Education welfare service
Who we are
We are a specialist team of Education Welfare officers (EWOs) who are qualified and experienced in working with schools to develop systems, procedures and interventions, working in partnership with organisations to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence.
What we do
We fulfil both statutory and non-statutory functions in relation to compulsory school-aged children and young people.
We advise schools, academies, and other education providers, as well as parents and carers, other professionals and employers on legislation related to education welfare, and support them in fulfilling their legal responsibilities.
Why choose us?
We provide advice, support and expertise on:
• admission and attendance registration
• school attendance and absence
• elective Home Education (EHE)
• children Missing from Education (CME)
• child employment
• child entertainment
• issuing licenses for chaperones
Our statutory offer
We provide all Barnsley's council maintained schools with education welfare officer (EWO) contact to make sure that the school and the service work together to meet those statutory responsibilities.
You can read more about the different elements of our statutory offer below.
Responsibilities of schools and academies
Schools and academies have an important role to play in educating pupils and parents about the impact of poor attendance on pupils' achievement and on their life chances.
Our traded offer - what schools can buy in
- Early help to monitor and track attendance
- Dedicated EWO time to support your improvement of whole school attendance
- Early intervention and case work with families to prevent the need for legal intervention
- Comprehensive support and intervention to improve pupil attendance from the point of assessment to legal intervention, where deemed appropriate
- Comprehensive preparation and completion of court documentation
- Liaison with legal services, including subsequent legal action.
Buy our services
Our charges for dedicated education welfare officer time are based on an hourly rate and the number of weeks you need, either in term time or across the whole year. When you buy our services, we will draw up a service level agreement (SLA) at the beginning of the financial year.
Useful resources
Use our bank of useful resources to support your work to improve pupils' attendance in your school.
Check back regularly to see our latest updates of policies, guidance, research and useful websites.
For more information
Feedback about our service
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I want to thank you for never giving up on me'. I'm now working and helping young people who, like me, didn't attend school for one reason or another.
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We had a very good OFSTED outcome and our education welfare officer was fabulous with his support for Angie and the school. His work with our team has had real impact and we are thrilled with the service.
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You and your staff are a credit to BMBC and should be proud of your contribution to the lives and welfare of the young people you work with.
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The education welfare officer working with the youth offending team has helped me get my son back on track with his school work. She's helped him get back into education and listened to his problems.