Attendance Support Service
Telephone:
07739089973
Contact email:
Kerry.ward@dumgal.gov.uk
Website:
The Attendance Team – Dumfries and Galloway Attendance Toolkit
Address:
Militia House, English Street, Dumfries, DG1 2AA
Who the service is aimed at:
Children who have low school attendance between 40-70%
Support provided:
Support Available for Pupils, Families, and Schools
Our Attendance Support Service works alongside pupils, parents/carers, and schools to identify barriers to attendance and provide tailored support that promotes positive engagement with education. We recognise that every child’s circumstances are unique, and we offer a wide range of targeted interventions to help remove obstacles and build sustainable routines.
12-week targeted intervention, based on Themes, Individual, school, family and EBSA (Emotional school based avoidance)
We can offer support in the following areas:
- Strengthening relationships between home and school, including mediation and restorative approaches to rebuild trust.
- Family routines and parenting support, including guidance on boundaries, structure, and morning routines.
- Support during significant life events, such as bereavement or family separation.
- Anxiety and worries, including early intervention and strategies to support emotional wellbeing.
- EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance) assessment, support strategies, and ongoing partnership with schools and families.
- P7 Attendance Workshops and guidance based on the GIRFEC framework.
- Visual timetables and structured routines to support children with ASD/ASL needs.
- Sleep routine guidance to help families establish healthy sleep patterns.
- Support around mobile phone and gaming boundaries, including practical strategies for home.
- Emotional regulation and anger management, tailored to the child’s developmental stage.
- Bullying, peer relationship concerns, and promoting safe social connections.
- Understanding the value of education, helping families engage positively with school.
- School refusal, including collaborative planning and gradual reintegration.
- Understanding friendships, social skills, and building confidence.
- Self-esteem and confidence-building, both individually and through group work.
- EBSA group interventions, supporting shared experiences and resilience.
- Support for social, emotional, and behavioural needs, in collaboration with school teams.
- Neurodiversity awareness, including ADHD support and helping pupils understand their own profiles.
- Coping strategies and resilience-building to empower young people in challenging situations.
Our aim is always to work in partnership, supporting the pupil, the family, and the school, so that attendance improves through understanding, collaboration, and practical solutions.
Age range:
Primary 1 to S4 pupils
Area covered:
All Dumfries and Galloway
Can an individual access the service directly, or do they need to be referred to it by another service – like a school, social worker, health practitioner for example?
A referral to the Attendance Support Service should be submitted by the Named Person within the school. Once received, the referral will be triaged by the Team Lead to determine whether it meets the service criteria.
If the referral is accepted, an Attendance Officer will be allocated to work directly with the pupil, family, and school to provide targeted support and intervention.
How to make a referral:
Submit a request for assistance form
Top tips for making a ‘good’ referral (if applicable):
The referral meets the 70–40% criteria or highlights a significant pattern like persistent lateness. We will work with pupils attendance who falls below 40%, however this should be at stage 4 intervention where we use a multi-agency approach to support the pupil and family.
What is the current attendance percentage?
Clear pattern of concern (e.g., lateness, specific days, mornings only)
Any recent change or decline in attendance?
List any known support services currently involved
Confirm a Child Planning Meeting (CPM) is in place
Invite Attendance Support Service to the next CPM
Attach previous CPM minutes or relevant documentation
Any strategies or interventions that have been implemented, Summary of the impact of these strategies (what worked / what didn’t)
Conversations held with parents/carers and pupil
Any action plans or staged intervention paperwork
From the attendance service offer page, what intervention are you requesting?
What needs to be in place before a referral is accepted (for example a Child’s Plan)?
A child’s plan or single agency meeting
Is there a charge/fee for this service?
No
