Education Welfare Officer
Also advertised as: Attendance and Welfare Officer, Attendance Officer, Education Welfare Officer, Education Welfare Practitioner, Pupil Welfare Officer
Works with families and schools to tackle poor school attendance and safeguarding concerns.
What the job involves
Education welfare officers investigate persistent absence, work with families to remove barriers to attendance and can bring legal action as a last resort. You work closely with schools, social services and sometimes the courts. The role sits at the boundary of education and social work and needs confident casework skills.
Typical responsibilities
- Investigate and monitor pupil attendance
- Work with families to resolve barriers to schooling
- Liaise with schools and social services
- Prepare cases for legal proceedings where needed
- Maintain accurate case records
Common employers
- Local authorities
- Academy trusts
- Independent education welfare services
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£25,000 – £30,000 a year
With experience
£33,000 – £40,000 a year
Typical hours
37 hours, term-time weighted
Working environment
Mix of office, school and home visits
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Casework management
- Interviewing
- Safeguarding awareness
- Negotiation
- Report writing
Transferable skills you may already have
- Social work adjacent experience
- Mediation
- Multi-agency coordination
Requirements employers ask for
- Casework management
- Interviewing
- Safeguarding awareness
- Negotiation
- Report writing
- Enhanced DBS check
- Enhanced DBS check
Useful but not essential
- Social work adjacent experience
- Mediation
- Multi-agency coordination
- Qualification in education, social work or youth work
- Safeguarding training
Helpful qualifications
- Qualification in education, social work or youth work
- Safeguarding training
Licences and checks
- Enhanced DBS check
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Social work
- Related subject: Education studies
- Related subject: Sociology
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Education Welfare Officer
next
Social Worker
next
Safeguarding Lead
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Direct impact on children's life chances
- Varied casework rather than desk-bound
- Strong local authority pension
What people find hard
- Emotionally demanding cases
- Some families are hostile to intervention
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a education welfare officer?
- preferred
- How much does a education welfare officer earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £25,000 to £30,000 a year, rising towards £40,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Social work adjacent experience, Mediation, Multi-agency coordination.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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