Head of Student Services in Epsom

What will you do

Student Wellbeing, Pastoral Support, and Safeguarding

• Oversee student wellbeing, mental health, and pastoral support provision, ensuring clear processes, referral pathways, and appropriate interventions.
• Act as an initial point of assessment and triage for students requiring professional support, identifying needs and coordinating referrals to appropriate internal and external services such as counselling, rehabilitation, medical, and physical support.
• Develop and maintain confidential, high-quality student support and counselling arrangements.
• Act as, or oversee, the Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring safeguarding policies, procedures, training, and reporting are robust and compliant.
• Manage emergency and crisis response procedures for students as required, including availability (or delegated availability) outside of normal working hours.

Specialist Student Support Services

• Oversee learning support provision for students with additional needs, ensuring reasonable adjustments are identified and implemented.
• Provide oversight of student financial advice, careers guidance related to the performing arts industry, and information relating to visas and funding regulations for international students.
• Manage relationships with external support providers, including online wellbeing and mental health services.

Student Engagement, Inclusion, and Early Intervention

• Develop a strong understanding of the College’s curriculum, training demands, and pastoral support structures in order to effectively support student engagement and progression.
• Lead the development of strategies and policies that support the early identification of disengagement, wellbeing concerns, or barriers to participation, and coordinate timely, proportionate interventions to support re-engagement.
• Oversee and support systems that monitor student attendance, punctuality, behaviour, and engagement, working proactively to address concerns such as low attendance, persistent absence, risk of exclusion, and underperformance.
• Work closely with academic leaders and student services colleagues to identify agreed caseloads of students requiring targeted support, ensuring clarity of responsibility and effective coordination.
• Ensure appropriate 1:1 support, mentoring, or pastoral interventions are in place for students experiencing personal, family, wellbeing, or confidence-related challenges that impact their training or college experience.
• Coordinate referrals internally and externally, working with college teams, families, and professional services to ensure students receive appropriate and timely support.
• Work collaboratively with students, parents or carers (where appropriate), and staff to ensure students are supported to access and engage fully with all aspects of College life.
• Ensure student-facing procedures and policies are followed consistently and appropriately.

Governance, Compliance, and External Engagement

• Ensure student-facing policies and procedures are current, compliant, and consistently applied.
• Remain informed of national developments and best practice in student services within FE, HE, and specialist education.
• Represent the College at external meetings and forums as required.
• Undertake additional responsibilities related to student services as they arise.

Student Services Strategy and Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership and management of the Student Services Department, ensuring services are proactive, student-centred, and responsive to need.
• Develop, implement, and review a coherent student support strategy aligned with college priorities and regulatory expectations.
• Line manage, support, and appraise Student Services staff, identifying development needs and fostering a collaborative, high-performing team.

Qualifications

This section outlines the knowledge, experience, and skill set required to effectively lead student services, manage complex pastoral and safeguarding matters, and contribute at a senior leadership level within a demanding vocational education environment.

Essential

• Demonstrable commitment to ongoing professional development related to student wellbeing, safeguarding, pastoral support, behaviour management, and inclusion.
• Strong working knowledge of safeguarding and child protection, with experience operating at a senior or lead level.
• Sound understanding of relevant legislation, guidance, and best practice relating to student welfare, attendance, behaviour, inclusion, and safeguarding within an educational setting.
• Significant experience working in student services, pastoral care, inclusion, or student support roles within FE, HE, or specialist education environments.
• Proven experience of developing, implementing, and reviewing strategies, policies, or frameworks that support student engagement, attendance, wellbeing, and behaviour.
• Experience managing complex student cases involving a range of needs, including wellbeing concerns, family circumstances, underperformance, or behavioural challenges.
• Demonstrable experience coordinating support across multiple internal teams and external agencies.
• Strong people-management and leadership capability, with experience supporting and developing staff.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the performing arts sector or creative education environments.
• Experience working at senior leadership level.
• Formal safeguarding training or qualification.

Skills and Attributes

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and work effectively with students, parents or carers (where appropriate), colleagues, and external professionals.
• Ability to interpret and use information and data (such as attendance, engagement, or wellbeing indicators) to identify risk and inform appropriate interventions.
• Highly organised with strong administrative skills, able to manage competing priorities, confidential records, and deadlines.
• Calm, confident, and solution-focused when responding to complex or high- pressure situations.
• Strong professional judgement, with the ability to apply policy consistently, fairly, and without bias.
• Empathetic, resilient, and adaptable, with a clear commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and student welfare.
• Proactive, collaborative, and able to take initiative within a senior leadership context.