Attendance and Safeguarding Officer in Cheadle

Together we make a difference, develop and learn, and support each other. Every day with us is different, but our mission remains the same: To champion the rights, needs and ambitions of the people we support – they are at the heart of everything we do. We stand by them and we work together for change. We believe that everyone deserves a chance to learn and space to thrive and that the right education can change lives. You’ll help break down barriers to education for young people, helping them learn and grow at their own pace.

Location: Inscape House School, Cheadle SK8 1JE

Contract and Hours: Permanent working 37.5 hours over 43 weeks

Salary: £27,814.31 prorated

Job Purpose

The Attendance and Safeguarding Officer plays a vital role in enabling all students to engage fully in education by addressing safeguarding, welfare and attendance needs. The postholder will work closely with students, families, school staff and external agencies to remove barriers to learning, promote regular attendance and ensure robust safeguarding practices are consistently applied. This role involves regular liaison with parents/carers, social workers and other professionals, as well as direct work with families through home visits and meetings.

Key Responsibilities

• Attendance
  • Lead home visits to engage families and improve student attendance.
  • Lead the recording and monitoring of attendance data, including reasons for absence and late arrivals.
  • Process and analyse attendance data, producing regular reports for staff and senior leaders.
  • Apply detailed knowledge of attendance legislation to inform school policies, procedures and practice.
  • Lead attendance-related correspondence, including issuing letters and escalating concerns to the Senior Leadership Team where required.
• Safeguarding
  • Support the Senior Leadership Team and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to ensure effective safeguarding procedures are in place.
  • Respond to lower-level safeguarding concerns in real time, making appropriate contact with families and agencies.
  • Maintain accurate, up-to-date safeguarding records on CPOMS, including clear actions and next steps.
  • Attend child protection and core group meetings when required and contribute to case management under DSL supervision.
• Parents and Community
  • Develop positive, supportive relationships with parents and carers to encourage engagement with school.
  • Provide advice and support to families where appropriate.
  • Work closely with professionals supporting Looked After Children.
  • Safely share safeguarding information with external agencies in line with GDPR and school policy.
  • Build strong links with community partners and external agencies to support families and students.

Additional Responsibilities

• Produce reports on safeguarding, mental health and attendance trends for senior leaders and governors.
• Use own vehicle (with business insurance) to conduct home visits and attend external meetings (mileage reimbursed).

We Are Looking For Someone Who

• Has experience working with children, families and safeguarding in an education or similar setting.
• Level 3 relevant qualification.
• Has strong knowledge of safeguarding, attendance and relevant legislation.
• Is confident liaising with parents, external agencies and professionals.
• Is highly organised, also able to work well in a team.
• Full clean driving licence and prepared to drive young people between destinations using their own vehicle.

Benefits

• Generous pension scheme and death in service benefit, up to 7% company pension contributions initially rising with length of service and up to 6 × basic salary death in service benefit.
• Occupational sick pay and family-friendly policies including enhanced maternity, paternity and adoptive leave.
• Reward and Discount platform offering discounts at high-street shops, travel, insurances etc.
• Eligibility to apply for Blue Light card.
• Real living wage employer.
• Refer a friend scheme, be rewarded for recommending a friend to work with us.
• Comprehensive training and development opportunities, including apprenticeship qualifications.
• Long service awards including cash gifts and extra holiday.
• Promotion of wellbeing across the organisation including Mental Health First Aiders offering wellbeing support from trained colleagues and free weekly yoga sessions in person or online.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme for you and adults at your home.

Applications are very welcome from all regardless of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status or socio-economic background. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments for disabled people. We positively encourage applications from those with lived experience. If there is any part of your lived experience you want to keep confidential in some way please talk to the Recruitment or HR shared service teams and we will do what we can to support you.

The Together Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the people we support and expects all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Safeguarding checks will be undertaken for the successful candidate in line with our safer recruitment policy, including an Enhanced DBS check (at no cost to yourself). This role will involve regulated activity. Working in our specialist education team.