Should Local authorities save money by making all the Education Welfare officers redundant?

[LucindaCarlisle]

Could Local authorities save money by making redundant all the employees who "monitor" HE?

The Educational Welfare Officers are just a waste of space.

I object to you using the HE threads in order to further your own personal/agenda grudges against a specific profession.
As you don't have experience of every single EWO in the country, you cannot make such a sweeping statement.

Well said MarjorieW- I read the title and post - thought what a load of crap and then wasnt surprised when I saw who the poster was.

No - that is a stupid idea - do you not think there could be a family abusing their children and not sending them to school so society doesn't see the abuse - I doubt it but I have seen it on more than one occasion.

Local Authorities need to make large savings. We need to discuss which Local Authority functions are inefficient and ineffective.

EWOs don't just monitor HE though, do they?

Yes. MadameCasta. You are quite correct. But the EWO is not likely to spot child abuse. The EWO fails to detect signs of potential problems.

My LA has specific personnel for elective home education - they are NOT EWOs.
There has to be EWOs in order for them to monitor those children in mainstream education who, for one reason or another, are slipping through the net.
They are like every profession - some good and some bad.

EWOs allow thousands of children to slip through the net.

Which EWO? One specific one that you have experience of, Lucinda Carlisle does not mean that it's the case of every EWO in the country.
Go and peddle your grudges somewhere else.

There is a fab EWO who works with our school.

What a stupid idea as if EWOs sole purpose is to bug parents that HE.

of course some aren't amazing but give me a profession where everone is.

I've worked with some fantastic EWOs that have really helped a child get to school where the parents have been unable (mental illness/disabilities) to get their child to school, or not wanted them to go (company/neglect/chaotic lifestyle). THese child were nothing to do with HE,they were often failed by their parents and school was a an escape from their homelife, and a potential opportunity to escape their life.

But many EWOs are incapable of noticing those things happening.

lucinda - so is it the sole responsibilty of EWOs to track child abuse. It is everyones responsibilty who is contact with that child, be it a professional or a family member, friend, or neighbour.

The system may need to be improved, but it is very hard to get a system that tracks children (the one under test has just be scrapped by the tories as it was not deemed secure).

how do you know?

we've got a fantastic EWO where we are from, i've dealt with her a few times when the children were in school. we've become friendly and she will often pop in for a cuppa and chat

I knew this would be you, how ridiculous.

I'm tempted to say a great big "yes!" but I'm glad to hear that other people's experiences have been positive, so I will just say that I think if anything more investment needs to be made in retraining - or possibly training for the first time (!) - those such as ours, who can't be bothered with accounting for a child's disabilities, or indeed those of their parents.

... while we're at it why not ditch HVs, TA's school admin staff and those ladies wot take blood.

Yet another person slagging off an entire profession/service based on contact with one. Nice to see rational thinking is alive and well.

Had a positive experience of EWO when I withdrew my ASD dd from school three days per week because of a teacher so ignorant that dd was self harming.
She really fought my corner with the school headmistress who was livid that she wouldn't force dd back to school and ultimately all communication between school and myself was done through her.
She was sensitive and calm and totally understood my actions and my refusal to send dd or be rushed into another school and reiterated repeatedly that they believed that I was acting in dd's best interests and dd was being educated very well at home in the meantime.
I am sure there are good and bad EWO's but fortunately my experience has been very positive.

EWO's don't just monitor HE, though. I have involvemnt with the EWO at dd1's school and she is great. I honestly don't think that I could have gotten through last year without her.

She helped me access so much help for dd1 and myself. She even went out of her way to advise DH and put him touch with local oragnisations when he lost his job.

Thanks to her dd1 now likes school and goes without a fuss/tantrum most days.

The EWOs mostly did a good job in supporting me when dd was missing masses of time off school due to ill health. Our lives would have been harder without them.

Personally, I think the whole medical profession should be sacked, because I met a bad doctor once.

Well said Cory

When one considers the scale of cuts needed, Most EWOs need to be better trained and better qualified, otherwise they should be sacked.