Student Support Officer (Disability and Inclusion)

Location: Within commutable distance of one of our campuses in Beckenham, Birmingham, Blackburn, Doncaster, Redcar, Bristol or Bradford

About Us

The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) has an unswerving commitment to high quality, evidence-informed teacher education, and is on a mission to improve the quality of teacher and leader development across the system. At the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT), we believe teaching is a fundamental societal good and both a privilege and a responsibility. We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Student Support Officer to support in the areas of disability and inclusion for our Initial Teacher Education programmes and on behalf of our partners for the High Performance Initial Teacher Training programme.

About The Role

This is an important new role reporting to the Student Support Lead (Disability and Inclusion). The post-holder will provide support and advice to trainees with a wide range of needs, including disabilities such as SpLD, autism and ADHD, as well as mental health conditions. They will write Reasonable Adjustment Plans (RAPs), work with partners to ensure agreed support is implemented effectively, escalate cases where appropriate, and contribute insight to help strengthen student support, inclusion and wellbeing practice across NIoT. Above all, the role is focused on enabling an outstanding student experience.

If you are passionate about student wellbeing and motivated by the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in teacher development, we would love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the day-to-day delivery of NIoT’s student support obligations for the programme
• Provide specialist disability and inclusion support to trainees
• Act as a key point of contact for trainees on support and welfare matters, ensuring sensitive, empathetic and timely responses to individual needs
• Provide 1:1 support and advice to trainees with a wide range of support needs, including disabilities (such as SpLD, Autism and ADHD) and mental health conditions
• Assist with administration and delivery of the Student Support and Welfare Service, including answering emails, telephone calls and enquiries
• Write Reasonable Adjustment Plans (RAPs) with consideration for individual needs, ensuring plans are implemented correctly in programme delivery and school placement settings and setting goals for success
• Audit data regarding student support and welfare, ensuring that trainees with a disability or condition are tracked and supported
• Assist trainees with navigating any external support they can access for their disability
• Liaise with partners and other colleagues to ensure that trainees are fully supported on their programme and placement
• Provide support and guidance to trainees and staff on adjustments to assessments, alternative formats and assistive technology
• Work with colleagues and partners to ensure that the learning and teaching environment is inclusive for trainees with disability and other support needs
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and institutional policies related to disability and equality
• Escalate cases appropriately where required via the agreed routes and to any relevant governance boards
• Contribute insight from casework and trainee experience to inform the continuous improvement of access, inclusion and wellbeing practices across the programme
• Ensure compliance with the Equality Act (2010), data protection requirements and other relevant legislation and institutional policies in all aspects of student support delivery
• Maintain accurate records relating to trainee support in line with contract, compliance, quality and data protection requirements, ensuring sensitive personal data is handled with appropriate care
• Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to health and safety, security and reporting concerns in accordance with procedures
• Demonstrate commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults
• Handle casework with appropriate confidentiality, sensitivity and adherence to data protection requirements
• Support with regional delivery at your local campus, including setting up for delivery sessions and welcoming participants/trainees
• Sit on the viva assessment panels for a maximum of three days per year to support the process

Requirements

Essential Criteria

• Experience of delivering one-to-one support to a range of learners with disabilities and other additional needs, including writing support plans
• A strong understanding of the Equality Act (2010) and other relevant legislation related to disability rights and accommodations
• Familiarity with Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) and Access to Work
• Excellent understanding of reasonable adjustments and the creation of tailored plans, including knowledge of adjustments to assessments, learning and teaching
• Educated to degree level and/or significant relevant experience
• Ability to provide sensitive and empathetic support to trainees regarding their disability and welfare support needs
• A commitment to the aims of the National Institute of Teaching
• An interest in the education sector and a belief in the value of teachers and school leaders
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
• Knowledge of data protection regulations and best practices in handling sensitive information
• Proficient in the use of MS Office software packages, such as Word, Excel and Outlook, as well as search engines and online databases

Desirable Criteria

• Previous experience delivering disability and/or mental health support in a higher education setting, such as a Disability, Mentoring or Wellbeing Service
• Further postgraduate training related to student support, such as Study Skills, Mentoring, SEND, disability support
• Experience of working in or with the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) sector

Pay

£37,280 per annum plus benefits (plus London weighting if applicable)

Schedule

Full-time. Fixed term contract for 4 years due to funding.

Benefits

• Flexible & Hybrid working
• At least 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays)
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Comprehensive employee benefits including enhanced parental leave