Role: Disabilty and Wellbeing Officer

Reporting to: Head of Student Services

Location: London College of Contemporary Music (LCCM) (The Music Box campus) - SE1

Salary: Competitive DOE

Role Summary

We are committed to support our students and help them practice and progress into meaningful and sustainable careers within the music industry. LCCM is hiring a Disability and Wellbeing Officer who will be instrumental in our ambitions to support and accommodate the diverse needs and special support of our fast-growing student body to maximise student engagement, satisfaction and academic performance.

The Disability and Wellbeing Officer will collaborate with the Student Services Team, as well as the Academic, Student Success, and Admin Teams in supporting the wellbeing, delivery and disability strategy of the college.

Reporting to the Head of Student Services and working closely with the wider team, the individual will be responsible for developing strategies and procedures, support policies to enhance the student experience, with a focus on Disability and Wellbeing services, provide counselling support to students and advise on learning plans for SEN students.

Key responsibilities

Student Support

• Assess and identify areas within the school that require enhancement to better support students with disabilities and wellbeing needs.

• Provide information, advice, and guidance to students and staff on student-related issues such as general welfare, psychological wellbeing, personal health, and safeguarding.

• Conduct person-centered interviews to identify areas of difficulty, support students and assess the risk to self and others.

• To undertake initial screenings for specific learning difficulties, analyse this data and refer on for full diagnostic assessment where appropriate.

• Where necessary, support individual students in accessing support from social services for the provision of personal care.

• Advise departments (academic and non-academic) on the provision of appropriate reasonable adjustments to support individual students, ensuring the continuation of support with the aim of promoting autonomy whilst always keeping confidentiality and appropriate boundaries.

• Maintain up-to-date welfare records in compliance with Data Protection and Health and Safety regulations.

• Collaborate with academic departments and relevant College Officers to address poor academic attendance and engagement.

Wellbeing Initiatives

• Contribute to an annual program of wellbeing-related activities and campaigns in partnership with Student Services teams.

• Engage in training activities, such as preparing student representatives and staff on Disability Awareness.

• Work towards engaging groups more likely to leave College, and contribute to retention efforts.

Collaboration and Liaison

• Liaise with closely with other College/Group teams to ensure consistency and develop best practices.

• Attend College meetings, provide updates to staff and contribute to events, including Inductions.

• Professional Development and Recruitment

• Undertake regular supervision and implement suggestions for improvement.

• Provide support during student recruitment interviews, especially for those with disabilities or special needs.

General Responsibilities

• Undertake duties as directed by the Student Services Manager

• Represent the School at external events if required.

• Keep accurate records and case notes on the Disability Advisory Service database of all interaction with students.

• Contribute to the DAS annual reports using trends identified in this data.

• Adhere to Equal Opportunities Policy and other relevant policies and ensure compliance with health and safety policies and regulations.

• Contribute to the Disability and Wellness strategy to enhance the student experience.

• Understand and support the student lifecycle, resolving issues promptly to ensure a positive student experience.

• Ensure adequate representation of students from all demographics in College initiatives.

Technical Competencies

• Familiarity with college IT systems and Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), including Canvas and databases

• Provide accurate reporting and statistics during the student lifecycle to assist with planning.

The post holder may be asked to undertake different or additional duties in line with business requirements at the request of their line manager.

There may be an occasional need to undertake business travel between other GUS sites within London, UK or International.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential :

• A relevant degree or equivalent professional experience in education or student support

• Experience in a similar role supporting students with mental health or SEN

• Experience of working with students from a range of backgrounds and abilities

• Experience in counselling and providing direct support to individuals

Desirable :

• A Psychology or teaching qualification or relevant sector experience

• Involvement with professional bodies for student welfare and success and ability to identify appropriate resources and agencies of support

• Experience in Higher Education or supporting students in an academic setting.

Knowledge & Skills

Essential :

• Understanding and knowledge around mental health student support services, and SEN needs

• Understanding of our duty of care to students and sector-wide issues around attendance, retention and attainment connected to widening access & participation strategies.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

• Experience with DSA and SFE

• Experience developing SEN development plans and/or SMART action plans for disaffected or underachieving students

• Organisation skills with an ability to work effectively alone or with a team, in pursuit of clear and timely goals and able to summarise meetings and projects with succinct and compelling action points and executive summaries.

Desirable :

• Knowledge of safeguarding and associated principles (the Prevent agenda etc.)

Personal Attributes

• Empathy

• Passion for music and education

• Collaboration

• Positive attitude and approachability

What we offer

• Competitive salary

• 20 days annual leave

• Pension 5% personal contribution & 3% Company contribution

• Season Ticket Loan (T&C's apply)

• Vision Express Eye Care Vouchers

• Training & Development opportunities (T&C's apply)

• Staff Discount Scheme – via My Rewards Hub, from various retailers – Fashion, Grocery, Health & Beauty, Travel, Automotive, Furniture, Dining, Sports and Leisure, Electronics etc

• Refer a friend scheme for staff members (T&Cs apply).

• Social events on campus and through GUS Social Committee "GOSH - GUS on Staff Happiness".

• Professional development opportunities, including training and career progression pathways.

• Employee wellbeing programmes and access to counselling services.

LCCM is a fully-owned subsidiary of Global University Systems; there is an expectation that all employees will maintain the values of the group and will comply with the code of conduct as well as equality and diversity, health and safety and safeguarding policies.

How to apply - application process

Please submit a CV and a supporting statement outlining how you meet the essential criteria and your approach to student success. Applications should be made via our online careers portal by the closing date. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are committed to ensuring our workforce is reflective of our diverse student population, striving to increase the representation of age, disability, gender identity and expression, religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, and socio-economic background of our employees.

We’re also committed to providing adjustments to those who may require support with the recruitment process - please contact the LCCM Talent Acquisition Team collegedivisionrecruitment@gus.global

Please note: For this opportunity, you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK - if in doubt please visit the following link Employers' right to work checklist - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Please note we are not a licenced sponsor.