Education welfare

Education Welfare Officers are placed within Hampshire's 11 Locality Teams. The Education Welfare Officers link with primary and secondary schools to improve attendance and work alongside other agencies to support welfare issues. The team will receive requests for support from schools, professionals and from parents in relation to school attendance.

Education Welfare Officers will usually be involved with truancy sweeps, exclusions from schools, home education issues and prosecution for non-attendance at school. The Education Welfare Officers establish positive links with all schools and many other agencies so that when they are working with families they can access as much support for the families as possible.

It is sometimes necessary that where there is no improvement in attendance that the Locality Team will prosecute for non-attendance at school under the Education Act 1996 sections 441 and 441a. The team may also issue Penalty Notices in non-attendance cases which will lead to prosecution under the Education Act 1996 if they are not paid. Education Welfare Officers may also instigate School Attendance Orders and Education Supervision Orders.