Childrens Services Officer - Elective Home Education - REQ003225

Job title: Childrens Services Officer – Elective Home Education – Learning Access Service ( 4 posts available).

Salary: SO2 £37,280 - £39,152

Hours: 37.

Contract: Full time, permanent.

Location: Hybrid working including office days at Tech North along with home visits.

Would you like to be part of something bigger and join us in our ambition to become the Best City, working together as a Team for Leeds. Do your values match ours and do you have something to offer?

As an Officer working in the Elective Home Education Team, you’ll thrive in an established team as part of the Learning Access Service. This service includes the school attendance team, the children missing education team, the exclusions team and the pupil tuition team. You will work with all colleagues in these teams and focus on elective home education but be involved in all matters of education engagement and attendance.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Childrens services officer , you will bring to the role:

An ability to communicate appropriately and effectively with a wide range of people and build positive relationships with parents, children, and other agencies using a variety of different methods
An understanding of diversity issues within local communities and the importance of confidentiality and the needs and wishes of individuals, families and carers
An ability to work effectively as part of a team and to demonstrate organisational and time management skills prioritising own and team’s work to meet conflicting deadlines
An ability to travel throughout Leeds City Council boundaries and move location within the service working at different sites /areas depending on need

About the role

As our next EHE officer you’ll ensure children of compulsory school age in Leeds, their families and schools, receive and access quality support to achieve maximum attendance in learning environments which are appropriate to the child’s age, aptitude and ability. You will support the local authority’s statutory responsibility for safeguarding in relation children who are electively home educated.

The role is integral to our Learning Access Service. All our teams collaborate together with a ‘support first’ approach. We work hard to ensure that all children and young people receive the best education offer for them and continue their journey of lifelong learning.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirement
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Lynne Bentley, EHE Lead Officer Lynne.Bentley@Leeds.Gov.uk

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose Ensure children of compulsory school age, their families and schools, receive and access quality support to achieve maximum attendance in learning environments which is appropriate to the child’s age, aptitude and ability. Support the local authority statutory responsibility for safeguarding in relation children who are electively home educated.

Responsibilities

Work within the ethos of restorative practice work and within the statutory guidance of elective home education, undertake initial safeguarding visits with new to EHE families, having undertaken research into the child’s context on PSS, follow up call to schools and contact with any other agencies working with the child and/or family at the point of referral,
Responsible for a case load of EHE families both new and ongoing cases, undertaking the apt recording of contacts, visits and follow up actions as appropriate, including regular contact with social care, targeted services and other agencies working with specific families – follow up and school attendance order preparation.
Research and provide up to date information and signposting to EHE families to enable children and parents access to city wide activities, post 16 services and return to school as required.
Support parents with their request to return to school where appropriate including supporting completion of paperwork, attending meetings between schools and parents as required.
Arrange, undertake and record appropriately annual safeguarding home visits with EHE families having undertaken research into the child/family’s context and current position. Undertake appropriate follow up to address the needs of the child and the family.
Ensure that all EHE families receive information in the meetings or after that will support the child, their education, and future plans.
Maintain regular contact with any agency/cluster/AIP also working with EHE families to ensure best outcomes for the child.
Provide weekly information on cases held/visits made and progress made,
Provide half term and annual data collection for cases held and undertake quality assurance of case files on a half termly basis.
Attend and chair multi-agency meetings in relation to attendance matters, particular cases and organise these when required and under the direction of the lead officer.
Support the development of the team, attending team meetings, training, and parent’s forum events.
Advise families, schools and other agencies on statutory requirements and good practice in relation to school attendance and provide support, advice and guidance to enable parents / carers to meet statutory requirement
Commence legal action when statutory responsibilities regarding school attendance are not being met.

Record and compile appropriate, accurate, up to date evidence on PSS to initiate legal proceedings, provide legal reports to Attendance Team Managers and to give evidence in court as required.
Assist individual schools where appropriate to analyse attendance records and improve attendance monitoring systems.
Provide training on attendance processes to school staff and other services.

Responsible for managing attendance related cases, working closely with Attendance Team Managers and other colleagues in the implementation of any statutory duties and legal orders.

Contribute to the development and implementation of partnership working arrangements in relation to strategies to improve school attendance utilising restorative approaches.

Take a lead professional role in fully utilise reintegration strategies for children missing or not in education with specific work alongside the Attendance team and CME team to ensure locally agreed procedures are followed.

Ensure safeguarding matters are considered in all aspects of work and provide advice and support to schools, other education settings and staff in respect of safeguarding issues including attendance at child protection conferences, reviews and core group meetings.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications Degree level or equivalent skills knowledge and experience is essential

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Able to work effectively as part of a team and to demonstrate organisational and time management skills prioritising own and team’s work to meet conflicting deadlines
Able to influence views and behaviour, developing constructive working relationships and work in partnership with others
Able to travel throughout Leeds City Council boundaries and move location within the service working at different sites /areas depending on need.
Able to and experience of accurately entering and retrieving data and information from digital and manual systems preparing and presenting reports and data to a wide range of audiences
Able to communicate appropriately and effectively with a wide range of people and build positive relationships with parents, children, and other agencies using a variety of different methods
Able to use initiative to develop solutions to day to day issues and problems
Able to demonstrate impartiality and neutrality.
Able to exercise discretion and confidentiality and have an empathetic approach to clients at times of stress.
Able to use and an understanding of IT systems including Microsoft Office, Internet, and Email
An overview of The Children Act 2004, SEN and Disability Act 2001 and Disability Discrimination Code of Practice, DfES Guidance on Exclusion from School.
Knowledge of elective home education in relation to the Education Act 1996 and the LA’s statutory duties
Knowledge of principles of social inclusion and an understanding of needs of vulnerable children and their families.
Knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance, policies with ability to interpret and apply them consistently.
Understand responsibilities in terms of Health, Safety, Wellbeing, security, confidentiality and data protection
Understand diversity issues within local communities and importance of confidentiality and the needs and wishes of individuals, families and carers
Knowledge and expertise that will support and empower parents in their discussion’s schools/academies and other agencies and thereby reduce the dependency culture.
Understand the statutory assessment process.
Understand Children’s Services structure, locality clusters and area inclusion partnerships.
Knowledge of restorative practice in Leeds
Experience of working in a team environment, with multi-agencies and families in a variety of contexts
Experience of restorative strategies to build positive relationships with parents/carers
Experience of home visiting of parents and families

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

Possession of a full current driving license
Understanding of Children’s Services, ethos of the Child Friendly city.
Knowledge of elective home education in relation to the Education Act 1996
Understanding of Children’s Services ethos of the Child Friendly city
Experience of home visiting of parents and families

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