Head of Student Wellbeing in Birmingham

School of Coding & AI is looking for a Head of Student Wellbeing to lead and develop wellbeing provision across our growing Higher Education student community.

About the Role

The Head of Student Wellbeing will provide strategic and operational leadership for student wellbeing across SoCAI’s Higher Education provision. This is a key role focused on ensuring students can access timely, appropriate and professional support when personal, emotional, welfare or wellbeing related issues affect their ability to engage with their studies. The postholder will lead the development of wellbeing provision, strengthen referral pathways, oversee case management standards, support safeguarding escalation and work closely with academic and professional services teams to ensure students receive joined up support. This is not a clinical counselling role. The focus is on leadership, early intervention, risk identification, service coordination, safeguarding awareness, student engagement and the development of clear, robust wellbeing processes. The successful candidate will play an important role in shaping a safe, inclusive and supportive student environment, ensuring SoCAI’s approach to wellbeing is professional, compliant and fit for a growing Higher Education provider.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead the student wellbeing function, ensuring students receive timely, appropriate and professional support.
• Develop and embed clear wellbeing processes, referral pathways and case management standards.
• Oversee complex or sensitive student wellbeing cases, ensuring risks are identified, managed and escalated appropriately.
• Work closely with safeguarding leads to ensure welfare, safeguarding and risk concerns are handled in line with SoCAI procedures.
• Maintain oversight of confidential student records, ensuring accurate case notes, follow up actions and data protection compliance.
• Build strong working relationships with academic teams, student support colleagues and professional services to provide joined up support.
• Identify students who may be disengaging, struggling with attendance or facing barriers to learning, and support early intervention activity.
• Strengthen external referral routes with relevant services, including NHS, crisis support, counselling, housing, finance and community organisations.
• Lead wellbeing initiatives, workshops, awareness campaigns and student resources that promote resilience, belonging and personal safety.
• Provide guidance and training to staff on wellbeing concerns, professional boundaries, referral routes and escalation processes.
• Use student feedback, case trends and wellbeing data to identify service improvements and report key themes to senior leadership.
• Support the ongoing development of wellbeing policies, procedures and support pathways as SoCAI continues to grow.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience leading or coordinating student wellbeing, welfare, pastoral support, safeguarding, advice and guidance, mental health support or student services within an education or related setting.
• Strong understanding of student wellbeing, mental health awareness, safeguarding, risk assessment and the boundaries of non clinical support.
• Experience managing complex or sensitive student, service user or client cases.
• Good knowledge of confidentiality, data protection and when information must be shared due to risk or safeguarding concerns.
• Ability to develop clear processes, referral pathways and case management standards.
• Strong judgement, with the ability to identify risk, prioritise concerns and escalate appropriately.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to listen carefully, ask appropriate questions and respond calmly to sensitive issues.
• Experience working collaboratively with academic teams, professional services, safeguarding leads and external support agencies.
• Strong record keeping, organisation and attention to detail.
• A relevant qualification at Level 4 or above in an area such as counselling skills, psychology, education, youth work, social care, health and social care, mental health, safeguarding, advice and guidance, or equivalent relevant experience.

• Degree or equivalent qualification in psychology, counselling, education, youth work, social care, mental health, health and social care, or a related subject.
• Experience working in Higher Education, Further Education or adult learning.
• Experience supporting mature students, international students or students from widening participation backgrounds.
• Safeguarding training and experience working within formal safeguarding procedures.
• Mental Health First Aid training or willingness to complete this.
• Counselling skills, coaching, advice and guidance, or similar support related qualification.
• Experience designing wellbeing workshops, student resources, awareness campaigns or early intervention initiatives.
• Knowledge of external referral routes, including NHS services, crisis support, counselling services, housing, finance and community support.
• Experience producing reports, analysing wellbeing data or identifying service improvement priorities.

About School of Coding & AI

School of Coding & AI is one of the UK’s fastest growing education providers, delivering high quality, career focused programmes across Business, Coding, Computer Science & AI, STEM, Health and Social Care. We work with schools and universities to provide education that leads to real outcomes. Our focus is simple, student first, always.

Why Join Us

• Play a leading role in shaping student wellbeing provision across a growing Higher Education provider.
• Help build clear, professional and scalable support pathways that make a direct difference to students.
• Work in an organisation where student support, safeguarding and engagement are taken seriously.
• Support a diverse student community, including mature learners, international students and students balancing study with wider life responsibilities.
• Be part of an organisation focused on practical impact, inclusion and student success.

Salary from £40,000 to £45,000 depending on experience

28 days annual leave plus 8 days bank holiday

Pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Strong CPD and development opportunities

Company and social events

Retail discounts through Bright Exchange