Family School Liaison Officer

We are looking for a knowledgeable and committed individual to join our team as a Family School Liaison Officer (New Arrivals). The Officer will play a key role in identifying and supporting refugee and asylum-seeking children who are living in Sheffield but not yet in education. The Officer will work in partnership with key stakeholders, schools and other services to ensure these children are quickly identified and supported to access and remain engaged in education. The Officer will be a champion for these children, raising awareness of their needs, the challenges they may face, and promoting inclusive practice and a strong sense of belonging.

This will be a demanding yet rewarding role which will involve working directly with parents/carers and professionals across the range of education stages (Early Years, statutory school age, and Post 16). The post will also focus on working with partners to improve the recording and reporting of newly arrived children within our data systems.

Essential Experience & Skills:

The ideal candidate will have experience of working with vulnerable children and an understanding of the diverse needs of new arrivals. We’re looking for someone with the ability to support and engage families but also to make informed decisions and take decisive action where needed. Strong and clear communication skills, patience, and the capacity to build trusting relationships are an essential part of this role.

The role will involve gathering, recording and interpreting data to identify trends, disparities and areas for improvement within education for this cohort. You will use the evidence to inform decision-making and enable the continuous development of educational strategies to help shape and inform future practice.

Location: Howden House, 1 Union Street, Sheffield, S1 2SH. Flexible working as agreed with line manager

Recruitment schedule:

• Interviews to be held on the w/c 1st December 2025.

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026.