Education Welfare

The EWS is a support service for pupils, parents and schools working in the areas of:  

• School attendance   
• Exclusions from school   
• Child employment            

Each school has a named Education Welfare Officer who can be contacted through the school or at the local Children's Services Office.

Pupils and parents can contact the Education Welfare Service directly.   

Support offered includes:

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 from abuse.   
• Providing information on child employment and prosecuting employers who employ children illegally.   
• Issuing work permits to pupils who are entering part-time employment.   
• Providing support and advice on problems relating to school attendance.   
• Helping pupils who may have been excluded from school.   
• 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.
• Dealing with 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.
• Working with schools to ensure continuing education for pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers.
• Providing advice and information on child employment issues.