Ready to lead with care, confidence, and ambition?
Summary
Aspire Life are looking for an experienced, values-driven Managers to oversee up to 15 Mentors, who are working with young people in alternative education throughout Dorset.
Based in the Bournemouth office 2 days a week, in the field visiting your team, or at home, you will nurture and grow this young, dynamic team. You will have prior experience in the education, youth-work or social care setting and will ensure high standards of safeguarding, communication, and student engagement.
You will need strong leadership skills, sound judgement, the ability to manage performance and staff wellbeing in a dynamic environment, as well as a full, clean driving license. You're resilient, highly organised, and passionate about making a difference for young people facing barriers to education.
To stay connected to Aspire’s working methods and outcomes, around 10% of your time will involve hands-on delivery of student sessions, including cover for sickness or absence in business-critical situations. Aspire is a fast-moving, agile organisation experiencing rapid growth. The right candidate will be adaptable in a constantly evolving environment and able to bring a sense of humour, when appropriate.
Please note we are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and may interview and appoint before the final deadline.
Company Overview
Our Core Mission Alternative education is at our core. As alternative education providers, Aspire Life offers learning programmes outside of mainstream schools for young people who struggle in a traditional setting or cannot access full-time provision. We remove barriers through mentoring and tutoring tailored to individual needs and interests. Our approach fosters a positive mindset, resilience, diligence, and the skills needed for making meaningful life choices. Ultimately, our programmes rebuild confidence, reconnect students with learning, and support pathways into reintegration, further education, or employment.
Our Innovative Approach To achieve these outcomes, sessions are conducted by our experienced, fully DBS-checked One-to-One Mentors, Tutors, and Sports Coaches. We engage learners in a diverse range of sporting and physical activities, spanning from leisurely walks to go-karting. These activities serve as tangible goals for our learners, providing them with focus and motivation within the broader scope of our provision. By catering to different interests and abilities, we create a dynamic and engaging environment for not only academic success but also personal growth.
Community Impact & Growing Services Across the South West of England, Aspire Life is deeply embedded in the communities we serve. We work alongside mainstream schools and local authorities, while also taking learning and activity beyond traditional settings. Our partnerships transform familiar and new spaces into dynamic environments for sport, holiday provision, and real-world experiences, supporting young people to explore their surroundings, grow in confidence, and contribute positively to society.
Alongside our core educational provision, our rapidly growing youth services include:
- Specialist extra-curricular sports clubs
- Holiday programmes
- In-school teaching assistance
- Private childcare and birthday parties
Our Vision & Growth Our vision is to foster an environment where every learner can thrive, develop their potential, and feel valued, as we continue to innovate and meet the evolving needs of our community. In the last 12 months, we have achieved over 80% growth and hope to continue this upward trajectory. As a Manager at Aspire Life, you will play a pivotal role in driving this continued success, supporting our dedicated staff, and shaping the future of our expanding provision
Responsibilities
- To lead and manage the day-to-day performance and wellbeing of up to 15 remote, field-based Mentors and Senior Mentors, ensuring high standards of support and delivery.
- To supervise and develop staff through regular check-ins, observations, coaching, appraisals, and CPD, fostering a culture of growth, accountability, and care.
- To oversee safeguarding within the team, acting as the first point of escalation and liaising with Senior Management, schools, and external agencies as required.
- To deliver one-to-one student mentoring sessions and participate in the out-of-hours on-call rota as a senior member of staff, providing urgent support when needed.
- To coordinate team operations including activity approval, resource procurement, sickness cover and work experience placements.
- To handle key administrative duties such as documentation, emails, and risk assessments, maintaining accuracy and compliance.
Requirements
- Proven experience in managing and supporting staff in education, youth work, or social care.
- Strong understanding of safeguarding practices, with experience escalating and managing concerns appropriately.
- Experience with performance management, including appraisals, coaching, and addressing underperformance or disciplinaries.
- Familiarity with safer recruitment, including interviewing, onboarding, and probation processes.
- A full, clean driving license and own car
- Excellent verbal and written communication, with confidence liaising with families, schools, and external professionals.
- High level of organisation; able to manage priorities and maintain accurate records.
- Confident decision-maker with the ability to manage safeguarding issues and operational challenges under pressure.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and support any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. Please email [email protected] if you have any access requirements.
Please note, this role is conditional on the satisfactory completion of all necessary pre-employment and/or disclosure vetting (DBS) checks.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £32,000.00-£37,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Bereavement leave
- Casual dress
- Childcare
- Company pension
- Free or subsidised travel
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Store discount
- Work from home
Experience:
- Management: 1 year (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Willingness to travel:
Work Location: In person
