Role: Associate Lecturer – Counselling
Location: Bedford College – Cauldwell Street Campus
Salary/Benefits: Salary is £35.00 per hour
Hours/Weeks: A minimum of 3 hours per week – always 18.00 to 21.00 on Wednesdays
Contract Type: Sessional – Hourly Paid
This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.
About the role:
We are currently seeking an Associate Lecturer in Counselling to join our Adult and Community Learning and ESOL department at The Bedford College Group.
As an Associate Lecturer, you play an important role in the success of our students through:
- Teaching, Learning & Student Achievement – Deliver high‑quality teaching across CPCAB Levels 2–3, supporting learners to achieve their potential through engaging, inclusive and student‑centred learning experiences.
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Assessment, Progress & Quality Assurance – Assess and verify learner work to awarding body standards, monitor progress and implement timely interventions to ensure achievement and meet deadlines.
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Curriculum Development & Innovation – Contribute proactively to curriculum design, develop schemes of work and learning materials, and support innovative teaching practices aligned with sector requirements.
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Learner Support, Tutorials & Mentoring – Provide individual and group tutorials, support student wellbeing and progression, and act as a mentor to learners and new teaching staff.
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Professional Practice, Collaboration & Compliance – Work collaboratively across teams, participate in recruitment and marketing activities, and uphold safeguarding, EDI, health & safety and CPD standards.
About you:
- Qualifications & Teaching Expertise – Relevant subject qualification (minimum one level above teaching level) with a Level 5 teaching qualification, supported by specialist knowledge of counselling practice and the BACP Ethical Framework.
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CPCAB Delivery & Sector Experience – Recent experience delivering CPCAB Levels 2–3 programmes, with ability to meet awarding body standards and contribute to curriculum delivery and development.
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Communication, Organisation & Classroom Management – Excellent communication, organisational and classroom management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and build strong professional relationships.
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Professional Skills, IT & Confidentiality – Strong IT skills (Microsoft Office), high attention to detail and ability to handle sensitive information confidentially while meeting deadlines under pressure.
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Professional Values, Safeguarding & Flexibility – Committed to safeguarding, equality and professional boundaries, adaptable to changing demands with flexibility to travel and work across sites in line with College values.
What is an Associate?
Associates work on a short-term basis as assigned. They teach or provide support services, and they work with and are supported by core staff. As an Associate you will be issued with an Associate Agreement, under this Agreement period you will be eligible to work on assignments offered to you.
For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.
Interviews to be held: TBC
Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:
- Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
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Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
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Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
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Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
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Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
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Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.
About Bedford College
Bedford College has a number of sites across the town and surrounding areas, these include our main Cauldwell Street campus in the heart of the town, our hair and beauty salon on the High Street, the advanced automotive centre on Brunel Road and the gas and technology plumbing centre in Kempston.
About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.
Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.
Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.
Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.
