Pastoral Support Officer

Location: Cambridge
Contract: Temporary on-going cover
Hours: Full Time hours
Start Date: ASAP
Salary: Hourly £14 - £18 per hour

Make a Difference to Students Who Need It Most

We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate Pastoral Support Officer to join our Student Services team in Cambridge on a temporary basis to provide sickness cover.

This is a rewarding opportunity for an experienced pastoral, welfare or student support professional who is passionate about helping young people overcome barriers, thrive in education and achieve their full potential. Due to the nature of the role, applicants must be willing to undergo a DBS check and provide satisfactory employment references.

About the Role

As an integral member of the Student Services team, you will provide specialist pastoral support to students with high needs, helping to coordinate effective support across the college and ensuring a consistent, student-centred approach to wellbeing and engagement.

Working closely with curriculum teams, safeguarding colleagues and wider support services, you will help students with Educational Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), learning difficulties, disabilities and additional pastoral needs to access their learning successfully and develop greater independence.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality pastoral support to students with high needs across the college.
• Ensure a consistent and effective approach to pastoral care within vocational departments.
• Support students with learning difficulties and disabilities to access the curriculum and achieve their programme goals.
• Deliver short-term one-to-one and group mentoring sessions for students with EHCPs.
• Work alongside Assistant Heads of Department to coordinate and deploy pastoral support within curriculum areas.
• Monitor and review pastoral support processes to ensure they remain effective and responsive to student needs.
• Manage and maintain a central breakout space for students requiring additional pastoral support.
• Work collaboratively with Student Support, Safeguarding and Personal Development teams to share best practice and contribute to staff training.
• Coordinate additional support through a "Team Around the Student" approach, engaging relevant internal services where required.
• Build positive, professional relationships with students, staff, parents and external agencies where appropriate.

About You

We are looking for someone who has:

Essential

• Experience working with young people or students in a pastoral, welfare, counselling, mentoring or student support capacity.
• Experience supporting individuals with additional needs, learning difficulties, disabilities or wellbeing challenges.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to manage sensitive situations with empathy, professionalism and discretion.
• Excellent organisational and case management skills.
• A commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and student success.
• The ability to work collaboratively with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

Desirable

• Experience working within a further education, education or youth support environment.
• Knowledge of EHCPs, SEND support and student wellbeing frameworks.
• Relevant qualifications in counselling, youth work, mentoring, social care, education or a related field.
• Mental Health First Aid or safeguarding training.

Important Information

All successful applicants will be required to:

• Provide satisfactory professional references.
• Successfully complete an enhanced DBS check.
• Demonstrate their suitability to work with young people and vulnerable learners.

Why Apply?

This role offers the opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of students by helping them overcome challenges, engage with their studies and achieve positive outcomes.

If you have the experience, compassion and commitment to support students' wellbeing and success, we would love to hear from you.

Apply today and help create an inclusive, supportive environment where every student can thrive.