£35,000.00
Dover/Folkestone
37
Fixed term for one year
07/10/2026
Week commencing 12th October
37 hours per week, fixed term for one year
Dover/Folkestone
Are you an experienced and credible practitioner who can combine excellent work with young people and families with the ability to lead the development of a new programme?
If the answer is ‘yes!’, then this is an exciting opportunity for you.
Salus is seeking a Lead Practitioner – Attendance & Engagement to take an operational lead and practice role in the development, mobilisation, coordination and direct delivery of the programme. Funded by Kent County Council as part of the Marmot programme and delivered in partnership with The Education People, the programme will develop new approaches to preventing young people becoming NEET, with a focus on persistent absence and early disengagement from education.
This is more than a frontline delivery role. You will establish strong relationships with identified secondary schools, work closely with The Education People and other partners, help develop and pilot the pupil identification approach, establish referral and delivery processes, coordinate project activity and ensure learning from implementation informs the developing model. You will also work directly with young people, families and schools, providing high-quality, individualised interventions for pupils experiencing persistent absence and disengagement.
We are looking for a highly capable practitioner with significant experience of working with young people experiencing barriers to education, attendance or engagement. You will be confident working with schools and partner organisations, able to develop effective relationships, use data and professional judgement to inform intervention, and take ownership of work from planning through to implementation. You will be proactive, organised and able to work with a high degree of autonomy while maintaining a strong focus on the young people and families at the heart of the programme.
For more information, please contact Sally Williamson on 07725 595722
Closing date: 9am 7th October
Interview date: Week commencing 12th October.
Any appointment will be made subject to appropriate pre-employment checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Salus works to improve the lives of children, young people and families across Kent and beyond. We work in partnership with commissioners, schools, health services, local authorities, voluntary organisations and communities to deliver responsive, evidence-informed services that make a practical difference.
Our work is collaborative, outcomes-focused and shaped by the needs of the children, young people, families and communities we support.
Project Salus forms part of a wider programme funded by Kent County Council, as part of the Marmot programme, and delivered in partnership with The Education People. The programme will develop new approaches to preventing young people becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), with a focus on tackling persistent absence and early disengagement from education.
Salus will develop and deliver an evidence based, intensive support programme for identified pupils in Years 9 and 10, in identified secondary schools in Folkestone and Dover districts. The programme will work holistically with young people, families and schools to address barriers to engagement and strengthen resilience, wellbeing, aspirations, social connection and participation in education.
The Lead Practitioner – Attendance & Engagement will take an operational lead and practice role in the development, mobilisation, coordination and direct delivery of the programme.
This is more than a frontline delivery role. The postholder will help turn the project proposal into an effective, evidence-informed intervention: establishing strong relationships with identified secondary schools; working closely with The Education People and other partners; developing and piloting the pupil identification and screening approach; establishing referral and delivery processes; coordinating project activity; and ensuring learning from implementation informs the developing model.
The Lead Practitioner will also work directly with young people, families and schools, providing and coordinating high-quality, individualised interventions for pupils experiencing persistent absence and disengagement.
The successful candidate will combine excellent direct practice with children and families with the ability to develop services, build partnerships, coordinate projects, analyse information and influence professional practice. They will be expected to work with a high degree of autonomy, identify and resolve operational issues, maintain momentum across different organisations and take ownership for ensuring the Salus element of the programme is implemented effectively.
1.0 Programme Development & Mobilisation
Take a leading role in translating the Project Salus proposal into a practical and effective delivery model.
Lead the mobilisation of the Salus workstream, developing the systems, processes, documentation and practice arrangements required for successful implementation.
Work closely with The Education People, KCC colleagues, schools and Salus managers to ensure the Salus programme complements the wider NEET prevention programme.
Contribute professional expertise and learning from implementation to the ongoing development of the model, identifying what works, what needs to change and how the approach can be strengthened.
Coordinate key project activity, milestones and actions, ensuring that agreed work is progressed and deadlines are met.
Identify emerging operational issues, barriers and risks and take appropriate action to resolve these or escalate them where necessary.
2.0 School & Partnership Development
Establish and maintain strong, credible relationships with senior leaders, attendance leads, pastoral teams, SEND staff and other relevant professionals within identified secondary schools.
Act as a key operational contact for schools participating in Project Salus, ensuring they understand the purpose of the programme, identification criteria, referral pathways and expectations.
Work collaboratively with schools to understand local patterns of absence and disengagement and ensure that the programme responds appropriately to the circumstances of individual schools and pupils.
Build effective working relationships with The Education People, KCC services and other relevant statutory, voluntary and community partners.
Represent Salus confidently at project, school and multi-agency meetings, contributing professional expertise and ensuring agreed actions are progressed.
3.0 Identification & Screening
Take a leading role, alongside The Education People and participating schools, in the development and piloting of the pupil-level identification and screening tool.
Use available attendance, education and other relevant information to support the identification of pupils most likely to benefit from early intervention.
Help develop a robust approach which looks beyond attendance figures alone and considers the wider indicators and circumstances associated with disengagement and future NEET risk.
Review the effectiveness of identification and screening arrangements during implementation and recommend changes in response to evidence and learning.
