Job Description

The Head of Student Welfare (Student of Concern) is responsible for:

• Managing, and supporting, a team of Specialist Student Welfare Advisers and promoting an inclusive culture as an ally and support to students
• Overseeing the casework of the team and taking responsibility for a small caseload of more complex cases
• Managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders following serious student incidents to ensure such cases are properly coordinated across the university, leading on Case Conferences in the event of a student death
• Monitoring and reviewing trends in the student experience, especially those which may cause barriers for underrepresented student groups and reporting relevant social policy issues to leadership teams to facilitate informed decision making
• Chairing complex discussions around welfare and mental health concerns within the Support for Study Procedure
• Collecting and analysing data, outcomes measures and feedback to improve the service, supporting continuous service improvement by leading on the development of institution-level policy and practice in relation to student welfare
• Deputising for the Associate Director of Advice, Wellbeing & Welfare in their capacity as Lead Safeguarding Officer for Enrolled Students

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.

This is a full-time post, but we welcome applications from candidates seeking a flexible work pattern within our necessary service operating hours.

Key responsibilities

About Us

The King’s community is dedicated to the service of society. King’s Strategic Vision 2029 sets out our vision for the future, shaped around five priority areas: educate to inspire and improve; research to inform and innovate; serve to shape and transform; a civic university at the heart of London; and an international community that services the world. Our ambitious Education Strategy sets out the actions that we must take to transform how we teach, how and where our students learn and how we support them during their time with us.

The Wellbeing and Welfare team oversee the welfare support of our diverse community and the provision of support around a variety of complex issues that are impacting students’ life and their studies.

We are part of the wider Students & Education Directorate, a collection of wide-ranging professional services in place to support King’s students and their education. As a directorate we manage the student lifecycle from application to graduation and beyond, to ensure a coherent and seamless student experience and effective administrative processes, working closely with King’s faculties to do so.

About the Role

The Head of Student Welfare (Student of Concern) will lead a team of specialist welfare advisors who respond to a varied and challenging caseload, ranging from bullying & harassment, sexual violence, domestic violence, family estrangement, leaving care, victim of crime, criminal offence, safeguarding concerns & students who have a prolonged lack of engagement with their course.

Leading on the Student of Concern reporting process, you will collaborate with other key university services and Faculty teams, to ensure that the support students receive from the wider university is properly coordinated. We are looking for candidates who have students’ welfare at the centre of everything they do, are resilient and are collaborative workers. Relevant experience and training in social work, youth work, mental health advice, advice work or similar would be advantageous.

This is currently a hybrid working role with both work from home and on campus. The role will be based in our department, on the Strand campus*.*

Skills, knowledge, and experience 

Essential criteria  

1. Relevant work experience and/or education: We think a wide range of different work and educational experiences could support you to be successful in this role. Relevant work experience might include work in social or youth support. Relevant educational experiences might include higher education in a related discipline, professional qualifications or other training  
2. Significant relevant work experience in supporting adults and young people navigate substantial difficulties in an educational or community-based setting 
3. Understanding the current context of pressures and concerns in relation to student engagement and participation, and how to be an ally in navigating these 
4. Experience of managing and supervising a team responding proactively to diverse and challenging situations, and working with colleagues across an organisation, in order to support potentially complex cases 
5. Proven understanding of confidentiality and ability to maintain professional boundaries 
6. Strong interpersonal and communication skills (using a variety of formats), with experience of building effective relationships with students and staff, leading and delivering outcomes through negotiation and influence  
7. A high level of emotional resilience and the ability to work calmly under pressure, containing anxiety in self and others whilst prioritising activity to meet service demands and deadlines 
8. Experience of creating risk assessments and providing safeguarding supervision with regards to vulnerable groups 
9. Experience in analysing, interrogating and evaluating data to inform practices 

Desirable criteria

1. Proven experience of developing and implementing a new system, process, and/or support initiative 

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.  

Further Information 

Your application should clearly set out how you meet the essential criteria as this is how we shortlist applications. Learn more about how we recruit, including tips on writing your application and supporting statement on our website: https://jobs.kcl.ac.uk/gb/en/applying     

Interviews will be held in person and will consist of competency-based questions linked closely to the essential and desirable criteria mentioned. 

Although we have made improvements over the last number of years, our team is still under-represented in terms of staff from global majority ethnicities, LGBTQ+ identities, and from people with disabilities. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. 

Interviews are scheduled to take place on Thursday 15th June 2023