Education welfare

Our expertise

We have a professionally qualified and experienced team that are used to dealing with the complexities, practicalities and impact of poor school attendance.

Our Education Welfare Officers (EWOs) are trained to work with young people and families, with a track record of being able to challenge, support and solve issues that have historically led to poor attendance. Staff have extensive experience of individual casework management and knowledge of attendance issues including policy, law and best practice.

The team can deliver a wide range of assessments, casework and targeted interventions, including delivery of all statutory enforcement processes and procedures. Strong links with neighbouring local authorities supported by cross-border working protocols allow our team to address attendance issues for all pupils, irrespective of their home address.

Last academic year, the team worked with almost 8,000 children and families, with 2/3 of cases referred to the service seeing an improvement in overall absence rates.

Attendance Matters: e-briefing

Our termly attendance e-briefing includes key messages and actions, alongside content we feel schools will find helpful - such as advice for parents, information from Ofsted, future training opportunities and updates from the attendance project group.

Download the latest editions: Spring 2024 | Autumn 2023 | Spring 2023 |

Liverpool to host School and College Leaders

The ASCL Annual Conference 2024 takes place 8-9 March and SIL is excited to announce that Carolyn Harkness, SIO for Attendance will be delivering a session exploring how school attendance is a complex, multi-faceted mass of ever-changing issues.

Attendance Briefings

We're hosting a series of online and face-to-face briefings during 2023/24 suitable for Designated Attendance Leads (DAL) and other attendance staff.

Many sessions offer one free place for settings entitled to the Universal Offer - so please make sure you book your place online.

Attendance Reviews

The half-day site visit will include a range of activities including, observing start-of-day procedures, a learning walk to assess how visible attendance is within the setting and an in-depth open dialogue with the DAL(Designated Attendance Lead) about current attendance processes and practice.

At present, this is included free for Liverpool settings as part of the universal offer - but is also available to any setting that would like to review their attendance practices. Please get in touch with [email protected] for further details and a quote.

Attendance Quality Mark

Absence from school can be one of the most complex areas to address, as it is often the symptom of other issues.

The Liverpool Attendance Quality Mark has been designed to support schools in evaluating their strategies to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence.

Contact [email protected] for more infromation

Attendance SLA 2024/25

The Attendance & Welfare Service works in partnership with schools, putting the child first when school attendance is a concern.

This is achieved by offering a flexible service, responding to individual needs and priorities, either at an individual school level or with groups of schools.

We can support with early identification, PAs, delivery of statutory enforcement duties and with the establishment of effective home-school links.

Attendance & Persistent Absence (PA) Data Profiling

We offer bespoke data analysis training, which highlights overall attendance and PA rates - analysed against your school’s key vulnerable groups.

This information is shared in an inspection-ready format and the reporting process can be used to inform Governors and senior leader forums.

We also offer training and advice on pre-Ofsted attendance planning - including a review of your current school attendance policy

Elective Home Education

Elective home education (also called home-schooling) refers to the circumstance in which a parent decides to provide education for their child at home rather than sending them to school.
Read more >

Flexi Schooling

Also known as flexible school attendance, flexi-schooling is a way in which children can attend school part-time – legally.
Read more >

Children Missing Education

The CME team support any work surrounding children who have become lost from local or national education systems.
Read more >

Contact

To find out more about our Attendance & Welfare team, please contact: [email protected] or call 0151 233 3901

Attendance & Welfare

What We Offer