Head of Student Support

We are currently recruiting for a Head of Student Support to lead on the delivery of a range of safeguarding, wellbeing, pastoral and financial support services for students, in order to create an outstanding student experience. It is expected that the postholder will fulfil the roles of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Lead for Care Experienced students.

The postholder reports to the Vice Principal EDI & Student Experience, and will lead on meeting the statutory pastoral and financial regulatory needs of students.

Please Note - Interviews for this position will take place on Monday 24th June.

Responsibilities include:

• Implement the Bradford College vision for an outstanding service aligned to the 4-year strategy and informed by market research, staff, student and parental feedback, feeder schools and the wider community needs;
• Implements College policies on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion to ensure compliance in all areas of the Student Support Service and ensure statutory requirements are met.
• To develop a system of Corporate Parenthood along with Designated safeguarding Lead
• To develop and lead all cross-college training on student safeguarding and wellbeing
• Implements effective and efficient financial systems to ensure that the financial support and welfare needs of students are met
• Manage the effective and efficient delivery of all aspects of student funding administration, including administrative processes relating to bursaries, tuition fees and student loans in both FE and HE
• Ensure the Student Funding and Safeguarding teams deliver an effective, timely, and customer-focused service.
• Ensure that student funding administration practices are compliant with external requirements and Bradford Colleges policies and procedures
• Develop an effective assessment process for all bursary and loan eligibility in line with Office for Students' requirements and eligibility criteria set out in the Access and Participation Plan
• Responsible for the defining and delivery of the departmental budget and physical resources, including grant funded provision, ensuring a quality experience for students and appropriate working resources and development is in place for staff.
• Has overall accountability for the development and managing the performance of all the Safeguarding and Student Funding department, including objective setting, coaching, and ensuring a full induction process is in place for new staff
• Completes internal and external assessments and evaluations as requested by funding bodies and employers
• Identifies and delivers the provision of staff training and professional development

For the full job description and person specification, please click here

Hybrid working is negotiable for this role. This means you may be able to work a proportion of your time on campus and some remotely. We are open to discussing this with you during the application process as we recognise the benefits and importance of an environment that supports flexible working.

The Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate will be learner and quality focused with a commitment to our vision of working together to transform lives . You should be able to contribute to our journey to Outstanding, creating a positive working and study environment, and, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion should be embedded within your core values.

Education & Training

• Degree Level Qualification or equivalent professional qualification.
• GCSE 5 – 9 or equivalent level 2 qualification in Maths or be prepared to pass a test prior to interview to demonstrate level 2 ability and then if appointed achieve within an agreed timescale
• GCSE 5 - 9 or equivalent level 2 qualification in English or be prepared to pass a test prior to interview to demonstrate level 2 ability and then if appointed achieve within an agreed timescale

Experience

• Experience of managing safeguarding services in an education setting
• Working in a Performance Management system and a track record in delivering against KPIs
• Experience of managing people and resources, including a budget.
• Evidence of commitment to high standards of student performance
• Excellent understanding of Equality legislation and the legal requirements of institutions in relation to this.

For an informal discussion about the role, please email

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early depending on the level of interest and number of applications so early application is advised.

Bradford College

At Bradford College our ambition is to transform the lives of our learners, help them to aim higher and support them to achieve their goals.

Located in the heart of Bradford, we offer a wide range of courses at varying levels, with something to suit everyone. Undergraduate to postgraduate and professional qualifications to distance learning and short community courses.

Our aim is to attract and retain knowledgeable, passionate and focused individuals who can inspire, motivate and support both learners and colleagues. With a can-do attitude and desire for continuous self-improvement, you could make a difference to the lives of everyone at Bradford College.

Benefits of working at Bradford College:

• Generous annual leave entitlement – equivalent to 30 days holidays, plus bank holidays
• Additional college closure days, including 2-week Christmas closure
• Local government pension scheme, with a generous 18% employer contribution
• Annual salary reviews
• Career progression opportunities – 54% of all vacancies are filled internally
• Free sports and gym facilities
• Free wellbeing initiatives and access to our exclusive staff indoor and outdoor wellbeing space
• Confidential employee assistance service and on-site mental health first aiders
• Access to Bradford College benefits hub, offering retail, travel, leisure and dining discounts and cashback
• Discounts on greener travel – cycle to work scheme & local MetroCard and Northern Rail discounts
• Access to hair and beauty treatments in our student-led Signature Spa
• On-site dining facilities, including our award-winning Grove restaurant
• A host of training development opportunities
• Fantastic campus facilities, a short walk to public transport links in the heart of the City of Culture 2025
• The opportunity to work for an organisation that is truly committed creating a better future for all through education and training.

For full details please click here

*If you have the drive to further develop your skills and abilities, you will be given the support and opportunities you need to enhance your career. This includes access to in-house training and CPD, professional and academic qualifications and mentoring.

Bradford College is committed to supporting and promoting diversity and inclusion amongst our staff and student body. We promote applications across all sections of the community, recognising the benefits a diverse workforce can bring and therefore particularly encourage applications from groups which are underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and expect staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Pre-employment checks will be undertakenfor this postincluding a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service. Please note that social media checks will also be undertaken during the recruitment process.

Please be aware it is a criminal offence to apply for this post if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity in connection to children and vulnerable adults.