Education Lead Officer

We are seeking an Education Lead Officer to join our new Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) in Warwickshire. This role is key to ensuring effective communication and collaboration between education providers and safeguarding professionals, supporting the welfare and education of vulnerable children.

About the Role

As the Education Lead Officer, you will serve as a central point of contact between the MACPT and education providers. You will work closely with Social Workers, Police, and Health colleagues to share information, advise on education matters, and develop safety plans for children identified as at risk of harm. You will also collaborate with other education services to ensure children receive the education they are entitled to.

This specific role will require you to be based in the Nuneaton Justice Centre Monday to Wednesdays (18.5 hours per week). We offer an agile working environment that allows for some remote work and flexibility in collaborating with various teams. However, we also recognise the importance of face-to-face interactions to enhance teamwork and communication.

Now is an exciting time to be a part of our team as Warwickshire has been chosen as one of the seven areas to deliver the Families First for Children Pathfinder Programme. Join us to help shape and influence the future of children's social care together.

If you want to build strong relationships and connections with families, join Warwickshire’s Children and Families service.

Our Offer to you includes:

• Supportive managers who provide recognition and a robust supervision policy focused on wellbeing and workload.
• A Volunteering & Wellbeing Day in addition to generous annual leave and an additional day at Christmas.
• We also offer a Refer a Friend package scheme for some roles, Terms & Conditions apply.

The successful candidate will have:

• A sound knowledge and understanding of key education and safeguarding legislation which supports education entitlement including home education, children missing in education and exclusions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to deal sensitively and professionally with a range of people including schools, external agencies and internal services/key professionals.
• Experience of working within children’s services and or schools and the ability to work under a high degree of pressure including unpredictable deadlines and dealing with conflicting demands.

Key Responsibilities and Requirements:

• Act as a key information link between the MACPT and education providers, ensuring accurate and timely information sharing.
• Attend child protection meetings, such as Strategy Discussions or Child Protection Conferences, where appropriate.
• Provide advice and consultation to schools and education professionals involved in child protection.
• Liaise with the Children Missing from Education and Elected Home Education Team to gather and share relevant information.
• Serve as the point of contact between schools and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) when necessary.
• Ensure clear communication between the MACPT and education services to support children’s education entitlement.
• Facilitate multi-agency audits focused on education’s role in safeguarding children and promote learning and improvements within education services.

We are looking for:

• Experience working within the education sector, with a strong understanding of safeguarding practices and procedures.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multi-agency teams and education providers.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to act as a liaison, ensuring that information flows smoothly between services.
• Experience supporting children at risk of significant harm, particularly those missing from education.

Additional Information

Warwickshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Please be advised successful applicants will be subject to a range of pre-engagement checks, including a relevant Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). In accordance with the DBS code of practice and our own policy, should an individual have a declared criminal offence an individual assessment will be completed.

The Fluency Duty is outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers. The Fluency Duty for this role is Required. You must be able to speak and provide advice in accurate spoken English to the public.

An NPPV check is required for individuals who are to be appointed due to frequent and uncontrolled access to government assets.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Sophie Morley, at educationsafeguarding@warwickshire.gov.uk

Closing Date: Thursday 3rd April 2025

Interviews to take place week commencing 7th April 2025

Should you require application forms in an alternative format/language or any adjustments to be made throughout the application process or upon appointment, please contact hrandpayroll@warwickshire.gov.uk and we will make every effort to meet your specific requirements.

Warwickshire County Council is committed to equality of opportunity for all employees and is keen to address areas of underrepresentation in its workforce.