Job Description

Education and Children’s Services

Education Welfare Officer – fixed term until June 2023
Leith Primary School

Salary: £26,919 – £32,123 (pro rata for part-time)
Hours: 36 per week / 52 weeks per year

The Education Welfare Service (EWS) aim is to improve attendance, promote inclusion and support families. The Education Welfare Service works together with families and other agencies to manage, develop and promote an effective and responsive support service to families, schools and other establishments, ensuring that educational statutory obligations are met.

The EWO, along with schools, has a legal responsibility, as outlined in the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and local authority policies and procedures, to monitor attendance of school age children and young people. An EWO will work with pupils, families, school staff and other agencies, e.g. ASLS, home link team, EP, CAMHS, housing, third sector, etc, to encourage and support an improvement in levels of attendance. The role of the Education Welfare Officer is to contribute to the resolution or containment of social and logistical problems which may prevent children from taking full advantage of their educational opportunities and to assist in the development of relationships and understanding between families and schools, in conjunction with social, medical and other agencies.

An Education Welfare Officer will work within learning communities; secondary and primary sectors. An EWO will meet regularly with the identified person who has responsibility for attendance. This could be the Head teacher in primary sector or a delegated member of staff who has a remit for pastoral care in the secondary sector. EWOs visit family homes, support and attend meetings in school, provide advice and support when required to families and schools. The educational welfare of children and young people are at the centre of the work delivered by EWS, therefore good communication between all agencies is core to the work of EWS.

Previous experience of working with children & families is essential as is the ability to work on your own initiative. Experience of report writing is also essential. Applicants should hold a recognised qualification in a relevant discipline, e.g. Social Work/Housing/Health/Community Education, which is likely to be at degree level or equivalent

Experience in a previous post and working with the public is desirable.

EWS represents Education at Pre-Referral Screening (PRS) and MARAC. EWS also provides support and guidance to CME (out of authority), SEMMIs strategy group, support the Poverty Team (children in homeless accommodation), PPE (SLWG), etc.

This post is considered Regulated Work with Vulnerable Children and/or Protected Adults, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. Preferred candidates will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check prior to a formal offer of employment being made by the City of Edinburgh Council.

We’re committed to creating a workplace culture where all our people feel valued, included and able to be their best at work, and we recognise the benefits that a diverse workforce with different values, beliefs, experience, and backgrounds brings to us as an organisation.

Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range. For roles in grade 5 or above, annual increments in our contribution zones are dependent on achieving agreed performance goals.

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