The Education, Participation & Skills department within Plymouth City Council is made up of the following teams:
Inclusion, Attendance & Welfare Service (IAWS)
IAWS is a specialist team supporting the inclusion, attendance, and welfare of statutory school-aged pupils in Plymouth. They work with schools, children, and families to improve attendance and engagement, signposting to relevant services. They also oversee elective home education, and coordinate joint action plans for vulnerable, severely absent, or at-risk pupils.
Service Manager
The Service Manager is the strategic lead for attendance, exclusions, Elective Home Education, pupils unable to attend school due to medical needs, Fair Access Panels, safeguarding in schools, attendance legal matters, child employment & performance, Children Missing Education & matters under the 2002 Education Act.
Senior Practitioner
The Senior Practitioner supports the Service Manager in the operational management of the IAWS team in order to meet statutory responsibilities, in relation to Children Missing Education, Elective Home Education, Persistent Absence, Fair Access Panels, reintegration and exclusions.
Safeguarding & Inclusion Lead
The School’s Safeguarding and Inclusion lead is responsible for the overview of safeguarding and inclusion in all schools and educational settings. They provide advice to schools, provide quality assurance and training.
Access & Attendance Officers
Access and Attendance Officers ensure that all statutory school aged children in Plymouth are accounted for & can access their educational entitlement by working with schools, families and children/young people.
Elected Home Education Advisor
The EHE advisor assesses the suitability and appropriateness of the education provided to children who are home educated.
Elective Home Education Officers
EHE officers work with families closely to ensure that statutory responsibilities are met and all children are receiving a suitable & appropriate education.
IAWS Caseworker
IAWS caseworkers are the first point of contact for parents and carers, schools and other service users. They are responsible for delivering specific administrative tasks.
Early Years Team
The Early Years Team at Plymouth City Council supports children aged 0–5, their families, and childcare providers citywide. We ensure sufficient childcare places, support workforce development, and help new providers access funding. Through training and guidance, we help settings meet EYFS requirements and improve quality via professional development. We also support inclusion through the Graduated Approach, focusing on SEND, school readiness, and raising standards across the sector.
Early Years Service Manager
The Early Years and Childcare Service Manager leads the Early Years Service, providing strategic oversight and working with partners across education, health, and social care. The role supports early years settings and families to ensure high-quality, safe, and sustainable childcare and education.
Wraparound & Expansion Officer
The Wraparound and Expansion Officer works with schools, trusts, and PVI providers to ensure sufficient, high-quality wraparound childcare. They help set up and expand provision using government funding, ensuring it meets parents’ needs and supports local childcare reforms.
Early Years Safeguarding & Welfare Officers
The team provides safeguarding and welfare support to early years settings and childminders, focusing on those needing improvement. They conduct premises visits, support expansion, and gather feedback from settings and families. They also recruit and upskill childminders—especially those supporting children with SEND—and play a key role in workforce development and sector improvement.
Early Years Data and Sufficiency Manager
The officer ensures childcare sufficiency by collecting and analysing data to inform strategic decisions, funding bids, and the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment. It promotes childcare as a career and business opportunity, supports the growth of places and workforce, and fulfils the Council’s duty to provide clear, accessible childcare information to providers and parents.
Early Years Improvement Officer
The team supports quality across early years settings through professional development, mentoring, and tailored guidance—especially for those needing improvement. They collaborate on creative, research-based learning initiatives, contribute to SEND support and data collection, and maintain strong relationships with providers. Their work promotes inclusive practice, drives sector-wide improvement, and ensures every child can access high-quality early education.
Education Improvement Team
The Education Improvement Team are responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the educational provision for children and young people within the city.
Education Improvement Partner
Responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the educational provision for children and young people within the city.
Education Improvement Officer
Responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the educational provision for children and young people within the city. Specific focus on primary school settings.
Education Improvement Officer (SEND)
Responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the educational provision for children and young people within the city. Specific focus on SEND.
