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• Education_Welfare_Early_Help_Professional_-_JDPS_-_July_26
• Candidate_Pack_-_People_Directorate_-_July_2026

Please apply online via the link provided.

Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.

Are you passionate about ensuring every child and young person has the opportunity to thrive through education? If so, join Bracknell Forest Council as an Education Welfare Early Help Professional on a full-time, term-time only basis.

In this rewarding role, you will work closely with schools, families and partner agencies to promote excellent school attendance, remove barriers to education and help children achieve the best possible outcomes.

At Bracknell Forest, we pride ourselves on being a council which is stable and well-managed where our employees can thrive in a supportive environment. We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a variety of flexible working practices, including options for remote working and arrangements that allow you to work from home, dependent on the needs of the service.

About you…

We are looking for a motivated and experienced professional with a passion for improving educational outcomes for children and young people.

As an Education Welfare Officer, you will be confident in building positive relationships with schools, families and partner agencies, using your knowledge and expertise to provide support and guidance that improves attendance and promotes early intervention.

You will be comfortable analysing attendance data, identifying emerging concerns and working collaboratively to develop practical, child-centred solutions. Where necessary, you will also lead statutory attendance processes with confidence, fairness and professionalism.

About the team…

Our Education Welfare Team is part of Bracknell Forest's Early Help Service and works in close partnership with colleagues across Education and Learning to ensure children receive the support they need to access and benefit from education.

The team brings together a wealth of knowledge and expertise across a broad range of statutory and advisory responsibilities, including Elective Home Education (EHE), Children Missing Education (CME), child employment and performance licensing, Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and education welfare. Working collaboratively with schools, families and partner agencies, the team provides expert advice, constructive challenge and practical support to promote regular school attendance, safeguard children's education and improve outcomes for children and young people.

Key responsibilities…

• Act as a partner to schools, providing expert advice, challenge and support to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence.
• Use data and intelligence to identify trends, target support and drive early, coordinated intervention for children and families.
• Work collaboratively with Early Help, Education and Learning, and multi-agency partners to remove barriers to attendance.
• Lead statutory processes, including Fixed Penalty Notices and legal action, where voluntary support has not achieved improvement.
• Champion inclusive, child-centred approaches that ensure every child accesses their right to education.

Our benefits…

• Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Paid employee volunteering scheme.
• Local government pension scheme, with life insurance cover.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme (subject to eligibility).
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits. (Terms and Conditions apply).
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing.
• Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks and a sports and social club.

Our values

At Bracknell Forest Council our values define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you are excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we would love to hear from you.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting recruitment@bracknell-forest.gov.uk. We will work with you to support you throughout the process. Find out more about reasonable adjustments.

Disability confident and inclusive recruitment

Bracknell Forest Council is proud to be an inclusive employer. This means that if you have made us aware on the application form that you have a disability, are an armed forces veteran or you are a care leaver, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

Interview date

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 4th August 2026.

Interviews will be held online via the Teams app. We reserve the right to amend this to in person interviews at our offices.

We will be reviewing applications regularly and reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible.

Please note AI is prohibited during the interview, any candidate using AI will be withdrawn from consideration.

Want to ask us a question?

For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact:

Annette Borg, Education Welfare Team Leader: Annette.Borg@Bracknell-Forest.gov.uk

Bracknell Forest Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect everyone employed with us to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check as part of our pre-employment checks process.

We can only accept applications from candidates currently residing in the UK.

Candidates currently residing in the UK who require sponsorship to work are encouraged to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) based on the relevant criteria. Please be aware that sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis.

No agencies please.