Educational Welfare and Community Liaison Officer

Academy: Leeds West Academy

Job Title: Educational Welfare and Community Liaison Officer

Grade: SO1 .29 - .31 £25,951 - £27,668 pro rata

Hours: 37 hours per week, term time only plus 5 days (39 weeks per year)

Accountable to: Senior Vice Principal

Purpose of role:

The Attendance Team at Leeds West Academy report and implement strategies to drive and improve attendance throughout the academy. To address and overcome a range of barriers to learning/engagement.

In this role you will driving attendance initiatives for the senior leadership team and supporting the day to day running of attendance work with the Attendance Coordinator and the Attendance Improvement officer.

Pivotal to this role is to address the welfare needs of students. Potential barriers that impact negatively on school attendance and implement policies and procedures pertaining to the job.

You will oversee all student care plans and have an overview of student risk assessments. You will coordinate members of staff responsible for first aid and advise on first aid requirements of individual students needs on proposed trips and events.

General Duties:

·         Relentlessly seek to improve the attendance of young people at The Leeds West Academy in order to meet targets set by the Executive Principal, Principal and Local Accountability Board.

·         Act as an advocate for students and liaise with teaching staff to provide support for targeted students so as to raise achievement through improved attendance.

·         To log behaviour referral’s and attendance interventions on Behaviour Watch and SIMs systems,

·         Implement all Academy policies with regard to registration, student absence, student uniform, use of planners and other routines.

·         Promote good attendance at all levels.

·         Ensure the welfare needs are met for students.

 Duties specific to the role: 

·         Support with the identification of those students who need extra help to overcome barriers to learning inside and outside school.

·         Develop a 1:1 relationship with students requiring targeted support with the aim of addressing targets defined in an agreed action plan.

·         Encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning.

·         Work to improve student behaviour by establishing and maintaining a clear and positive framework for behaviour management in line with the Trust’s Behaviour Policy.

·         Liaise with Child Protection Designated Officer (training will be provided).

·         Work alongside other pastoral colleagues, Senior Vice Principal, Assistant Principals to plan and implement strategies that will improve the attendance and attainment of individual and targeted groups of students.

·         Work in conjunction with the Attendance Improvement Officer on the following:

o   Attend Early Help Plans when appropriate to enable support around a student and family, including collating accurate information.

o   Attend meetings with parents / carers and multi-agency meetings, when appropriate.

o   Undertake home visits to support parents / carers, encourage students to come in to school and discuss the link between absence and attainment.

o   Undertake home visits to support student’s attendance with ‘pick ups’ as an intervention.

Leeds West Academy is an over-subscribed 11-18 school. Thriving in a state of the art building with stunning views over the River Aire, our Academy is committed to delivering an outstanding education to each and every one of our students. We provide exceptional life training; harnessing the skills and fortifying the aspirations of young people, who we know will transform the region and provide a positive, progressive contribution to society. Our vision at Leeds West Academy is clear: we will be Ofsted rated as outstanding within three years.

The White Rose Academies Trust is a local trust dedicated to raising and fulfilling the ambitions of young people. Our academies throughout Leeds are at the heart of the communities they serve, which is why we are committed to delivering an outstanding education to every one of our students.

The Trust employs over 300 outstanding professionals who are committed to unlocking the potential of the next generation. Working in partnership with Gorse Academies Trust, we are on a significant journey which will see all of our schools Ofsted rated as outstanding within three years.

We are sponsored by Leeds City College, who provides expertise, international networks and highly desirable employability prospects within education and beyond.

To apply visit http://www.leedswestacademy.org.uk/About-Us/Vacancies/ in order to download an application form.  Once completed please email to recruitment@whiteroseacademies.org

Closing date:            Friday 2 February 2018 at 12 noon

Interviews:                 w/c Monday 5 February 2018

Start date:                 ASAP upon DBS clearance