Home School Community Liaison
Last updated: Wed, July 14th, 2021
The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Scheme is a central component of the Department of Education and Skills DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), An Action Plan for Educational Inclusion, which aims to combat educational disadvantage, through a range of interventions and strategies, designed to improve educational outcomes for children.
The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Scheme is a school-based intervention provided to DEIS schools to address the needs of pupils/families in disadvantaged areas through acknowledging and developing the role of the parent as prime educator. This is achieved through targeting the families of pupils most at risk of educational disadvantage and putting in place a range of appropriate support interventions. HSCL Coordinator posts are full time posts, filled by qualified teachers, allocated to DEIS (urban primary and all post primary) schools. Some HSCL posts are allocated on a shared basis between DEIS schools (in cluster groups) and can be shared across primary and post primary schools.
The Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) seeks to promote partnership between parents, teachers and community family support services. A HSCL Coordinator is a teacher from a participating school/s who is released from teaching duties, for a maximum of five years, in order to work intensively with and support parents/guardians. The overarching goal of the HSCL Coordinator is to improve educational outcomes for children through their work with the key adults in the child’s life. (see: DES website – The Education System – Social Inclusion – HSCL)
While operational responsibility for the HSCL scheme rests with the Educational Support Service (tess) of Tusla, the Department of Education and Skills is responsible for the funding of teachers performing the role of HSCL Coordinator in participating DEIS schools, and accordingly has an ongoing engagement with the EWS to ensure the efficacy of the scheme. The Department of Education and Skills remains responsible for the allocation of HSCL Coordinators to schools.
The HSCL coordinator also works in an integrated way with the other two strands of tess; School Completion Programme (SCP) and Educational Welfare Service Statutory (EWS), in order to provide appropriate initiatives and interventions for families. (see: tess, Tusla Education Support Service – information for schools -HSCL)
All procedures regarding the operation of the HSCL scheme are set out in Circular 0016/2019.
The purpose of this Circular is:
To inform all DEIS Urban Primary and DEIS Post Primary school management and staff of the process for assigning teachers as HSCL Coordinators.
To inform all DEIS Urban Primary and DEIS Post Primary school management and staff of the HSCL management and reporting arrangements in DEIS schools.
To outline the attributes required for the HSCL post.
To outline the job description/role of the HSCL Coordinator.
Contents of Circular
This Circular is structured as follows and contains the following information:
Section One: HSCL Coordinator posts in DEIS Schools (HSCL Allocation to Schools, Base School, Duration of Assignment, Appointment of Replacement Teacher)
Section Two: Assignment Process for the HSCL Coordinator (Eligibility, Advertisement, Selection Process, Selection Board, Notification)
Section Three: Conditions of Service for the HSCL Coordinator post (Full-time Teacher, Teachers not currently working in a full-time capacity, Eligibility to apply for a Post of Responsibility)
Section Four: Assignment to the HSCL Coordinator post (Letter of Assignment)
Section Five: HSCL - Management and Reporting Arrangements in DEIS Schools (Day to day management, Accountability, Regional/National)
Section Six: Guidelines on the use of the HSCL Grant
Appendix A: Sample Advertisement for the post of HSCL Coordinator
Appendix B: Contact Details
Appendix C: Sample Letter of Assignment for the HSCL Coordinator post
Appendix D: Assignment Form for the HSCL Coordinator post
Appendix E: Attributes of the HSCL Coordinator
Appendix F: Job Description/Role of the HSCL Coordinator
Appendix G: Frequently Asked Questions
Further information is also set out in the Information Booklet for DEIS schools participating in the Home School Community Liaison Scheme and the HSCL Information Booklet (see Downloads below)
Interview documentation for a HSCL appointment is available from HR in ACCS.
Downloads:
Information Booklet for DEIS schools participating in the Home School Community Liaison Scheme