Education Engagement Officer

Priority Candidates will be considered in the first instance

Salary: Grade 7, £27,256 - £30,405 per annum.

37 hours per week, term time working 38 weeks per year

Temporary until July 2027

We're on a journey to build a workforce reflective of our Borough.

We are committed to fostering diverse teams where everybody can bring their authentic selves to work and feel that they belong. If you want to work for a Council where everybody is encouraged to meet their full potential and make a difference in our neighbourhoods, we would love to hear from you!

Your role:

Wigan’s Virtual School Team closely track each Child Looked After’s educational outcomes to identify specific support at the earliest stage. We work directly with our children as well as with schools and other professionals to implement any necessary actions. As the corporate parent of Children Looked After (CLA), we have a duty to provide the kind of support that any good parent would. As part of the team, you will support the removal of any barriers impacting on our school age children’s ability to achieve in education and encourage them to have high aspirations and strive towards them.

About you:

You will have the ability to analyse facts and situations and think creatively to identify solutions, working collaboratively with a range of professionals to contribute to plans, to break down barriers to education for our children. This will require good communication skills and the confidence to advocate for our children effectively. You will demonstrate the ability to record information clearly and concisely, for a range of purposes. You will need the skills to work independently and demonstrate self-motivation. You will be skilled at making links with young people and gaining their trust to work alongside you.

About us:

Wigan Council has been voted ‘Overall Council of the Year’ at the APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Awards. We are signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment ensuring that your service will be continuous or 'unbroken' between the supporting organisations.

The Progress with Unity plan is a place movement for change for the next decade, bringing a new era for Wigan Borough. It draws on the strengths of our individual organisations, recognising that together we can achieve much more for our communities by delivering on our 2 place missions; create fair opportunities for all children, families, residents and businesses and make our towns and neighbourhoods flourish for those who live and work in them.

This is a great opportunity to join an established team with a relentless focus on improving outcomes for our children looked after.

Here at Wigan, we are proud to support flexible working patterns, when the service can accommodate this. We also take a blended approach to where we work, depending on the work we do. This may include working from home, the office, or the community. We like to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits click here to find out more about working for #TeamWigan.

To be appointed to this role you must be able to prove your right to work in the UK, and you must maintain a valid (active) right to work. Please note, at present we are not a licenced sponsor. Please visit the link below to check you qualify to apply. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Prove your right to work to an employer

For further details or an informal discussion about the role, please contact Jessica Hitchen - Inclusion Manager, by emailing Jessica.Hitchen@wigan.gov.uk or calling 07917 093625

Interview date:

Priority candidates Wednesday 8^th July 2026

All other candidates Tuesday 14^th July 2026

This position is subject to Enhanced Disclosure Procedures plus child barred list

The employer is committed to safeguarding

To view the details relating to this position, please click the links below: