Education Welfare Service

This service is available for schools, academies and free schools.

Statutory services that schools, free schools and academies are entitled to free of charge from the education welfare service (EWS):

• Issuing of child employment/entertainment licenses
• Tracking children missing from education (with appropriate referrals)
• Initiating legal interventions concerning irregular school attendance following work undertaken by academy/school staff.

Schools that are funded by the local authority will receive direct education welfare support as part of local authority funding arrangements but can request extra services listed below.

Free schools and academies can request a tailored service that will meet their own academy or schools' individual requirements.  The extra services that academies and schools can request are:

• Late gates - The EWS can provide extra support at the beginning of the school day to address the issue of children who arrive late at school on a regular basis.  Parents will be informed and every child who is late will be monitored for a four week period.  If lateness continues then the EWS can initiate legal interventions against the parents or carers.
• Whole school blitz - A team of EWOs will visit every child who is not attending school on a named date and no reason has been given for their absence.  The parents of every child who is missing on this day will receive a letter from the EWS informing them that their child was missing from school and that their attendance will be monitored for a four week period.
• Targeted support - The EWS can offer a range of individual targeted support to schools and academies.  Support can be offered for individual year groups or groups of pupils that schools/academies are concerned about.
• Attendance audits - The EWS can carry out an audit of the school/academy's attendance policies and procedures.  A full written report will be completed with an action plan on improving school attendance for the school leadership team and school governors.  The EWS will give advice to the school/academy regarding its attendance policies with regard to future Ofsted requirements concerning attendance.
• Register inspections - A full and comprehensive inspection of a school/academy's registers.  A full analysis of the registers will be delivered to the school/academy which will highlight attendance patterns of year group and individual class levels.  Advice and guidance will be given concerning any issues or anomalies that may be evident during this inspection.  This option is particularly helpful for schools and academies in order to ensure that procedures regarding children missing education (CME) are in place.
• Professional supervision - The EWS can provide professional support and supervision for academies and schools whose staff visit family homes to offer guidance and advice on home visiting as well as legal advice on individual cases concerning non-school attendance.

Benefits for your school

The aim of education welfare service intervention is to improve whole school attendance.  It will also ensure that the attendance of individuals who are causing concern is addressed appropriately.

The education welfare officer will ensure that the school develops a strategic approach to attendance and that your school or academy will meet the current Ofsted inspection requirements for improving and maintaining good school attendance.

Improved school attendance has a direct correlation with improved attainment in school and will have a direct impact on children and young people’s futures.  Promoting children’s rights to an education will also ensure that children are safeguarded from harm or neglect.

Cost

• Service level agreement quotes are available upon request
• Preparation time, delivery and travel costs are included in all prices
• Available on request from Jonathan Howie – principal education welfare officer (city wide) and locality 3/4 deputy head of service (early help).

CiA name: Education Welfare
Internal supplier code: 5506

Contact

Jonathan Howie
Tel: 01332 642254
Email: jonathan.howie@derby.gov.uk

How to order

Now you have selected the services you require, please visit the how to order services section to find out how you can place your order.