We are looking for a dynamic, creative and committed leader to contribute to improving the outcomes for children and young people in Tower Hamlets. Our Attendance Welfare Service is a large, multi-skilled service, offering policy and procedural advice, working in partnership with other professionals to support parents and pupils to improve attendance and participation.

You will need good knowledge of the law and guidance related to attendance and persistent absence, the ability to exercise statutory authority and follow legal procedures and a professional qualification or similar level of expertise and to support schools to do so.

Excellent interpersonal, numeracy, assessment and communication skills are essential.

You will need excellent inter-personal skills to work very closely with schools, to be prepared to show leadership on attendance, to participate in policy development and be accountable for allocated areas of action planning. You will lead a team of 8-10 Attendance Welfare Advisors, supporting their day-to-day work, overseeing their Service Level Agreements with schools and supporting the management team in developing the strategic plan. You will deputise for the Head of Behaviour and Attendance where required.

In the role of AWA team leader you will require knowledge of and the ability to use and interpret statistics and to lead on proactive support plans to address the needs of particular schools, cohorts and individual pupils.

Additional Information

In Tower Hamlets all professionals, including school staff, are expected to complete assessments using the Early Help Assessment (EHA). The EHA is an essential tool for the AWS. Staff must have excellent written skills and are required to undertake high quality assessments using the framework.

In addition, All Attendance& Welfare Advisors are required to serve warning notices in person and to present evidence in the Magistrates Court when parents are prosecuted. They may also have to take cases to the Family Proceedings Court.

Closing date: 06 January 2025

Interview date: Between 20-23 January 2025

Additional Details

Tower Hamlets vision for our borough is that: people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunities; we are a borough that our residents are proud of and love to live in; and we are a dynamic, outcomes-based council using digital innovation and partnership working to respond to the changing needs of our borough. We want people who aspire to our TOWER values: Together; Open; Willing; Excellent; Respect.

Tower Hamlets has a zero-tolerance approach to, and works to eradicate, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and maternity and looks to employ a diverse workforce representative of those groups. We recognise that people can also be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class.

We welcome applicants interested in flexible working arrangements and also applicants who live in the borough.

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