Ensure decision-making and information-sharing are appropriate, transparent and compliant with data protection, safeguarding and information-governance requirements.
4.0 Specialist Practice with Young People & Families
Undertake holistic assessment with participating young people to understand the individual, family, school and wider factors affecting their engagement with education.
Develop individually tailored plans with young people, families and schools which build on strengths and address identified barriers to engagement.
Deliver high-quality, relationship-based interventions to young people experiencing persistent absence and potentially complex barriers to education.
Work flexibly and creatively to engage young people who may have had difficulty engaging with education or conventional services.
Work with parents and carers where appropriate, recognising their central role in understanding and supporting the young person.
Coordinate with schools and other professionals to ensure interventions complement rather than duplicate existing support.
Use the Resilience Toolkit and other agreed approaches to support young people’s resilience, wellbeing, aspirations, social connection and engagement.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and ensure that safeguarding remains central to all work with young people and families.
5.0 Project Coordination, Performance & Quality
Maintain effective oversight of the Salus project workstream, including participating schools, referrals, caseload, interventions, progress and agreed project milestones.
Coordinate meetings, actions and information required to keep delivery progressing effectively.
Ensure accurate and timely project records are maintained and that evidence required for monitoring and evaluation is captured consistently.
Work with Salus managers and The Education People to ensure delivery remains aligned with the agreed project model and outcomes.
Contribute to commissioner and funder reports, project updates, case studies and other evidence demonstrating implementation, learning and impact.
Support the development of clear practice guidance, tools and resources so that learning from Project Salus can be captured and replicated.
6.0 Outcomes, Evaluation & Model Development
Ensure agreed baseline, progress and outcome measures are completed accurately and consistently.
Monitor individual and programme-level progress and identify emerging patterns, strengths, gaps and areas requiring attention.
Gather meaningful feedback from young people, families, schools and professionals and ensure this informs programme development.
Contribute actively to evaluation of the programme and the development of the final Project Salus model.
Help identify the components of the intervention that are most effective and the conditions required for successful implementation elsewhere.
Contribute to recommendations for the potential future development and roll-out of the model.
7.0 Professional Responsibilities
Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive personal and organisational information appropriately.
Work in accordance with Salus policies, safeguarding responsibilities, data protection requirements and organisational values.
Participate in supervision, performance review and continuing professional development.
Maintain high standards of professional conduct, accuracy and integrity.
Contribute positively to a collaborative, inclusive, reflective and improvement-focused organisational culture.
Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the level and purpose of the role.
This Job Description does not provide an exhaustive list of duties and may be reviewed in conjunction with the postholder to reflect service and organisational development.
| ESSENTIAL | DESIRABLE | |
| QUALIFICATION | Relevant professional qualification, degree-level education or substantial equivalent professional experience in education, youth work, family support, social care, health, attendance, early intervention or a related field. Evidence of relevant continuing professional development. | Training or qualification relating to attendance, mental health and wellbeing, trauma-informed practice, SEND, safeguarding, project management or service development. |
| EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES | Significant experience of working effectively with children and young people experiencing barriers to education, attendance or engagement. Experience of working directly with secondary schools Experience of developing individualised interventions with young people. Experience of working with families and professionals around children and young people with complex or multiple needs. Experience of multi-agency working and coordinating activity across different professionals or organisations. Experience of taking responsibility for a project or service development activity and driving it through from planning to implementation. Experience of using data, assessment information and professional judgement to inform intervention and monitor progress. Ability to work confidently and credibly with school leaders, education professionals, commissioners and partner organisations. Ability to work autonomously, use initiative, exercise sound professional judgement and take ownership of work through to completion. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to facilitate meetings and produce clear reports and project updates. | Experience specifically relating to persistent or severe absence, EBSA, school disengagement or NEET prevention. Experience of contributing to project evaluation, commissioner reporting or development of an evidence-informed service model. |
| KNOWLEDGE | Strong understanding of the factors that can contribute to persistent absence and disengagement from education. Understanding of strengths-based, child-centred and trauma-informed approaches to working with children and young people. Sound understanding of safeguarding and professional responsibilities when working with children, young people and families. Understanding of confidentiality, consent, information sharing and data protection. | Knowledge of the Kent education and children’s services landscape. Understanding of NEET prevention and the relationship between earlier educational disengagement and later participation. Knowledge of the Resilience Toolkit, Skills Builder or comparable evidence-informed frameworks. Knowledge of the Marmot principles and approaches to reducing inequalities. |
| ATTRIBUTES | A credible practitioner who can combine excellent work with young people and families with the ability to lead the development of practice. Proactive and able to make things happen rather than waiting for direction. Curious and analytical, with an interest in understanding why young people disengage rather than simply responding to absence. Confident building relationships and influencing people across different organisations and levels of seniority. Highly organised, dependable and able to maintain oversight of a complex project while remaining attentive to individual young people. | A strong interest in the work of Salus and improving outcomes and reducing inequalities for children, young people and families. |
| OTHER | Commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion. Car owner/driver. |
This job description is provided to assist the post holder to know their principal duties. It may be amended from time to time in consultation with you without change to the level of responsibilities appropriate to the grading of the post.