If you telephone please ask for / 0151 511 8231
Debbie Houghton
Your ref
Date / 12th April 2017
E-mail address /
Dear Headteacher,
Re:Re: Attendance and Behaviour Service – Traded Services 2017-18
I write to clarify the position regarding the Service Level Agreement between your school and the Attendance and Behaviour Service (A&BS). As you will be aware, the Attendance and Behaviour Service (A&BS) is expanding its Traded Services from September 2017.
The Attendance and Behaviour (A&BS) will continue to perform its statutory education functions in relation to children missing education, elective home education, home tuition for medically unfit pupils, and organising 6th day provision for permanently excluded pupils. The issuing of child entertainment licences, chaperone licences and child work permits will also continue as part of the statutory service.
The A&BS will perform its statutory duty to improve school attendance by means of enforcement, including the issuing of Penalty Notices and preparation of legal paperwork for legal action and the presentation of the case in court.
From September 2017, preventative and early intervention case work to support schools with improving school attendance will be chargeable through the traded service.
Please see the attached Service Level Agreement for full details.
It is appreciated that this is a significant change to the service, however, the level of budget reductions we have had to face mean that it is no longer sustainable to continue with the current service offer.
Please do not hesitate to contact me concerning any of the aboveon or on 0151 511 8231.
I would also be very happy to visit you and your staff at school should this help to clarify our plans as we move towards the new arrangements.
If you want to purchase support from the A&BS for 17/18, please notify me before 31st May 2017.
If you decide not to buy in support from September 2017, the EWO will liaise with attendance leads/officers to begin the process of stepping down any current cases and complete the closure of those cases in readiness for any new arrangements that the school may have made for these children, pupils and young people.
Should your school agree to purchase the traded services on offer I can assure you that we will continue to offer a high level of service to meet your needs and aims.
Thank you for your time in considering our Service and I look forward to working with you in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Debbie Houghton
Principal Education Welfare Officer
Children & Enterprise
Rutland House, Halton Lea, Runcorn, Cheshire WA7 2GW
Tel: 0303 333 4300