Job Description

ID 3388

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The Welsh Government operates name-free recruitment. The recruiting panel will not see personal information such as a candidate's name and address during the sifting process. This policy is in line with our commitment to end bias and promote equality and diversity.
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Vacancy details

Vacancy title
Professional Advisor Alternative Education


Closing date
12/02/2026, 16:00


Advertising basis
Secondment
Actual starting salary
This opportunity will be a secondment to Welsh Government and the successful candidate will remain on their employer's terms and conditions of service and current salary.
Salary range or pay band
Grade 7 61,098 to 73,057
Allowances
No
Work pattern
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Duration
Up to 2 Years Secondment
Group
Education, Culture and Welsh Language
Directorate
Education
Branch
Alternative Education
Location (s)
Pan Wales
Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. A list of the Welsh Government's offices can be found on www.gov.wales/welsh-government-offices. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location.
Purpose of post
The Alternative Education team within the Equity in Education division holds responsibility for Elective Home Education (EHE), Children Missing Education (CME) and Education otherwise than at school (EOTAS). The team work closely with the Supporting Access to Education team, also within the Equity in Education Division, who lead on Behaviour, Attendance and Exclusions policy, given the very close and interdependent nature of the policies.



The Alternative Education team has a number of priority pieces of work to deliver across the EHE, CME and EOTAS policy areas over the next two years to ensure that all children and young people, regardless of where they receive an education, receive a suitable and efficient education. These priorities include:



developing guidance to support "Commissioning of and Referral for EOTAS provision", reviewing the processes and legislation underpinning the registration and deregistration of Pupil Referral Units, supporting and informing policy development following independent evaluation of the EHE statutory guidance and the Children Missing Education Database Pilot, subject to Senedd Consent and Royal Assent of the Children's Wellbeing and School Bill, developing regulations and guidance to deliver the Children not in schools provisions of the Bill.


A policy which sits across the Alternative Education and Supporting Access to Education teams, relates to the strategies and tools being used to support improved behaviour and increase attendance in schools. Schools and local authorities are increasingly using part-time timetables, virtual school and flexi-schooling models as a means of supporting continued learner engagement and to support reintegration back into school. Limited data and research exists on the use, benefits and risks of these approaches. A key priority therefore for Welsh Government is to evaluate how the guidance on part-time timetables is being implemented and develop a policy framework for the use of strategies, tools and techniques for supporting attendance, including virtual schools. Work is also being undertaken to identify and address key drivers for poor school attendance and increasing numbers of school deregistrations. The professional advisor will be required to work with policy teams to address issues and ensure join-up across policies that may have conflicting priorities.



The professional advisor will be required to support the work of the Welsh Government in the continued development of policy across these areas of work, and drive forward engagement with key stakeholders to inform new legislation and statutory guidance to underpin it.



The post holder will work with internal colleagues across the Welsh Government Education, Health, Social Services and other Departments, as well as external stakeholders, to ensure their views and opinions are captured and reflected in the policy framework on EHE, CME, and EOTAS.



The professional advisor will need to demonstrate proven ability, knowledge and experience of working with local authority inclusion services, including EOTAS, EHE, CME, attendance, and exclusions, and with providers delivering those services outside of the local authority. The professional advisor will be expected to proactively manage and prioritise activities, taking responsibility for delivering outcomes on time and to standard.



Key tasks
Provide professional and practice advice - working with officials and engaging with wider stakeholders on the development of the new policy framework for 'Children Not in School registers' (regulations, guidance and other support). To act as the 'bridge' between policy development and operational practitioners and the home education sector. To provide professional and practical advice on next steps for the Children Missing Education policy, including driving forward the CME Action Plan, continuing work to support local authorities to improve on and embed their statutory CME duties, and advice and planning to inform the next steps for a database of children missing education following an external evaluation of a pilot exercise. Working with officials and engaging with external stakeholders, contribute to the development of guidance for local authorities on "Referral and Commissioning of EOTAS provision", and supporting the development of parent focused guidance on EOTAS. Provide professional and practice advice - working with officials and engaging wider stakeholders to provide an evidence base for a new policy framework (regulations, guidance and other support) for the use of strategies, tools and techniques to improve attendance, including a policy and framework for the use of Virtual Schools. Consider research and evaluation priorities in relation to improving the knowledge base of EOTAS (including Virtual Schools), ensuring policy and practice align, policy is based on robust evidence, and does not result in unintended outcomes elsewhere in the education system

Job specific -

Detailed knowledge and understanding of EOTAS provision, including home education and the legislative framework and operational system in which it sits. Experience of developing and delivering strategic policy and practice in Education in a local authority. Experience of successfully engaging stakeholders including senior management and operational leads within local authorities and parents/carers and those who home educate children and young people.




Development opportunities
The post will offer the opportunity to develop a working knowledge of Welsh Government's approach to policy development, providing the post holder with an opportunity to develop working relationships with a range of internal stakeholders from across Welsh Government divisions and departments. The post will also offer an opportunity to build cross government relationships with other government counterparts. The post offers the opportunity to strengthen multi-agency stakeholder relationships, with the post holder needing to work collaboratively as the bridge between Welsh Government and Local Authorities and schools and other educational settings.
Other vacancy related information
A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months. A presentation on Experience criteria One will be required at interview stage. More information will be provided in the invitations to that stage. If after interview stage, there are successful candidates with the same score in order to determine merit order, the panel will first review interview score for experience 1 and then experience 2. The successful applicant will need to attend Cathays Park at least once a month

Vetting level
Basic
Number of posts
1
Contact point for further information regarding the post
Supporting Access to Education mailbox - cmia.sate@gov.wales