Inclusion Officer

We are excited to be hiring a new Inclusion Officer to join our fantastic Inclusion NE Team. This role has a salary range of GBP31,262 to GBP33,321 per annum based on a 36-hour working week.

We offer remote and agile working solutions; however, our Inclusion Officers spend a lot of their time in schools and meeting with families. We have an office base where we spend at least one day a week covering duty and we encourage new members of the team to be in the office more often during their induction period so that you can be supported as you develop into the role.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Annual leave allowance (for bank) or remove for term time
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

There are four small, friendly and diverse Inclusion teams across the county, this position is based in Weybridge. The teams are made up of colleagues with varied employment history including teachers, police officers, youth workers, social workers and mental health roles.

We offer a thorough induction which includes a dedicated mentor to help you along the way. All Officers have a supervisor and a line manager, so there is always lots of support and guidance on hand. Our teams are cohesive and provide ongoing peer support.

Our aim in the Inclusion Service is to make sure we are doing all we can to improve outcomes for vulnerable learners, and that all children are able to fulfil their potential through regular school attendance.

We're now looking people with drive, great communication skills and initiative to help us in our mission. This is a challenging, but genuinely rewarding area of work where you will have a direct impact on the educational outcomes of Surrey's children and young people.

About the Role

As an Inclusion Officer, you will support parents with their legal responsibility of ensuring their children attend school. You'll use your strong communication skills to liaise with schools, parents and other relevant professionals as you work closely with school staff to assess cases of absenteeism. You will need to 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. Collaboration is key to ensure positive outcomes are secured.

A keen eye for detail will be essential as monitoring registers, verifying reasons for absence and identifying cases of non-attendance will all be part of a day's work. You'll also investigate and record children missing education and those being removed from roll to be electively home educated.

You will need a good understanding of the statutory nature of school attendance as Inclusion Officers will negotiate school attendance agreements/plans, hold review meetings, produce reports and prepare court files.

There are lots of opportunities to develop in the role with ongoing training and CPD opportunities in specific areas of interest. Additionally, there are often opportunities to progress within the service to more senior positions.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application 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.

Your career as an Inclusion Officer will be rewarding - we know this because our team tell us that the direct impact they have on improving school attendance, through building strong relationships with schools and other professionals, motivates them every day. If you'd like to join one of our small and friendly teams - we'd love to hear from you!

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 29/01/2024 with interviews to follow.

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

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.