Education Welfare Service

Education Welfare Service
Education Welfare Procedures and Statutory Offer to Schools
Education Welfare Changes
There have been changes to the Education Welfare Service with the statutory and
traded element of the Education Welfare Service (EWS) moving over to the
Vulnerable Learners Service (VLS).
The equivalent of x2 Education Welfare Officers (EWO) remain in the Community
Family Teams and their roles will largely be around engaging with schools, CAF,
Early help, CIN cases, High Impact etc. They are Graham Pascoe, Karen Devine and
Mark Beamish.
The rest of the service has moved over to the Vulnerable Learners Service with
officers focusing on EWS statutory role and traded elements of the work.
Education Welfare Team
Peter Noble, lead, supervisor, court officer, traded work
Sara Durant, penalty notices, court prep work
Andrea Farrow, chaperones, child performance licensing and child employment,
traded work
Mahad Ali, exclusions, traded work
Claire Harrison, traded work and CME
Carol Hudson 0.6, business support
0.4 Mark Beamish
Term 5 briefings
To further outline the changes which have happened, I will be offering briefing
sessions during term 5 and would encourage staff with responsibility for school
attendance to attend, so further clarity and discussions can take place.
I will ask for electronic invites to be sent to all schools for the following dates/times.
Thursday 15th May 2014
Rm G.02, Castlewood,
Clevedon
Friday 16th May 2014
Rm 1.05, Town Hall,
WSM
8-9am
12-1pm
4-5pm
8-9am
12-1pm
1.30-2.30pm
Tuesday 20th May 2014
St Barnabas, Portishead
8-9am
11-12pm
1-2pm
Statutory offering
More in depth explanation of what is the EWS statutory core offer can be found with
the ‘Services for Schools and Academies 2014-15’ document.
Schools will no longer have a named EWO, unless there is a traded agreement.
There are 4 officers and it is no longer feasible to offer this to 74 schools. Education
Welfare is keen to maintain the practice that schools have found so valuable, helpful
and flexible. This came in the form of regular visits to the school to answer questions
and offer support, regular home visits, attendance clinics etc. Please contact
[email protected] if you would like to explore maintaining this.
The following is the core offer to schools:
1. Annual visit from an Education Welfare Officer to look at registers and discuss
any traded needs your school have.
2. EWS will continue to issue penalty notices and present cases to magistrates
where student’s school attendance is of concern.
3. For maintained schools there will be a central point to refer cases of non-school
attendance, but this will be following attempts by the school to address the school
attendance issue. Academies who buy-in will also be able to refer cases in to their
named EWO. All referrals should be sent electronically to
[email protected]
4. EWOs will access attendance data via the CAPITA SIMS module and where
queries arise from this data, EWOs may contact the school to discuss potential
attendance issues or the use of a specific attendance code to ensure this is the
correct registration mark. However, this does not replace or remove schools
responsibility to offer early help to pupil school attendance issues and make
attempts to resolve.
5. With regards permanent exclusions, maintained schools should continue to invite
a representative of the local authority to governor hearings, but academies will
have to arrange an LA representative through traded agreement. However, a
parent of a child at an academy can request an LA representative attends from
EWS as an observer or can make representations with a governing body’s
consent.
General calls and queries
Single Point of Access 01934 888 801
Where possible Care Connect (Single Point of Access – SPA) staff will try and solve
the callers question without passing onto the back office and this service is likely to
grow and evolve further. Where possible, links will be provided to various policies
and documents which may also help answer the caller’s question.
Penalty Notices / Court
There is a central inbox now for all these queries to be picked up and/or for schools
requesting a penalty notice to be issued by North Somerset Council for absences
from school [email protected].
This is most direct and quick and easy way to request a penalty notice is issued.
However, I am sure that schools will want to continue good practice in trying to
address attendance issues, rather than the possible temptation to go straight down a
fine route with minimal intervention. Copies of all warning letters and a correct
signed head teachers’ certificate, must be attached to these referrals for notices. It is
also good practice to include the school attendance policy so officers can advise
enquiries which come in from parents.
Criteria for referring
Maintained Schools can refer to a central point, but this can only be done once case
work and interventions have been carried out by the school. Referrals should be fully
completed on the attached referral form with all correspondence, minutes of
meetings and warning letters by the school attached and emailed electronically to
[email protected], where cases will be allocated to a
EWO.
1. Must arrive on an Education Welfare Referral Form and emailed to
[email protected] where the referral will be
allocated.
2. School have made all attempts for formal discussions with pupil and parent/carer
and sets targets; by letter, phone call or meeting in school (full details of all letters
and meetings must be kept).
3. If targets are not met and attendance <85% then request for EW support can be
made.
4. Parent/carer should be informed before referring
Academies who have already bought in EWO time can make referrals at any time to
their EWO as long as this is within the agreed traded time allocation.
Any questions you may have or if you would like to meet and discuss any elements
of a traded service level agreement. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards
Peter Noble
Education Welfare Lead
Date: March 2014

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