Professional Advisor Alternative Education

Job summary

The Alternative Education team within the Equity in Education division holds responsibility for Elective Home Education (EHE), Children Missing Education (CME) and Education otherwise than at school (EOTAS). The team work closely with the Supporting Access to Education team, also within the Equity in Education Division, who lead on Behaviour, Attendance and Exclusions policy, given the very close and interdependent nature of the policies.

Job description

The Alternative Education team within the Equity in Education division holds responsibility for Elective Home Education (EHE), Children Missing Education (CME) and Education otherwise than at school (EOTAS). The team work closely with the Supporting Access to Education team, also within the Equity in Education Division, who lead on Behaviour, Attendance and Exclusions policy, given the very close and interdependent nature of the policies.

The Alternative Education team has a number of priority pieces of work to deliver across the EHE, CME and EOTAS policy areas over the next two years to ensure that all children and young people, regardless of where they receive an education, receive a suitable and efficient education. These priorities include:

• developing guidance to support “Commissioning of and Referral for EOTAS provision”,
• reviewing the processes and legislation underpinning the registration and deregistration of Pupil Referral Units,
• supporting and informing policy development following independent evaluation of the EHE statutory guidance and the Children Missing Education Database Pilot,
• subject to Senedd Consent and Royal Assent of the Children’s Wellbeing and School Bill, developing regulations and guidance to deliver the Children not in schools provisions of the Bill.

A policy which sits across the Alternative Education and Supporting Access to Education teams, relates to the strategies and tools being used to support improved behaviour and increase attendance in schools. Schools and local authorities are increasingly using part-time timetables, virtual school and flexi-schooling models as a means of supporting continued learner engagement and to support reintegration back into school. Limited data and research exists on the use, benefits and risks of these approaches. A key priority therefore for Welsh Government is to evaluate how the guidance on part-time timetables is being implemented and develop a policy framework for the use of strategies, tools and techniques for supporting attendance, including virtual schools. Work is also being undertaken to identify and address key drivers for poor school attendance and increasing numbers of school deregistrations. The professional advisor will be required to work with policy teams to address issues and ensure join-up across policies that may have conflicting priorities.

The professional advisor will be required to support the work of the Welsh Government in the continued development of policy across these areas of work, and drive forward engagement with key stakeholders to inform new legislation and statutory guidance to underpin it.

The post holder will work with internal colleagues across the Welsh Government Education, Health, Social Services and other Departments, as well as external stakeholders, to ensure their views and opinions are captured and reflected in the policy framework on EHE, CME, and EOTAS.

The professional advisor will need to demonstrate proven ability, knowledge and experience of working with local authority inclusion services, including EOTAS, EHE, CME, attendance, and exclusions, and with providers delivering those services outside of the local authority. The professional advisor will be expected to proactively manage and prioritise activities, taking responsibility for delivering outcomes on time and to standard.

Person specification

• Provide professional and practice advice - working with officials and engaging with wider stakeholders on the development of the new policy framework for ‘Children Not in School registers’ (regulations, guidance and other support). To act as the ‘bridge’ between policy development and operational practitioners and the home education sector.
• To provide professional and practical advice on next steps for the Children Missing Education policy, including driving forward the CME Action Plan, continuing work to support local authorities to improve on and embed their statutory CME duties, and advice and planning to inform the next steps for a database of children missing education following an external evaluation of a pilot exercise.
• Working with officials and engaging with external stakeholders, contribute to the development of guidance for local authorities on “Referral and Commissioning of EOTAS provision”, and supporting the development of parent focused guidance on EOTAS.
• Provide professional and practice advice – working with officials and engaging wider stakeholders to provide an evidence base for a new policy framework (regulations, guidance and other support) for the use of strategies, tools and techniques to improve attendance, including a policy and framework for the use of Virtual Schools.
• Consider research and evaluation priorities in relation to improving the knowledge base of EOTAS (including Virtual Schools), ensuring policy and practice align, policy is based on robust evidence, and does not result in unintended outcomes elsewhere in the education system

Job Specific –

1. Detailed knowledge and understanding of EOTAS provision, including home education and the legislative framework and operational system in which it sits.
2. Experience of developing and delivering strategic policy and practice in Education in a local authority.
3. Experience of successfully engaging stakeholders including senior management and operational leads within local authorities and parents/carers and those who home educate children and young people.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Strengths.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:2 stage processStage 1Application FormStage 2Interview

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Nicola Edwards
• Email : Sharedservicehelpdesk@gov.wales

Recruitment team

• Email : Sharedservicehelpdesk@gov.wales