The 0-25 SEND Team
The 0 – 25 SEND Team are the Statutory Assessment Team responsible for managing the Education Health and Care assessment process and Education Health and Care Plans for children and young people. The team work in partnership with parents/carers, health, social care and education providers to assess and review the needs of children and young people with special education needs and disabilities.
SEN Service Manager
The SEN Service Manager is responsible for the delivery of the range of work within the 0- 25 SEN Service. The Service Manager provides strategic leadership and has an oversight of the decisions that are being made for children and young people with SEND. The SEN Service Manager works closely with all partner agencies across education, health and social care.
SEN Team Manager
The SEN Team Manager is responsible for the team that are manage the statutory assessment process. They chair panels to ensure that children’s needs are being assessed and decisions are made for the provision of an EHCP. They oversee the quality of plans and make decisions on whether plans should be maintained, ceased or amended.
EHCP Plan Officer
The Education Health and Care Plan Officers are responsible for the drafting and issuing of final EHCP plans for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. They contribute to panel decisions for assessment, issuing of plans and specialist school placements.
Annual Reviewing Officer
The Annual Reviewing Officer is responsible for maintaining, amending or ceasing EHCPs following an annual review or interim annual review. The officers work directly with children parents/carers, schools and other professionals to make informed decisions.
Caseworker
The caseworkers are pivotal in recording all administrative tasks concerned with an Education Health and Care Plan. They are a vital link to parents/carers, schools and professionals, offering a duty phone service and providing key communication regarding children’s EHCPs.
Tribunal Officer
The Tribunal Officer works to support and resolve concerns related to the Education Health and Care Plan. The role involves mediation, tribunal preparation, liaison with families and professionals.
SEND Occupational Therapy Team
The SEND Children’s Occupational Therapy Team provides assessment, support and advice for children and young people with permanent and substantial disabilities, which impact on their independence and ability to participate in meaningful daily activities. They work closely with colleagues across social care, housing, health, education, and early years to ensure the right support is accessible at the right time.
SEND Children’s Occupational Therapy Team Manager
The Team Manager is responsible for managing the communication between staff who deliver services to children and their families, ensuring work is allocated and supervised according to the competence, experience and capacity of staff and the complexity of the work.
They are responsible for advice given and have overall accountability for managing and prioritising their staff’s work, safety and wellbeing at work, their development and fulfilment of their statutory duties.
SEND Children’s Occupational Therapists
Occupational therapists carry out needs-led assessments in a variety of environmental settings, for children and young people with identified permanent and substantial SEND, whilst supporting the family/carer givers in a holistic manner.
Their work aims to reduce risk, enhance independence and positive outcomes, enable parents/carers to continue to care for and support as safely as possible.
Plymouth Community Psychology Service
Plymouth Community Psychology Service provides psychological leadership, consultation, assessment, support and intervention across One Children’s Service with a particular remit for Plymouth learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Principal Educational Psychologist
The Principal Educational Psychologist provides strategic leadership, and oversees service sustainability and systemic impact of the Educational Psychology Service.
Senior Educational Psychologist
The Senior Educational Psychologist provides leadership, supervision of complex casework, and service delivery.
Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist
Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist supports the development of others in their field of specialism and provides quality assurance and specialist input.
Educational Psychologist
The Educational Psychologist provides psychological assessment, support and intervention for Plymouth learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Communication & Interaction Team
The Council’s Communication Interaction Team works with children and young people with social communication needs and/or are on the Autism Spectrum (ASC)
Advisory Teacher/ Team Leader
Responsible for providing advice for children & young people with social communication needs / ASC aged 4 to 19 years. Also responsible for providing early intervention to enhance curriculum attainment & social inclusion, and promoting inclusive practice through modelling of effective strategies & provision.
Specialist Support Workers
To provide advice for children & young people with social communication needs / ASC aged 4 to 19 years.
To provide early intervention to enhance curriculum attainment & social inclusion
To promote inclusive practice through modelling of effective strategies & provision