County Attendance Officer

Job Introduction

Salary range: £37,035 - £39,513 per annum (full-time) - term time only, salary would be pro-rata for FTE
Work location: County Hall, Oxford 
Hours per week: 37 - we are open to discussions about flexible working
Contract type: 1x Full-time and 1x Term Time only 
Vetting requirements: This role is subject to a Criminal Records Check

Closing date: Wednesday 23rd July 2025
Interview date: Either Monday 28th July or Wednesday 30th July 2025

About us

The County Attendance Team has a commitment to ensure that all Oxfordshire's school-aged children receive their full educational entitlement promoting inclusion and access to education for all. We want Oxfordshire's children and young people to grow, learn, develop, and achieve their very best.

We understand that good school attendance is integral to supporting social and emotional development. The County Attendance Team are committed to working collaboratively with all Schools/partners/agencies to achieve the best outcome for children and young people.

About the role

We are seeking to recruit to the role of County Attendance Officer on a permanent basis to work predominately across the North or the South of the county. The team works across the whole of Oxfordshire so flexibility to work in other areas is also required.

As a County Attendance Officer, you will be undertaking such tasks as:

• Case work in relation to irregular school attendance where legal intervention is required
• Ensuring parents are aware of their legal responsibilities to secure regular attendance at school.
• Preparing and submitting evidence for legal cases to be heard through the Magistrates court or single justice process
• Whole-school work to ensure appropriate systems, policies and procedures are in place for the monitoring and improvement of school attendance
• Attending Child Protection (CP) Conferences, Child in Need (CIN), Team Around the Family (CIN) or other multi agency meetings when required
• Delivering targeted attendance meetings in schools
• Carrying out Attendance Audits in schools
• Working on a multi-agency basis to achieve the best outcomes for children and families
• Acting as lead professional to ensure access to education
• Act as a mediator between parents, children and schools to enable improved and timely access to education
• Participate in continued professional development, both team and personal, in line with supervision and appraisal agreements and service expectations

About you

You should be competent with IT systems, good interpersonal skills, an acute awareness of discretion and confidentiality, along with accuracy. The position demands passion, enthusiasm, accountability, and a commitment to delivering an outstanding service to children/families and schools across Oxfordshire.

Please apply if you consider yourself to be:

Reflective, resilient, tenacious, and flexible

Committed to inclusion for all children and their families

Committed to safeguarding children

Attentive listener

Motivated and reliable

Highly organised with good time management skills

Solution-focussed

Able to build sustainable, trusting, and influential relationships

A positive and collaborative team member

Excellent IT skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Having experience of working with schools and families

Committed to your own personal and professional development

Rewards and benefits 

• Culture of flexible working
• Technology to support agile working where role permits
• Up to 33 days holiday p.a. plus bank holidays
• Option to ‘buy’ additional holiday
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development

Would you like to know more?

Please view the Job Description and Selection Criteria

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Dawn Softley at dawn.softley@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Application Procedure

To apply, please complete an online application form by clicking either of the Apply Now buttons at the top and bottom of this advert. This includes a section asking you to explain how you meet the selection criteria, as specified in the job posting. You may attach a cover letter and/or CV to your application form, however it is not mandatory.

If you encounter any issues with the maximum character count on your application form, please use this tool to check your text for any hidden HTML characters, which may be taking it over the limit.

If you experience any technical difficulties whilst completing the application form, please contact the Recruitment Team using Recruitment Application Enquiry Form.

If you require the application form in an alternative format as part of a reasonable adjustment at this stage of the recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment Team using Recruitment Application Enquiry Form.

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you encounter any technical issues with the application system, please contact us at: careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk