Education Inclusion OfficerJobsGoPublic

Job Introduction

In Staffordshire we want our children to have the best opportunities to be successful in education, through being supported by people who have high aspirations for them at all stages of their education.

We want our young people to have a good education experience, in great settings where they understand the impact and potential barriers to attending and achieving in education due to the life experiences that our children may have had. As a team we work closely with our partners to ensure that they understand and support us in our role to address the barriers to education and promote a positive culture towards inclusion and attainment.

Due to an expansion within the service an exciting opportunity has arisen within the Education Inclusion Team for two new Education Inclusion Officers who will be travelling to various locations.

You will be required to work in close partnership with education providers to address the complex issues of school inclusion and exclusion. You will mainly be working with schools and families so need to be available during school hours and occasionally after 5pm to attend meetings. You will be able to work flexibly, including hybrid working.

The roles are permanent within an expected start date of January 2027, subject to references and checks.

Main Responsibilities

You will:

travelling to various district-based colleagues, local schools, in establishing appropriate systems of data collection and on-going monitoring of information relating to fixed-term and permanent exclusions

provide specialist legislative information and guidance to head teachers, governors, parents, LA colleagues, and appropriate staff from other agencies

provide challenge to school leaders in respect of any unlawful or poor practice e.g., Parent Partnership, Social Care and Health etc. about the county’s procedures on fixed term and permanent exclusion, (within DfE guidance) and criminal law

signpost schools and parents to relevant support services as per Staffordshire’s Local Offer and/or resources and where applicable to the SEND Pathway when an Education, Health and Care Assessment is appropriate

work with service leads in the Alternative Provision Panel to agree provision for children and young people including those with SEND, offering challenge alongside specialist information advice and guidance

provide high-quality information and appropriate advice to the Council and Senior Officers

represent the Local Authority at schools’ governors’ disciplinary committees and independent review panels, SEND mediation meetings and Local Authority SEND tribunals with specific regard to the permanent exclusion process

manage and document a number of excluded children and young people, utilising the MRI database ensuring data is up to date and accurate at all times

The Ideal Candidate

You will have :

relevant educational qualification and/or experience as a caseworker, EWO or other similar role within an education setting

a thorough understanding of the complex factors which may influence behaviour in educational settings and have a sound knowledge of strategies to support early intervention and positive change

understanding of exclusion procedures, legal framework, Fair Access Protocol, DfE Guidance on Exclusion from Schools and Pupil Referral Units.

ability to work in partnership with families, professionals and schools to bring about positive change

a sound working knowledge of safeguarding children, with an emphasis in education settings

an ability to use own initiative and take responsibility

an ability to lead and/or work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals from both statutory and voluntary agencies

an ability to interpret complex situations and offer a solution focused approach to problem solving

The minimum criteria that will be used to shortlist for this role will be:

Degree in an appropriate discipline or a professional qualification at an equivalent level (such as social work or teaching) or equivalent experience

A relevant educational qualification and/or experience as a caseworker/EWO/other. Within an education/education support setting

Demonstrate an understanding of exclusion procedures, legal framework, Fair access Protocol, DfE Guidance on Exclusion from Schools and Pupil Referral Units.

A sound working knowledge of safeguarding children, with an emphasis in education settings.

When applying please ensure your supporting statement shows evidence how you meet the criteria for the role. We may be unable to shortlist you for interview without this evidence.

If you are applying for a part time position, please note the salary quoted is full time equivalent, the salary received will be paid on a pro–rata basis.

If you would like to discuss the role further, please contact Neil Dutton (Service Manager Inclusion):

Telephone - (01827) 782063

Email – [email protected]

In person interviews will be held week commencing 09/11/2026.

Our Recruitment Process: We anonymise applications during shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. Please complete your application fully, especially the supporting statement, to highlight what you’ll bring to the role.

Please note: The minimum criteria in the ideal candidate section detailed above will be used if you are applying under one of our Interview Guarantee Schemes detailed below.

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values:

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits:

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process:

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

As you’ll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that’s why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.