Welfare Officer – Secondary School

Welfare Officer – Outstanding Secondary School – Sheffield

Start Date: As soon as possible
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: Paid to scale

This highly regarded Outstanding secondary school in Sheffield is recognised for its strong pastoral foundations, exceptional behaviour standards, and unwavering commitment to student wellbeing. The school serves a diverse and vibrant community, offering a nurturing environment where young people feel safe, supported, and valued.

Leaders prioritise wellbeing at every level — from student mental health to staff workload — and have invested significantly in pastoral staffing, therapeutic intervention spaces, and collaborative support structures. Students benefit from a calm, respectful culture built on clarity, consistency, and compassion. Attendance and academic outcomes are significantly above national averages, and parents frequently praise the school for its attentive pastoral care and safeguarding focus.

With increasing emphasis on proactive wellbeing support, the school is now seeking a dedicated and compassionate Welfare Officer to join their expanding pastoral team.

The Welfare Officer will play a central role in supporting the emotional, social, and pastoral needs of students across the school. This is a highly student-facing role that requires patience, professionalism, and sensitivity.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting students with daily wellbeing concerns, emotional difficulties, and personal challenges
• Conducting welfare check-ins, pastoral meetings, and targeted intervention sessions
• Identifying concerns early and escalating safeguarding risks to the DSL where appropriate
• Working with external agencies including early-help teams, social services, and mental-health practitioners
• Supporting vulnerable students, including those with SEND, SEMH needs, or attendance concerns
• Maintaining accurate safeguarding and pastoral records on CPOMS
• Running wellbeing programmes, lunchtime clubs, and resilience workshops
• Managing behaviour and restorative conversations using trauma-informed approaches
• Meeting with parents, carers, and families to provide guidance and updates
• Working closely with Heads of Year, the SENCO, and the DSL to ensure wraparound support

This role requires warmth, empathy, resilience, and excellent communication skills. The ideal candidate will be passionate about safeguarding and making a significant impact on young people’s lives.

The Welfare Officer will join a large, experienced team that includes the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Deputy DSLs, Counsellors, Behaviour Mentors, and Heads of Year. The team operates collaboratively with weekly multi-agency briefings and ongoing CPD on mental health, trauma-informed practice, and safeguarding legislation.

Facilities include a dedicated wellbeing suite, counselling rooms, and quiet intervention spaces. The school strongly values continuous training and provides access to external mental-health qualifications.

• Experience in pastoral support, safeguarding, youth work, counselling, or social care
• Strong understanding of SEMH, safeguarding protocols, and adolescent development
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to build trust with students from diverse backgrounds
• Confident in managing confidential and sensitive information
• Experience using CPOMS (training available)
  Calm, empathetic, and resilient approach
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting student wellbeing

To apply, please send your CV as soon as possible.