Welfare & Safeguarding Officer - Inclusion Support

This post sits in the Welfare and Safeguarding Team at Colchester Institute, a part-time, term-time role of 37 hours a week over 38 weeks. The post-holder gives first-response welfare and safeguarding support to enrolled students, takes referrals on issues such as homelessness and bullying, and chairs support and multi-agency meetings. It is a frontline role with vulnerable learners aged 16 to 19, working alongside curriculum teams, social workers and other agencies.

Candidates need recent experience supporting young people in a similar role and case management of safeguarding cases.

• Give first-response welfare and safeguarding support to enrolled students, including emotional wellbeing and mental health
• Help students transition to college and remove barriers to learning and participation
• Work with curriculum teams, the virtual school, social workers, parents and carers, and other agencies
• Promote and advise on safeguarding and child protection
• Act as first response to welfare referrals, including homelessness, bullying, harassment and anxiety, signposting and liaising with course areas
• Arrange, co-ordinate and chair support meetings, safety meetings and Team Around the Family meetings, including hosting parents and next of kin
• Contribute to and attend professional meetings such as Child in Need meetings, Child Protection Conferences and strategy meetings
• Respond to requests for information on attendance and progression, and complete Section 17 and Section 47 requests on time
• Keep accurate, timely records of learner interventions on college systems, including Intuition
• Respond to safeguarding and welfare concerns through a frontline support service

• Level 2 English and maths, such as GCSE grade 4 or C, or an equivalent qualification
• Education to level 3 or above, and/or a professional qualification in a relevant subject area, or equivalent

• Experience of welfare issues such as homelessness, emotional and behavioural issues and mental health concerns
• Experience of case management of safeguarding cases, following policies and procedures
• Recent experience of supporting vulnerable young people aged 16 to 19 in a similar role

• Investment in staff growth and development