Sara Griffiths MBE: Putting children at the heart of things

In summer 2022 Prospect member Sara Griffiths was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours for her 35-year career in education and children’s services. Here, she talks about her work, finding out about her MBE and serving on the Group Executive Council.

Nowadays, with the advent of digital communications and paperless statements, it is rare that anything too exciting is unexpectedly delivered by the postie.

So, imagine Sara Griffiths’ delight when a letter from the Cabinet Office landed on her doorstep informing her that was being awarded an MBE. She had had no prior inkling that she was to be honoured.

Sara Griffiths MBE

“I could tell it wasn’t a wind up because the letter looked so official. I was just surprised because I feel like I’ve only been doing my job all these years and there are many other people who are working as hard and being as committed,” says Sara.

“I can only think that maybe it’s to do with some of the voluntary work that I’ve done over and above the paid work, such as my involvement with the National Association for Support Workers in Education and being an advisor for the Department for Education.”

Career arc

Sara’s life in public service was actually in a completely different field. She trained as a nurse but decided early on that nursing wasn’t her calling.

She saw a job advertisement for an Education Welfare Officer, which she thought looked interesting. She successfully applied and “absolutely loved it.”

Her career progressed within the education welfare service, and she worked her way up the ladder to a Senior role in Cornwall and a Principal EWO role in North Somerset.

She has also worked in Early Help and Safeguarding in Education, implementing a new Early Help Hub in Cornwall, had periods as a consultant, a trainer and been the attendance lead for a large national Multi-Academy Trust.

Currently, Sara works “independently, doing a bit of local work, a bit of training work and advising the DfE on attendance.”

For many years she has also been involved with the National Association for Support Workers in Education, serving on its national council as well as being the president for two years.

Rewards of work

While the MBE is the icing on the cake, the nature of a career in education and children’s services is that the work is the greatest reward itself.

“I’ve made a difference to individual children, but I’d like to think that I’ve also made a difference to some of the schools, and Local Authorities I’ve worked with, helping them manage things better,” says Sara reflecting on her career.

“They were not bad schools or LAs, but everybody needs advice and support sometimes. If things are managed well from a senior level, then you know that children are better supported too.”

Through the years, what has been her approach to the work?

“I always work from the principle that the child is at the heart of things. In previous times when there were full education welfare teams you had to be able to remain an advocate for the child but also be able to work cooperatively within the school environment as well.

“It can be a difficult balance but at the heart of it, if a child regularly attends school, then every outcome improves: their attainment, their emotional well-being and we know they’re safeguarded.

“As time has gone on and over the last 12 years, education welfare services have been cut because local authority funding has been cut and their role in many places has now changed to one of enforcement.”

However, Sara does welcome the current emphasis from DfE on attendance and strengthening the roles of Local Authorities with families, schools and MATs.

Sara Griffiths, centre, with the GEC

Prospect

Sara has always been a firm believer in trade unions. Unison was her first union, before joining Prospect’s Education and Children’s Services Group predecessor union, Aspect.

Even now, as someone who is self-employed, she finds great value in her membership.

“There’s all the additional support you get on the practical issues around self-employment, which is important, but also the lobbying role and advice to members around government initiatives is really important to me,” she says.

In fact, Sara values the policy work so much that it motivated her to join the sector’s Group Executive Council, a role that she’s now enjoying immensely.

She concludes:

“The rest of the group bring their own perspective so between us we have shared expertise but also specific expertise in certain areas. I’d like to think that the work we do makes a difference to members. We want to fight their corner and, in so doing, make a difference to our children.”