Safeguarding & welfare officer

Job Title: Safeguarding & Welfare Officer

Department: Student Support Services

Reporting to: Senior Safeguarding & Welfare Officer

Salary: £25,115 – £29,709 per annum (actual salary)

Contract: Full Time, Term Time Only (40 weeks), Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week

Pension: NEST Pension Scheme

The Role

We are seeking a Safeguarding & Welfare Officer to play a central role in promoting the safety, wellbeing, and protection of students at Middlesbrough College. Working within Student Support Services and as part of the operational Safeguarding Team, the role provides targeted and timely support to students experiencing safeguarding, welfare, or mental health concerns, helping them to remain safe, engaged in learning, and able to achieve their potential.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a Safeguarding Officer, deputising for the Designated Safeguarding Leads when required.
• Provide a first response to safeguarding and welfare concerns, including mental health, bullying, and harassment.
• Monitor and support a caseload of vulnerable and “at risk” students, including those with safeguarding, welfare or mental health needs.
• Support Vulnerable Young People (VYP) through application, enrolment and induction, ensuring early access to appropriate financial and pastoral support.

Please find the job description here - Safeguarding & Welfare Officer.

Qualifications

• Appropriate Level 3 qualification.
• Maths and English at Grade C/4 or above (or equivalent).
• Commitment to ongoing safeguarding and professional development training.
• Mental Health qualifications (desirable).

Experience

• Experience supporting vulnerable young people with complex needs.
• Experience handling safeguarding cases and following policies and procedures.
• Experience working with welfare issues including mental health, homelessness, emotional and behavioural concerns.
• Ability to manage a challenging caseload and remain calm under pressure.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation, Prevent duty and best practice.
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusive practice.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Highly organised with strong time management and record keeping skills.

Why Join Us?

• Substantial annual leave entitlement plus holiday purchase scheme.
• Health & wellbeing: free gym membership, 24/7 counselling for you and your family.
• Family‑friendly policies: flexible hours and a supportive work environment.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): confidential support including counselling, legal and financial advice.
• Professional development: extensive training, mentoring and career progression opportunities.
• Funded CPD opportunities, regular staff development training and paid volunteering days.
• Access to discounted hair and beauty treatments at our on‑site salon.
• College benefit scheme – College Extras.
• Up to 15% cashback at top retailers and restaurants.
• Discounted gift cards for big brands.
• Home and tech upgrades via salary sacrifice.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Discounted on‑site car parking.

To learn more about working at Middlesbrough College, please visit our Work For Us page.

For further details and to discuss the role in more detail, please contact Melanie Wilkinson, Senior Safeguarding & Welfare Officer, at m.wilkinson@mbro.ac.uk.

Safeguarding Our Students

Middlesbrough College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all students. All staff are expected to share this commitment. If you are successful, you will be required to complete thorough pre‑employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. All roles within the College carry safeguarding responsibilities, including promoting student welfare, reporting any concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), and modelling safe and appropriate conduct in line with College policies.

All posts at Middlesbrough College involve regulated activity and are therefore exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, amended 2013 and 2020) mean that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975 provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications, related exceptions and further information.

Please be aware that it is a criminal offence to apply for this post if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity in connection to children.

As part of our shortlisting process, we will conduct an online search for all shortlisted candidates to identify any safeguarding or reputation‑related concerns (as required by KCSIE).

Right to work

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Recruitment Process

Applications are shortlisted for interview as they are received, and so early application is encouraged. We reserve the right to commence the interview process and close the vacancy prior to this date.

Equality & Diversity

Middlesbrough College is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is valued. As a Disability Confident employer, we actively support applicants with disabilities.