Education Welfare Service

The Education Welfare Service (EWS) is one of several education support services available to Island schools. The Service works closely with schools, children, families and other health/care agencies in seeking to achieve its overall aim: To ensure that all children and young people of statutory school age take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them.

Role of the Service

Education Welfare Officers undertake the following duties:

School Attendance

• Discharging the Education Department's statutory responsibilities with regard to school attendance, in accordance with The Education (Guernsey) Law, 1970 and The Children (Guernsey & Alderney) Law, 2008.
• Regular monitoring of school attendance records; close liaison with designated members of staff in schools; liaison with professional colleagues from other agencies; initiation of support plans and/or legal action; provision of advice and guidance to school on the management of school attendance.
• Preparation of detailed reports in connection with the prosecution of parents before the Magistrate's Court and attending Court in order to give evidence.
• Preparation of detailed reports in connection with matters referred to the Children's Convenor and to participate in Child, Youth and Community Tribunal hearings.
• Investigation of reports relating to children of compulsory school age who are neither registered with an Island school nor receiving efficient full-time education.

General Welfare of Pupils

• Fulfilling an advocacy role for pupils whose exclusion from school is to be considered by an 'Education Placement Panel' meeting.
• Investigation of pupils who are reported as 'missing from school'. This usually applies to pupils who, together with their families, have left the Island without prior notice having been given to schools.
• Assisting with enquiries regarding pupils who are being home educated.
• Assessment of the suitability of private premises for authorised home tuition.
• Providing support to pupils who may be experiencing relationship problems in school, particularly in connection with bullying.
• Investigation of applications from parents for children to transfer to an out of catchment area school (OCAS), where bullying is cited as the principal reason for the OCAS application. This will also require close liaison with the Administration Manager and attendance at OCAS Panel meetings.
• Participating in inter-agency child protection as defined by the Guernsey Child Protection Guidelines. This will involve attendance at case conferences, review and core group meetings.
• Provision of information/reports to the Children's Convenor and participating in Child, Youth and Community Tribunal hearings concerning matters that may not be directly related to school attendance. 

Youth Justice

• Preparation of reports for an participation in Convenor's Referral Meetings in relation to young people who have been reported for offending behaviour.
• Co-ordination of reports from schools for the Juvenile Court.

Employment of Children

• To investigate reports relating to pupils whose health and/or education is placed at risk through employment. This will include the issuing of formal notifications to parents and/or employers restricting or prohibiting the employment of children.

Referrals to the Service

• Pupils whose school attendance records show persistent unauthorised absence and whose level of attendance has fallen below 80%. It is essential that, prior to referral, schools ensure that they have taken steps to raise pupil attendance through writing to and meeting parents.
• Pupils who are persistently absent or have had extended periods of absence from school through ill health and for which medical evidence (medical certificates/notes) has not been provided to the school.
• Pupils who are displaying anxiety towards attendance at school.
• Pupils who suddenly and unexpectedly fail to appear in school and whose parents cannot be contacted.
• Children of compulsory school age who are known to be resident in the Island, but have not registered with a school.
• Pupils who have failed to attend a re-admission meeting at school following exclusion.
• Pupils who have received a Category 3 exclusion from school and for whom an Education Welfare Officer will fulfil an advocacy role.
• Pupils who are persistently late after registration and where the school has already taken steps to improve punctuality through writing to and meeting parents.
• Pupils who are being withdrawn from school by their parents in order to be home educated.
• Pupils who are prevented from attending school for extended period through ill health (supported by medical practitioners) and who require temporary home-tuition.
• Pupils who are failing to co-operate with individual education planes (for example attendance at The Link Centre)

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