How to become a child and early years officer
Official title: Child and early years officers
Also called: Access officer, Schools officer, Pastoral officer, Attendance officer, Child care officer, Sen casework officer, Safeguarding officer, Pastoral care officer, Child support officer, Pupil support officer, School enquiry officer, Family liaison officer
Child and early years officers work with babies and with children up to 14 years of age (or 16 for those with special needs), providing support, help and advice to individuals or within a family context.
Main tasks
- Deals with issues relating to poor attendance at school
- Works with social worker to identify, plan and deliver appropriate support to families facing a variety of difficulties
- Advises clients and their families on available resources
- Writes up case notes, prepares reports, keeps up-to-date records on clients
- Makes referrals to other agencies such as social services and educational psychologists
- Attends meetings with colleagues and outside agencies
How to become one
There are no formal qualification requirements for entry although many employers will expect those appointed to have A-levels and to be working towards a relevant diploma or degree, together with work experience in a relevant field. For some roles workers must be registered with the appropriate statutory body. Some jobs are regulated and require job holders to satisfy the criteria for registration (including holding appropriate qualifications). Background checks including a DBS check are mandatory.
Ways in
- University: Psychology degrees, Offered by 26 universities in the UK
- University: Health & Public Health degrees, Offered by 23 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £31,001 a year The middle half earn £26,220 to £35,663.
- About 54,100 people work in this job now, and about 59,500 are projected by 2035. (+10%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a child and early years officer?
There are no formal qualification requirements for entry although many employers will expect those appointed to have A-levels and to be working towards a relevant diploma or degree, together with work experience in a relevant field. For some roles workers must be registered with the appropriate statutory body. Some jobs are regulated and require job holders to satisfy the criteria for registration (including holding appropriate qualifications). Background checks including a DBS check are mandatory.
How much does a child and early years officer earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £31,001 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £26,220 to £35,663.
Is a child and early years officer a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 54,100 to about 59,500 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a child and early years officer?
Not always. 50% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Psychology degrees; Health & Public Health degrees.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.