Job Title: Care Experienced Student Support Officer
Department: Student Services
Reporting to: Mental Health & Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Contract: Full Time, Permanent, Term Time Only (42 weeks)
Salary: £29,267.94 – £31,192.21 (actual salary)
Hours: 37 hours per week, 42 weeks (Term Time Only)
Pension: NEST Pension Scheme
The Role
We are seeking a compassionate and proactive Care Experienced Student Support Officer to support students with care experience and those identified as vulnerable or at risk. You will play a key role in supporting students through their transition into post‑16 education, providing ongoing safeguarding, welfare, and wellbeing support. Working as a key point of contact, you will guide students, monitor their progress and attendance, and deliver practical support to overcome barriers to learning, while working with staff, carers, and external agencies to improve engagement and achievement.
Key Responsibilities
- Monitor and review the attendance and progress of a caseload of students in identified vulnerable groups and 'At Risk' of not achieving for a variety of reasons e.g. vulnerable students, care experienced students.
- Establish effective working relationships with identified vulnerable students, identifying as a key point of contact, providing face to face safeguarding, guidance and encouragement to support engagement and retention in education and enrichment activities, and responding promptly when barriers to learning are identified by carrying out practical intervention strategies.
- Liaise with teaching staff to identify and implement strategies to raise students’ performance and achievement.
- To act as a first response to referrals regarding vulnerable students' welfare and safeguarding issues, and to liaise with curriculum areas and external agencies as required if referrals are needed.
- To maintain accurate records of all student interventions and monitor the ongoing progress of these students, and to participate in case reviews for quality assurance purposes.
Please find the full job description here – Care Experienced Student Support Officer
Qualifications
- Hold an appropriate Level 3 qualification.
- Grade C or above in Maths and English (or equivalent).
- A commitment to undertake any mandatory training relevant to the role.
- A commitment to undertake Safeguarding training over and above the mandatory college training.
Experience
- Experience of working with and supporting vulnerable young people and dealing with difficult and sensitive issues.
- Experience of building effective relationships with young people, staff and external partners in a sensitive and professional way.
- Experience of dealing with safeguarding cases and following policies and procedures.
- Experience of working with welfare issues, such as homelessness, emotional and behavioural issues and mental health problems.
Knowledge & Skill
- Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and the Prevent duty and a commitment to creating a safe learning environment.
- The ability to work with young people of a wide-ranging ability, from diverse backgrounds and to empathise with them.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience of effectively dealing with young people in challenging and sensitive situations.
- Excellent written communication skills including the ability to maintain accurate records.
Why Join Us?
- Substantial annual leave entitlement plus holiday purchase scheme.
- Health & Wellbeing; free gym membership, 24/7 counselling for you and your family
- Family-friendly policies: flexible hours and a supportive work environment
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): confidential support including counselling, legal and financial advice.
- Professional development: extensive training, mentoring, and career progression opportunities
- Funded CPD opportunities, regular staff development training, and paid volunteering days
- Access to discounted hair and beauty treatments at our onsite salon.
- College benefit scheme – College Extras:
- Up to 15% cashback at top retailers & restaurants
- Discounted gift cards for big brands
- Home & tech upgrades via salary sacrifice
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Discounted onsite car parking.
To learn more about working at Middlesbrough College, please visit our Work For Us page.
For further details and to discuss the role in more detail, please contact Emma Betiku, Mental Health & Deputy Safeguarding Lead on, [email protected]
Safeguarding Our Students
Middlesbrough College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all students. All staff are expected to share this commitment. If you’re successful, you’ll be required to complete thorough pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. All roles within the College carry safeguarding responsibilities, including promoting student welfare, reporting any concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), and modelling safe and appropriate conduct in line with College policies.
All posts at Middlesbrough College involve regulated activity and are therefore exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (amended 2013 and 2020) mean that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications, related exceptions and further information.
Please be aware that it is a Criminal offence to apply for this post if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity in connection to children.
As part of our shortlisting process, we will conduct an online search for all shortlisted candidates to identify any safeguarding or reputation‑related concerns (as required by KCSIE).
Right to Work
Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
Recruitment Process
Applications are shortlisted for interview as they are received, and so early application is encouraged. We reserve the right to commence the interview process and close the vacancy prior to this date.
Equality & Diversity
Middlesbrough College is an equal opportunities employer, committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is valued. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and make recruitment decisions based on skills and experience. As a Disability Confident employer, we actively support applicants with disabilities.
