completion of termly register reviews.
• To work on strategies to promote the regular attendance and punctuality of pupils across Pinefield as per our Service Attendance policy.
• To assist with the identification of pupils who will receive support in improving their attendance record.
• To undertake daily ‘first day response’ within the service and report to pupil’s home schools.
• To make unsupervised contact with families in response to allocated referrals i.e. home visits and/or meetings in school or at Pinefield.
• To establish the reason for non-attendance, make assessments and agree a plan of action for facilitating a return to Pinefield using appropriate strategies within specified timescales.
• To be fully aware of, and carry out all work, in line with Child Protection Procedures.
• To keep clear and concise records of all home visits, discussions/conversations, plans and time frames.
• To use IT systems to produce reports, often to tight timescales, using word processing and record information including statistical data.
• To manage and prioritise your own workload in line with service priorities.
• To acquire and maintain a working knowledge of the statutory framework relating to school attendance, child employment, child protection and special needs in order to be able to offer informed advice to parents/carers, and all stakeholders.

General Requirements:

• Adaptable, imaginative, creative and flexible in approach to the work.
• Self-motivating and the ability to identify your own training needs and a willingness to attend relevant training courses or other training.
• Promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young and vulnerable people that you are responsible for or come into contact with.
• To comply with individual responsibilities, in accordance of the role, for health and safety in the workplace.
• Ensure that all duties and services provided are in accordance with the Services’ Equal Opportunities Policy.
• To ensure compliance of GDPR at all times.

The Inclusion Service is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.

Sefton Council strives to ensure that our workforce is inclusive and representative of our communities. A diverse workforce is important to us, our staff bring with them a wide range of experiences, views, ideas, and innovations, and we are committed to providing an environment that recognises, respects, and values everybody’s identity, where individual differences are strengths and where everyone can thrive and maximise their potential.

We are always open to learning and growing as an organisation, and we welcome new ideas and initiatives that promote equality, diversity and inclusion. We are an Equal Opportunities Employer; all candidates will receive equal treatment. Our decision to appoint will be based upon whether an individual’s skills, experience, qualifications, and abilities make them the most suitable candidate for the role.

Please note that all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for these jobs (as given in the Person Specification) and who want to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme will be invited to interview. If you are currently in care or have previously been in care, we provide a guaranteed interview scheme for care experienced people if you meet the essential requirements for the role.

Consider registering for Sefton@work. If you’re an unemployed Sefton resident, register with our Sefton@Work service for free support to help you into employment. You may be eligible for extra assistance such as funding for travel, work clothing, or vouchers to make starting your new job easier.