Role Purpose City of Wolverhampton College is a leading provider of further education and training in the West Midlands, committed to its core purpose of 'defining futures'. Our vision is to be a leading education provider, committed to excellence and the transformative power of education. We pride ourselves on creating an inclusive and empowering environment where students and apprentices are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and positivity needed to thrive in their current and future opportunities. As part of the Colleges Management Team, the Participation and Development Manager will lead and coordinate high-quality participation and development provision that improves attendance, retention, personal development and student engagement, ensuring that all learners particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are supported to succeed. This role will drive improvements in students and apprentices wider development opportunities and participation rates, student attendance, the support services for students or apprentices, removing barriers to learning or studying particularly for our most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Key Responsibilities Lead, manage and continuously improve the College’s Participation and Development provision, ensuring that attendance, retention, personal development (tutorial), enrichment, learner voice and frontline student support services operate to a consistently high standard. They will champion an inclusive culture where all learners, particularly those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged, are supported to attend, engage and achieve. Lead and operationalise the College’s Attendance Strategy, ensuring that robust systems are in place for monitoring, recording, reporting and intervening. This includes ensuring attendance data is accurate, live, and used effectively by staff; analysing trends and risk patterns; coordinating early intervention activity; and working collaboratively with curriculum leaders to ensure consistent follow-up, escalation and case management. They will implement proactive approaches to retention and persistence, identifying early warning signs and removing barriers to ongoing participation. Line-manage and lead the Progress Coach team, ensuring a structured, consistent and impactful approach to supporting learners at risk of low attendance, underachievement or withdrawal. They will establish clear caseload expectations, intervention frameworks, performance standards and reporting routines. They will ensure Progress Coaches work proactively with curriculum, safeguarding, welfare and support teams to deliver targeted interventions, track impact, escalate concerns, and provide sustained, meaningful support to learners, particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Lead and quality-assure the College’s tutorial and personal development programme, ensuring that PSHE, careers education, wellbeing, British Values, Prevent, digital literacy and wider personal development themes are delivered consistently and in line with Ofsted’s expectations for Personal Development. They will develop high-quality schemes of learning, monitor learner engagement and progress, review delivery through observation and feedback, ensure effective tutor training, and drive continuous improvement in tutorial outcomes. Design, coordinate and quality-assure the College’s enrichment programme, ensuring a broad, inclusive, culturally rich and accessible offer that contributes to learner confidence, resilience, skills development and wider participation. They will work with curriculum and external partners to expand opportunities, increase participation rates, promote equality of access, and ensure all enrichment activities are well planned, risk-assessed, and evaluated for impact. Lead, develop and strengthen learner voice systems across the College, including student forums, course representatives, surveys, focus groups, panels and feedback mechanisms. They will ensure learner voice is embedded throughout College decision-making processes, that insights inform curriculum and service improvements, and that students receive timely responses and updates (“you said, we did”) that reinforce engagement and partnership. Lead the strategy for the Turing Programme, coordinating opportunities for students to develop cultural capital, global awareness, employability awareness and broader personal growth. This includes managing logistics, promoting participation, working with external partners, ensuring inclusivity, and evaluating outcomes. Ensure effective and insightful use of data. They will oversee attendance dashboards, tutorial participation tracking, enrichment participation rates and intervention impact measures. They will produce reports for senior leaders, analyse patterns to inform planning, and contribute directly to the Self-Assessment Report (SAR), Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) and other internal quality assurance processes. Work collaboratively with safeguarding, welfare, curriculum and support teams to identify risk factors, share information appropriately, develop early intervention strategies, and ensure all learners receive coordinated, holistic support. They will champion positive behaviour, inclusion, wellbeing and engagement across the College community. As a member of the College Management Team, they will contribute to the development and delivery of the College Strategy, modelling visible, values-driven leadership based on trust, professionalism and accountability. They will prepare and present clear, timely reports and recommendations to senior leaders, governors and stakeholders. They will manage budgets in line with financial regulations, ensuring value for money and contributing to income generation where appropriate. They will deputise for senior managers when required, represent the College at internal and external meetings, and fully participate in HR processes including annual reviews, attendance management and performance management. Being part of the College Leadership Team · Contribute to the development and implementation of the College Strategy and role model a visible, values driven leadership that promotes trust, accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement. · Prepare and present clear, timely papers and reports to support effective and informed decision-making. Sharing information where requested and appropriate for other key stakeholders such as the DfE. · Manage budgets proactively in line with financial regulations, ensuring value for money and contributing to income generation and capital investment where appropriate. · Deputise for Senior Management Team members, attending meetings and representing the College in key activities as required. · Participating fully in Human Resources procedures including the Annual Performance Review process; Return to Work/Managing Attendance Policy and Quality and Performance Management policies. Other Duties and Responsibilities · Ensure staff as well as visitors and contractors understand and consistently apply Safeguarding and Equality and Diversity measures to ensure a healthy, sustainable and productive learning environment is consistently maintained. · To undertake a Duty Principal role on a rota basis at one of the Colleges campus, to support wider College activities. · To carry out any other duties as directed by your Line Manager. City of Wolverhampton College is a leading provider of further education and training operating within a dynamic and evolving sector. As a values-driven employer, we expect all staff to take ownership and participate collaboratively in college activities, adopting a flexible approach to support our mission of defining futures. This job description is not intended to be exhaustive; it provides an indicative outline of the responsibilities associated with the post at the time of drafting. Duties may vary periodically to respond to the needs of our learners and the region, without altering the general character of the role or level of responsibility. Such variations are a common occurrence in our commitment to excellence and do not, in themselves, justify a reconsideration of the terms and conditions of employment. Safeguarding The College is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of learners and expects all who work with or on behalf of the College to share this commitment. All roles within the College therefore are subject to DBS regulations. The College considers that the job holder for this role should have a DBS Enhanced CHILD disclosure. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion The college is committed to the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion in all of our activities and to encouraging access to our college from all groups, irrespective of race, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation. We are working to create an environment in which cultural diversity and individual difference are positively valued in an environment free from harassment and discrimination. Annual Performance Review The College requires all colleagues to undertake full participation. Values Our values are the foundation of everything we do. They reflect our commitment and shape our college, ensuring that every interaction makes a meaningful impact. Our values are: We work C ollaboratively. We take O wnership. We are W elcoming. We show C ommitment.