Inclusion Officer

The starting salary for this position is £17,086.42 per annum for working 21 hours per week, pro rata to £29,291 per annum for full time working.

As an Inclusion Officer with Surrey County Council, you will be responsible for liaising between homes, schools and other agencies in order to improve the outcomes for vulnerable learners; ensuring that all children are able to fulfil their potential through regular school attendance.

Working as part of the Inclusion Service, you will support parents to fulfil their legal responsibility of ensuring that their children attend school. This will involve liaising with schools, parents and other relevant professionals. You will also be responsible for monitoring registers, verifying reasons for absence and identifying cases of non-attendance that require further investigation. In some cases, this may lead to legal proceedings, therefore you will need to have an eye for detail.

Working closely with school staff to assess cases of absenteeism, you will use your own drive and initiative to develop strategies to return pupils to school and be prepared to challenge any attitudes which may hinder this objective, working collaboratively to ensure positive outcomes are secured.

You will need an understanding of the statutory nature of school attendance and be responsible for negotiating school attendance agreements/plans, holding review meetings, producing reports, preparing court files and referring to other agencies. You will also advise schools on best practice to improve overall attendance. As part of this role, you will investigate and record children missing education and those being removed from roll to be electively home educated.

To be shortlisted for this role, your CV and personal statement will clearly evidence the following:

• A good standard of education and excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, as you will need to be comfortable and confident communicating with parents, children and other professionals
• Relevant experience in this area and evidence of recent career development
• Good knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, Education Act 1996 and Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Experience of working with parents, children and families
• Travel throughout the county visiting schools and homes is required therefore you will need to have the willingness and ability to travel around the county to meet the demands of the role

At Surrey, our values and behaviours are just as important as our skills and abilities. They shape who we are as an organisation. Find out more about the values we follow.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 3rd October 2022.

Interviews will take place week commencing 17th October 2022.

An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s Barred List checks will be required for this role.

For an informal discussion please contact Debby Shucksmith by e-mail at debby.shucksmith@surreycc.gov.uk

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Benefits

From flexible working to job sharing (where possible) we are committed to providing a healthy work life balance. A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 26 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service, a generous local government salary related pension, as well as the option to join our car lease scheme. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit MyBenefits for Surrey County Council staff.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all under represented groups.