Role: Safeguarding and Welfare Advisor
Location: Shuttleworth College – Old Warden
Salary/Benefits: Salary from £26,780 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.
Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time
About the role:
We are currently seeking Safeguarding and Welfare Advisor to join our Student Services department at The Bedford College Group .
As a Safeguarding and Welfare Advisor, you play an important role in the success of our students through:
1. Overall Responsibilities - Provide pastoral advice on safeguarding and welfare; Identify and alleviate barriers; Advise staff and students on child protection; Ensure excellent customer care; Maintain accurate safeguarding records.
2. Specialist Area - Meet statutory responsibilities in safeguarding, child protection, and Prevent; Respond to safeguarding issues; Initiate alerts and complete risk assessments; Monitor and track concerns; Produce termly reports.
3. Curriculum, Teaching, Learning & Assessment - Share and implement good practice; Provide staff support; Conduct external scanning; Ensure stakeholder feedback is addressed.
4. Customer Service - Represent the group; Develop and implement TBCG strategy; Participate in innovative projects; Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements; Maintain welcoming notice boards and information points.
5. Team Work - Maintain close links with College staff; Work with business support and learning areas; Provide cover and support during busy periods; Assist with enrolment process; Participate in College events.
6. College Wide Responsibilities - Attend team management meetings; Support weekly ID checks and walk rounds; Participate in exam invigilation and open days; Conduct investigations and disciplinary hearings; Undertake additional tasks as requested.
About you:
7. Communication - Ability to talk to students and staff at all levels; Professional telephone manner; Ability to write formal/informal letters.
8. Teamwork - Work effectively as part of the College team; Ability to motivate others and develop teams.
9. Problem Solving - Practical ability to problem solve and use initiative; Planning and organising tasks.
10. Attention to Detail - High level administration skills; Attention to detail and accuracy.
11. Qualifications - L2 English and maths; Level 3 qualification in relevant subject; IT qualification Level 2; First aid at work (or willing to achieve).
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: 23 April 2025
Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:
12. 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.
13. Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
14. 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.
15. Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
16. 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.
17. Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.
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.