THE HAWKSWOOD GROUP Burnside Secondary, North Birkbeck, Hawkswood Secondary & Hawkswood Primary Lead Outreach Worker – Fresh start programme Scale: P04 Point 35-28 (£49,056 – £52,194) Full time 36 hours per week Closing Date: 01.05.2026 Shortlisting: 07.05.2026 Interviews: 14.05.2026 Start date: Sept 2026 or before Are you an experienced safeguarding and family support professional ready to lead impactful outreach work across a group of schools? The Hawkswood Group is seeking a Lead Outreach Worker to lead our Fresh Start Programme—an early intervention model focused on improving attendance, reducing exclusions, and strengthening safeguarding through high-quality family support. About the role You will lead and develop a group-wide outreach service, working strategically and directly with families to deliver early intervention and prevent escalation to Alternative Provision. Key responsibilities include: Leading and managing a team of outreach practitioners Acting as Lead Professional for complex family cases Coordinating multi-agency support for vulnerable pupils Driving improvements in attendance, safeguarding and inclusion Supporting reintegration and reducing exclusion risk Contributing to safeguarding leadership as a Deputy DSL (DDSL) Building partnerships by networking across the borough of Waltham Forest What we’re looking for Relevant qualification in education, youth work, social care or similar Strong experience in family support, safeguarding or outreach Experience of leadership or line management Knowledge of safeguarding and Early Help systems Proven ability to work effectively with multi-agency partners Key impact of the role Supporting families with complex needs through coordinated multi-agency intervention Improving attendance, engagement and safeguarding outcomes Reducing exclusions and Alternative Provision placements Strengthening family engagement and early intervention practice Who is the Hawkswood Group? The Hawkswood Group is local authority Alternative Provision group for Waltham Forest, a collaborative partnership of primary and secondary schools committed to inclusive practice, early intervention, and strong safeguarding. We work collectively to improve outcomes for vulnerable pupils and families, sharing expertise and developing innovative approaches across our schools. Working with the Hawkswood Group means being part of a forward-thinking, values-driven organisation where you can shape a growing outreach and early intervention service, work across multiple schools to create meaningful system-wide impact, collaborate with skilled professionals and multi-agency partners, and access ongoing professional development and leadership opportunities. How to apply For full details, see the job description: Candidate pack will be available online on the Hawkswood Group website. Completed forms to be sent to recruitment@hawkswoodgroup.org.uk The Hawkswood Group is committed to promoting the safeguarding of children. Please note that this position requires as enhanced DBS and safeguarding checks will be carried out prior to appointment. As part of KCSIE 2025 all applicants will be subject on on-line searches. Applicants must be able to form and maintain appropriate professional relationships and boundaries with children, young people and other vulnerable adults. Applicants should have the ability to understand the difficulties and pressures associated with caring for children/vulnerable adults and demonstrate appropriate coping mechanisms. As a thriving and diverse school, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in The Hawkswood Group’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQI people Equal Opportunities Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: - Promoting equality of opportunity - Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage - Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels. - Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value. To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council is operating an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting. The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first. This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme. For more information, please refer to our recruitment and selection policy How to apply Email address for return of applications recruitment@hawkswoodgroup.org.uk Web links to any further information www.hawkswoodgroup.org.uk