Luton Borough Council
Inclusion Officer
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Inclusion Officer
Inclusion Officer – Vulnerable Children & Young People
Salary & Working Terms
- Salary: £49,897 – £54,398 per year
- Hours per week: 37
- Contract: Permanent
About The Role
The Inclusion Officer champions the needs of vulnerable children and young people of compulsory school age who risk disengaging from education due to complex social, emotional, mental health (SEMH), behavioural, or learning needs.
In partnership with schools, families, partner agencies, and the Local Authority, this role promotes inclusive practices to ensure all pupils can access education and achieve positive outcomes.
Key Duties:
- Provide expert advice and support to schools, assisting them in meeting statutory responsibilities for pupils at risk of exclusion.
- Develop and monitor individual pupil plans, Early Help Assessments, Pastoral Support Plans, managed moves, and transition arrangements.
- Help schools implement evidence-based strategies to improve:
- Attendance
- Behaviour
- Wellbeing
- Educational attainment
- Strengthen schools’ capacity for inclusion through:
- Training and workforce development
- Behaviour audits
- Promotion of therapeutic and inclusive approaches
- Collaborate with alternative provision providers, social care, early help services, and wellbeing teams to:
- Coordinate support
- Identify barriers to learning
- Enabling tailored interventions
- Provide guidance on fixed-term and permanent exclusions, represent the Local Authority at disciplinary hearings and review panels.
- Contribute to strategic initiatives to reduce exclusions and improve outcomes.
- Directly work with children, young people, and families to develop successful participation, wellbeing, and educational pathways.
Additional Responsibilities:
- Foundational role does not attract sponsorship.
About You
You are a passionate and experienced education professional committed to inclusion and improving outcomes for vulnerable young people.
Essential Requirements:
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) required.
- Extensive experience working with pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including those facing SEMH, behavioural, or family-based challenges.
- Proven track record in engaging reluctant children, young people, and families to deliver meaningful support.
- Expertise in authoring, implementing, and monitoring individual and group support plans (e.g., Personal Education Plans, SEBP plans).
- Expertise in Early Help Assessments, Pastoral Support Plans, managed moves, transitions.
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Key Strengths & Experience:
- Strategic partnership work with education, health, social care, and multi-agency teams.
- Ability to negotiate, influence, and advise schools and professionals on inclusion strategies.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and written skills for reporting, assessments, and strategic recommendations.
- Strong ability to manage complex workloads, prioritise effectively, and make timely decisions (including safeguarding emergencies).
- In-depth knowledge of:
- Statutory guidelines (exclusions, alternative provision, attendance, and medical absences).
- SEND Code of Practice.
- Equality legislation, inclusive practice, and diversityстратегии.
- Experience building capacity in schools through training, audits, and supporting behavioural improvements.
- Collaboration with alternative provision providers and multi-disciplinary agencies.
- A reflective, collaborative, and adaptive approach, enabling education change at both tactical and strategic levels.
Qualifications & Skills:
- Computing proficiency in:
- IT systems, databases, spreadsheets
- Reporting tools.
- Commitment to continuous professional development.
- Prepared to travel across the borough as required.
About Us
We are Luton Council – driven by our Luton 2040 Vision: to ensure that no child in Luton lives in poverty.
Our culturally rich and academically ambitious borough relies on remarkable talent, dedication, and community trust. This job is more than a role: it’s your opportunity to contribute to life-changing ambition and envisioning a territory where growth, opportunity, and connection flourish.
We welcome diverse applicants and are actively committed to a workforce that represents the diversity of our 177,000 residents.
Application Process
How We Review Applications:
For an excellent opportunity, we ask you to provide a highly professional and precision-oriented application. You’ll want your application to capture the attention of the recruiting manager, who receives numerous submissions.
Get help with your application
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Consider our How to Apply Guide for strategies to stand out.
Request for Criminal Record Disclosure:
As our ability to work with children and vulnerable groups requires us to ensure an environment of safety, security, and accountability, we will need to verify criminal records.
This position is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants must thus:
- Declare all unspent cautions and convictions.
- Disclose adult cautions (simple or conditional) and any spent convictions that do not qualify for rehab.
Failure to provide accurate, full disclosure (as per legal definition) could result in termination.
Nonetheless: refugee convictions alone will not disbar an individual from this role if deemed vacuous to professional fitness or safety.
Where employment proceeds, detection of omitted information may lead to investigation, 's utmost action by the Authority.
We may close a vacancy early if the number of applications is overwhelming.
Benefits
At Luton Council, your wellbeing and career growth matter—here’s how we support you:
- 25-32 days of paid annual leave (linked to experience).
- Buy from additional days (up to 20 extra days).
- Career pathways to inspire ambition or extend skills into specialist fields such as alternative provision, safeguarding, strategy.
- Pension scheme offering employer contributions up to 19.2% (by April 2026, plus triple salary lump sum death benefit).
- Generous relocation package (up to £8,000, subject to eligibility).
- Free Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) available to employees, partners, and children over 16 living at home.
- Flexible working options:
- Hybrid models balancing home and office engagements
- Tailored arrangements including part-time schemes and flexible timings.
- Unlimited professional training with mentoring support.
- Staff discounts on car MOTs, gyms/fitness, dining, and salon visits.
- Arriva Travel Club – optimised rail/bus passes for work routines.
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