What is an Education Welfare Officer?
South Gloucestershire Children's Services include Education Welfare Officers (EWOs). They offer specialist support to schools, pupils, parents and other agencies in relation to school attendance and related matters. They are based in three separate Locality Teams; Kingswood, Yate and Severnvale.
EWOs help to promote achievement by helping ensure that school aged children attend both regularly and punctually and are therefore in a position to receive the maximum benefit possible from their education.
Each school in South Gloucestershire has a nominated EWO who regularly visits to check registers and discuss pupils about whom the school is concerned. If a school has concerns about a pupil's attendance they may make a 'Request for Single Service' to a Locality Team. The EWO may then contact the family.
A school may also invite an Education Welfare Officer to a meeting prior to referral where there is a pattern of absence. If a formal Attendance Panel meeting is held at a later stage then the EWO will be involved in statutory work which may involve legal action against the parent.
Where there are concerns about a young person's unmet needs with more than one agency being involved an assessment can be undertaken with parental consent. An EWO may be invited to contribute towards this assessment and may be a 'Lead Professional' or key point of contact for a young person when there is a 'Team around the Child'.
School contact
In most cases an Education Welfare Officer will learn about attendance concerns from a child's school. Schools will often invite an Education Welfare Officer to attend a school meeting where there is a pattern of absence even if absences at this stage are authorised. It is strongly recommended that if there are concerns regarding attendance that appropriate school staff are contacted at an early stage.
Referral to an Education Welfare Officer
If there is a pattern of absence which includes a number of unauthorised absences then a school may refer on a 'Request for Single Service Form' for an EWO to become involved. An EWO may then visit or arrange to meet a parent or carer in school. The emphasis will be on giving advice and support in respect of school attendance in the early stages. It is possible that formal action may be taken if the number of unauthorised absences remains a concern.
It is expected that a school will have made contact with parents or have tried to make contact with parents before this happens. It is also expected that a school will have sought to plan for improvement in attendance by having a support meeting which may involve an EWO and other professionals. In some circumstances a school may ask for a Penalty Notice to be issued by contacting the responsible Locality Team Manager.
Direct contact with an Education Welfare Officer
For general advice regarding attendance matters you can contact an Education Welfare Officer by telephoning the Children & Young People Information Service on 01454 868008 who will connect you to the EWO assigned to your child's school.