Virtual School Inclusion Officer

Virtual School Inclusion Officer

Permanent, Term Time

£32,768 to £38,550 per annum (full time equivalent)

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Please note this a term time only position working 39 weeks a year. The salary will be £28,187 to £33,160 per annum.

The Virtual School Service work in designated localities with Children in Care (CiC) to improve the attendance and access to education. The Service supports other professionals working with children in their care, by sharing good practice relating to education.

The Virtual Schools Inclusion Support Officer will monitor exclusions of children in care, supporting or challenging schools and ensuring appropriate provision is put in place. Contributing to cross service arrangements to progress cases, working with other school managers, professionals and partners to remove barriers to education for children in care, reduce NEET and contribute to the Raising Participation Age strategy.

Supporting the work of the Children in Care Council, to ensure young people’s views are listened to and participating in opportunities for children in care to contribute to the planning and delivery of services.

Accountabilities

• Partner with designated localities with the Inclusion team for CiC. Accountable for the improvement of the attendance and access to education for children in care within quadrant.
• Responsible for monitoring and improving attendance, attainment and reducing exclusions through solution focused casework across designated localities, to narrow the gap in attainment and improve outcomes for children in care wherever they receive their education.
• Use attendance data to identify children in care at risk of persistent absence and undertake appropriate casework action to improve their attendance and remove barriers to learning.
• Influence school leaders and other professionals to progress individual cases to remove barriers to access to education.
• Responsible for managing complex cases, working closely with the PEP & Virtual School Operations Lead to reduce exclusion, raise attendance and reduce the number of CiC missing Education.
• Lead on the training of other professionals and sharing good practice to raise the profile of children in care and understand their needs and issues around education.
• Contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of the compliance and quality of Personal Education Plans with regard to how they meet the needs of the specific child or young person, irrespective of where the child receives their education.
• Provide advice, support and challenge to schools and other professionals on individual cases in order to improve attendance, attainment, reduce exclusions and improve outcomes for children in care.
• Support the Head of Achievement for CiC in driving forward cultural, workforce and other changes necessary to ensure services cohere around children and young people’s needs and secure improved outcomes.
• Contribute to the work of the Children in Care Council to ensure young people’s views are listened to and participate in opportunities for children in care to contribute to the planning and delivery of services.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Educated to RQF level 3 (A level) or equivalent by experience with recent learning and development in relation to new initiatives and the needs of children in care.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge of legislation, regulations and guidance that relate to education, attendance and exclusion and how it relates to children in care.
• Proven knowledge and successful experience of casework management in the area of attendance, access and removing barriers to education.
• Successful evidence-based experience of undertaking casework to improve and resolve educational issues through a solution focused approach.
• A sound understanding and knowledge of legislation, regulations and guidance that relates to education, attendance and exclusion and how it relates to children in care.
• Ability to work in partnership with school managers advocating for CiC, providing advice, support or challenge, whilst maintaining a positive working relationship.
• Evidence of working with school managers and governors on establishing and monitoring school improvement plans, including target setting and identifying improvement strategies for individual or groups of children.
• Extensive experience of interagency working to achieve best outcomes for children in care.
• A sound understanding of safeguarding issues and the SET procedures.

To read more about us please visit: Education

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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