| Schools
have a responsibility to identify pupils
who are experiencing difficulties in relation
to attendance and welfare and for making
referrals to the EWS if school based interventions
have proved unsuccessful. In recognition
of the importance of the relationship between
the EWS and schools the EWS has requested
that schools identify a link person who
will meet with the EWO on a regular basis.
Such a meeting will allow the school and
EWO to discuss:
•
Whole school strategies in relation to improving
attendance.
•
Future referrals.
•
The outcomes of work undertaken by the EWO
with individual pupils.
The
EWO or SEWO are willing to talk about the
role of the EWS or attendance issues to
the whole staff or the relevant members
of staff during directed time or as part
of an in-service day. EWOs can also attend
Parent/ Teacher Evenings and talk to parents
about school attendance issues. EWOs will
participate as part of Personal and Social
Education programmes and talk to children
and young people about school attendance
and the role of the EWO.
In
order for EWOs to carry out school-based
work with pupils, schools are asked to provide
the EWO with access to a suitable room.
EWOs need to be able to engage with children
and young people, with parental approval
in an environment that is safe for both
the EWO and the child or young person. Therefore
the room should ideally have a glass panel
in the door and not be in an isolated area
within the school.
9.1
The Referral System
The
referral system was introduced in post-primary
schools on a pilot basis in September 1999,
partly in response to the findings of the
MSU research that stated EWOs were spending
a disproportionate amount of time on administrative
duties and consequently less time working
with children and their families. One administrative
duty highlighted in the report was EWOs
checking through school records of attendance
to identify school non-attenders or poor
attenders. The SELB pilot referral system
was based on the referral systems in use
by the EWS in the other boards, all of which
use referral systems.
The
scheme was piloted for the 1999/2000 academic
year and then the referral forms were amended
to take into account the views of schools
within the SELB (Appendix 1). It is recommended
that the referral system should be used
by all post primary schools and that consideration
should be given to introducing the system
into primary schools. The criteria for referral
to the EWS was drawn up using the core areas
discussed above.
9.2
Referral Criteria
When
school based interventions are not effective
schools are encouraged to refer pupils to
the EWS using an EWR1 form. The criteria
for referral is as follows:
•
Persistent absenteeism: where a pupil has
attendance of less than 85%
•
Social, emotional or medical problems: where
a pupil is at risk of becoming a persistent
non attender
•
Behavioural difficulties: where behavioural
problems may lead to suspension or expulsion
and the pupil has not reached Stage 3 of
the Code of Practice
If
a pupil is suspended on three or more occasions
The
benefits of using the referral system are:
•
Ensures regular planned contact time between
an EWO and the appropriate school personnel.
•
The EWO need not spend time identifying
persistent non-attenders when schools are
able to identify pupils who are experiencing
problems and to carry out early intervention
based on their pastoral policy.
•
EWOs have more time to spend in meaningful
work with pupils and when appropriate their
families.
•
The EWO will respond to referrals within
10 days.
•
The EWO will provide written feedback to
schools about all work undertaken in individual
cases.
•
A referral system males it easier for the
EWS to provide a basic service to schools
if the school’s regular EWO is absent
on long term sick leave or if a position
is vacant.
•
It will introduce a standardised method
for accessing the EWS which will meet the
requirements of equality and human rights
legislation.
•
It will allow the EWS to monitor, measure
work and evaluate service delivery more
effectively thus making the service accountable.
•
It will enable the EWS to provide for all
schools, on an annual basis a profile of
work undertaken by the EWS17 . This
will include a breakdown by gender, year-group,
ethnicity of cases referred, reason for
referral and outcome of intervention.
Who
can refer to the Education Welfare Service?
While
the majority of referrals to the EWS originate
from schools, referrals are also accepted
from parents, pupils, other board services
(for example Pupil and Parent Unit) and
other agencies (for example Social Services).
9.4
Flow Chart of Referral System
- From
the 2001/2002 school year
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