Each school has a named Education Welfare Officer who deals with the following and who can be contacted through the school or their Locality Team. 

• School attendance   
• Exclusions from school   
• Child Employment and Entertainment
• Teenage Pregnancy
• Children Missing Education (CME)                 

Support to pupils: 

• Working with pupils at home or in school, to help find the causes of poor attendance and to support them on return to school.   
• Working with other agencies to help protect children and young people.     
• Provide support and advice on problems relating to school attendance.   
• Helping pupils who may have been excluded from school - where appropriate referring to the Reintegration Officer for the area.
• Helping pupils who are pregnant or are parents themselves to continue with schooling.                  

Support to parents: 

• Informing parents of their legal responsibilities in relation to school attendance.   
• Providing support and advice on fixed term and permanent exclusions.   
• Attending exclusion meetings with the parent/carer if requested.   
• Putting parents in touch with other support agencies who may be able to help.   
• Encouraging good communications between home and school.   
• Providing advice and information on child employment.   
• Advising on provision of education and re-integration of pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers.                  

Support to schools: 

• Responding to referrals of pupils with levels of unacceptable school attendance.
• Initiating legal proceedings against parents who fail to ensure their child attends school regularly.
• Register inspection and reports to Headteachers and Governors.
• Training/workshops for staff on attendance and registration practice.
• Whole school approaches to attendance.
• Providing advice and training on Child Protection issues.
• Signposting staff regarding allegations against teaching and non-teaching staff.
• Providing support and advice on fixed term and permanent exclusion.
• Contributing to Discipline Committee meetings.
• Working with schools to develop strategies to avoid exclusions.
• Advise schools on continuing education for pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers.
• Providing advice and information on child employment and entertainment issues, and referring on to the child employment officers as appropriate.