JOB DESCRIPTIONREPORTS TO: Deputy Chief Education Welfare OfficerRole of Senior Educational Welfare OfficerTo be responsible to the Chief Education Welfare Officer for ensuring that the statutory responsibilities of the Education Authority in regard to education by attendance at school or otherwise are met through the provision of education welfare services to children, parents and schools in an area team.MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESTEAM MANAGEMENT To advise, support and direct members of an education welfare team;To provide regular, planned and structured supervision on an individual and group basis to Education Welfare Officers;To support Education Welfare Officers with case management;To monitor, review and evaluate the work of the team in the light of the service development plan;To use regular team meetings to encourage continuous evaluation and development of the service based on the aims and objectives of the Education Welfare Service;To assess and report on the performance of individual Education Welfare Officers within the context of the staff appraisal scheme approved by the Education Authority;To promote personal and professional development to meet the needs of the individual, the team and the service and in keeping with the requirements of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council;To regularly review the caseloads of Education Welfare Officers to ensure an equitable distribution of casework within their team;To ensure that Education Welfare Officers are aware of and follow personal safety procedures;To ensure that relevant legislation, policies and procedures are followed by Education Welfare Officers;To consult with the Chief Education Welfare Officer on staff welfare and disciplinary matters;To manage referrals and case work.
SERVICE MANAGEMENT As part of the Senior Education Welfare team to:Respond to the introduction of changing trends impacting upon service delivery and ensure implementation at team level;Develop adequate recording systems, ensure appropriate records are maintained and that an auditing system is in place;As part of the Education Welfare Service, Senior Management Team to deputise, where appropriate in the absence of Chief Education Welfare Officer/Deputy Chief Education Welfare Officer;Develop and maintain a strategy for promoting personal safety within the area team;Identify issues impacting on service delivery and to develop remedial strategies;Develop and promote a range of strategies aimed at assisting schools with the management of pupil attendance and encouraging regular school attendance;Develop and maintain systems to ensure effective communication within the area team and the Education Welfare Service, with the Education Authority and other agencies;Develop and disseminate to parents, schools and other agencies, information about the Education Welfare Service and related topics.Assume sole responsibility for the safe keeping monitoring and recording of a petty cash system within the team office.
SERVICE DELIVERY To prepare, participate in and implement agreed outcomes of the supervision process with line manager;To be responsible for the delivery of an effective Education Welfare Service within an area team;To ensure that children, young people and families are offered early intervention through appropriate assessment and the development, implementation and review of action plans;To assist and advise Education Welfare Officers and schools with the development of alternative education plans to meet the needs of disaffected children and young people;To assess and review the changing needs of clients within a team area and to advise the Chief Education Welfare Officer;To develop interdisciplinary and multi-agency partnerships with other Education Authority services and external agencies to ensure effective service delivery;To consult with children, young people, their families, schools and other agencies about the service delivered by their team.
LEGAL INTERVENTIONS Through supervision with Education Welfare Officers to review case work and recommend parent prosecutions or applications for Education Supervision Orders when appropriate;To be responsible for ensuring that Education Welfare Officers produce court reports on time, in the approved format and to the standard required by the Education Authority and the Courts;To prosecute cases in the Courts on behalf of the Education Authority as required;To convene and chair education strategy and education planning meetings;To provide information about and advise Joint Legal Services about cases that are proceeding to Court for Education Supervision Orders;In consultation with the Chief Education Welfare Officer, to allocate Education Supervision Orders to the most appropriate supervising officers and to ensure that the instructions of the Court are carried out;To assess and review the effectiveness of Education Supervision Orders;To ensure that Education Welfare Officers are conversant with the legislation and regulations relating to child employment;To have a good knowledge of current and proposed education and child care legislation and the implications for the work of the Education Welfare Service.
DEVELOPMENTAL WORK To develop and maintain areas of specialism and project work to meet the changing needs of children, young people and their families;To develop and promote creative methods of intervention to provide opportunities for inclusion for all marginalized young people in education;To develop local community partnerships to support the participation of newcomer families in education;To participate on regional working groups aimed at developing standardized procedures and practices across the region;To develop a research based approach to reviewing and evaluating education welfare practice.
CHILD PROTECTION To ensure Education Welfare Officers receive child protection training at induction and continue to follow Education Authority policy and procedures in relation to child protection;To represent the Education Authority at multi-agency child protection meetings and child protection case conferences/core group meetings as required.To participate in local forums on domestic violence and implement initiatives at team level.
TRAINING To provide for the induction and training of new Education Welfare Officers;To promote staff development and deliver in-service training for Education Welfare Officers based on the changing needs of the Education Authority, the Education Welfare Service, the area team and the individual;To provide on-site supervision for social work students to the standard required by providers of social work training;To provide on-site supervision for Education Welfare Officers undertaking post-qualifying awards.