About the Role
We are looking for a dedicated and compassionate Student Welfare Officer to join our team at Leeds City College in the Adult & Community department. In this role, you will provide essential advice, guidance and practical support to students experiencing financial hardship, housing difficulties and other welfare challenges that may affect their ability to access and succeed in education.
You will manage applications for financial assistance through the Learning Support Fund, support students with complex welfare needs, and work closely with curriculum, pastoral and SEND teams to ensure appropriate support is in place. You will also develop and deliver welfare awareness activities, build relationships with external support agencies, and monitor the impact of interventions on student attendance, achievement and progression. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to students' lives by helping them overcome barriers to learning and achieve their potential.
What You Will Do
Provide welfare advice and practical support to students facing financial, housing and personal difficulties.
Manage the Learning Support Fund, including applications for travel, meals and equipment.
Support vulnerable students and manage complex welfare cases.
Work with pastoral, curriculum and SEND teams to remove barriers to learning.
Refer students to external agencies and specialist support services.
Deliver welfare awareness activities and information sessions.
Monitor student attendance, progress and the impact of welfare interventions.
Maintain accurate records and promote student wellbeing, safeguarding and inclusion.
About You
We are looking for someone who is compassionate, approachable and committed to helping students overcome barriers to education. You will have:
Level 2 qualifications in English and maths.
A degree or equivalent higher-level qualification, or a relevant professional qualification with substantial experience.
A Level 4 qualification in advice or support work, such as Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG), or substantial experience in providing advice.
Significant experience supporting vulnerable students, including SEND learners and those experiencing financial hardship.
Strong knowledge of student finance, funding, welfare support and barriers to learning.
Experience working with external agencies and referring individuals to specialist services.
Excellent communication, listening and interpersonal skills, with an empathetic and non-judgemental approach.
Strong organisational and IT skills, including managing caseloads, maintaining records and monitoring interventions.
A commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity, inclusion and restorative practice.
Benefits
The group offers a range of excellent benefits, including:
Annual leave:
Curriculum and Management: 44 days plus bank holidays
Curriculum support and business support: 39 days plus bank holidays
Pension schemes with generous employer contributions:
Teachers’ Pension Scheme
Local Government Pension Scheme
People’s Pension Scheme
CPD opportunities:
Annual staff conference plus 2 additional staff development days.
Qualifications including PGCE, Apprenticeships, Leadership and Management courses.
Employee wellbeing initiatives: Family Friendly Policies, discounted onsite spa (Printworks) and gym (Park Lane).
Travel and commuting: Discounted travel available through Metro card, Northern Rail, First Bus, Arriva Bus and Cycle to work schemes.
Flexible and hybrid working opportunities: Please speak to the recruiting manager regarding flexible opportunities as these differ between roles.
About Us
Leeds City College is one of the largest further education institutions in the country and is one of the biggest providers of apprenticeships regionally.
We provide a vibrant and diverse learning environment, delivering excellent and innovative education which is supportive, inspiring and life changing. Leeds City College’s values put students first and are at the heart of everything the college does.
We are committed to lifelong learning and investing in our staff. You’ll have access to a broad variety of training and professional development designed to help you continually develop and grow. We offer a wide range of job vacancies, and our large size means there are always exciting opportunities to progress.
Join us on the journey to being the best that we can collectively be for our students, apprentices, staff and our stakeholders.
SAFEGUARDING
At Luminate Education Group we are committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all our students. We expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful applicants will be required to complete mandatory pre-employment checks which include an enhanced DBS check, online checks and must have two satisfactory references. 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.
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in recruitment is key to our Group’s values. We are dedicated to fostering a workplace that embraces equality, diversity and inclusion in all its forms, where every candidate is treated with fairness, respect, and equity.
Our recruitment processes are designed to ensure equal opportunities, remove bias, and promote a diverse talent pool. To find out more about what our commitment to EDI means to us please Click here to learn more about our EDI objectives.
RECRUITMENT AGENCIES
We do not accept unsolicited CV’s and applications from agencies and will not be liable for any fee in connection with a candidate that has been submitted speculatively through any agency that has not been expressly instructed for a particular vacancy as part of our Preferred Supplier List.
