DfES call on County Council expertise

Linda Rundle, Senior Education Officer Attendance & Exclusion for Cumbria County Council's Education Welfare Service has been asked by the Department for Education & Skills (DfES) to work with them on a 7 month secondment. Linda will be working as an Attendance Consultant as part of the DfES's drive to reduce unauthorised absence by 10% by 2004. She will be working with 7 Local Authorities to help them improve on their work relating to unauthorised absence. 

Linda is able to take with her a great deal of experience. She has worked as a Residential Social Worker, a Further Education tutor and Education Welfare Officer, a Training & Development Consultant, Counsellor, Counsellor Trainer and Supervisor and is now a Senior Education Officer for Attendance & Exclusion for Cumbria. Linda is a lead officer for Attendance, Exclusion, Child Employment and Teenage Pregnancy. She is also lead officer for Allegations against teaching and non teaching staff and Child Protection in Education and sits on Cumbria Area Child Protection Committee. The DfES believes Linda's expertise to be invaluable for its attendance drive. 

Linda is looking forward to her new challenge. She says 

"This is a wonderful opportunity and I am really looking forward to it. Working for the DfES enables me to pass on the benefit of my experience and skills to help improve attendance for the 7 local councils. I can help them to build on their existing service and improve their work on unauthorised absence. I am confident that the excellent work of Cumbria Education Welfare Service will continue under the management of Barry Archibald." 

John Nellist, Director of Education says 

"Linda's secondment to the DfES is a reflection of the excellent work of the Education Welfare Service in Cumbria and will be a valuable experience for her".