About the role

The starting salary for this role is £27,991 per annum for a 36 hour working week.

As an Inclusion Officer with Surrey County Council, you will be responsible for liaising between home, 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 which will involve liaising with schools, parents and other relevant professionals. You will be responsible for monitoring registers, verifying reasons for absence and identifying cases of non-attendance that require further investigation and may lead to legal proceedings therefore you will 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 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 & 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 we follow.

    For more information please find the full job description below and refer to this before submitting your application. We also invite you to read our Life at Surrey handbook to see insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.