Deputy Head of Student Services (SEND)

Thendon Resourcing Limited; Bournemouth; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent Benefits Package

Job summary

Thendon Resourcing Limited is recruiting for a Deputy Head of Student Services at a specialist SEND education setting in the UK. The role focuses on safeguarding, pastoral support, and multi-agency collaboration to ensure every student feels safe and achieves their potential.

Working alongside the Head of Student Services, you will support provision across either Upper or Lower School, acting as DDSL and helping maintain high safeguarding standards, attendance, wellbeing, and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Experience in safeguarding children or young people within education, health or social care.
• Strong understanding of SEND, safeguarding and multi-agency working.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage a varied workload while prioritising pupil wellbeing.

Responsibilities

• Act as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) and support the safeguarding team.
• Build positive relationships with students, parents and carers.
• Support students with autism, learning disabilities and complex needs.
• Promote attendance, wellbeing, and inclusion across the school.
• Collaborate with education, health and social care professionals to coordinate support.
• Monitor attendance and help implement support plans.
• Deliver pastoral and family support services.
• Create a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment for all students.

Skills

Safeguarding experience

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Organisational skills

Education

GCSEs English & Maths

SEND education qualification beneficial

Job description

Deputy Head of Student Services - SEND Education

£30,201 - £30,614 Term Time Only

Fixed Term Contract - 12 months - possibility of becoming permanent

Excellent Benefits Package

Are you an experienced Deputy Head of Student Services, Pastoral Lead, Pastoral Manager, Safeguarding Lead or SEND professional looking for a rewarding role where you can make a genuine difference every day?

Or perhaps you're currently working as a Service Manager, Deputy Manager, Team Manager, Service Coordinator or Registered Manager within adult or children's social care. If you've built your career safeguarding people with learning disabilities, autism or complex needs and are looking for a fresh challenge, this could be the opportunity you've been waiting for.

We're recruiting on behalf of a specialist education provider supporting children and young people with a range of complex needs, including autism, profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and other neurodiverse conditions.

Working alongside the Head of Student Services, you'll play an important part in ensuring every student feels safe, supported and able to achieve their full potential. This is a varied and rewarding role where you'll combine safeguarding, pastoral support and close partnership working with families and external professionals.

If you enjoy building relationships, safeguarding vulnerable people, working with families and making a genuine difference, but you're ready to step away from shift work, on-call duties or CQC-regulated care services, this could be an excellent next step.

The Deputy Head of Student Services Role

You'll work closely with the Head of Student Services to support the school's pastoral and safeguarding provision across either the Upper or Lower School.

As a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL), you'll help ensure students receive the support they need while maintaining high standards of safeguarding, attendance, wellbeing and inclusion.

This is a varied role where you'll divide your time between supporting students directly, working alongside families and external agencies, and helping to ensure the school's pastoral and safeguarding services run effectively.

Responsibilities

• Act as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL), responding to safeguarding concerns and supporting the wider safeguarding team.
• Build positive, trusting relationships with students, parents and carers.
• Support children and young people with autism, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and other complex needs.
• Promote attendance, wellbeing, positive behaviour and inclusion across the school.
• Work collaboratively with education, health and social care professionals to ensure students receive coordinated support.
• Monitor attendance, identify concerns and help implement effective support plans.
• Support the delivery of pastoral, emotional wellbeing and family support services.
• Help create a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment where every student feels valued and supported.

About You

We're keen to hear from people with experience in education, health or social care who are passionate about supporting children and young people with additional needs.

You’ll ideally have:

• Experience supporting children, young people or adults with learning disabilities, autism or other complex needs.
• A good understanding of safeguarding, SEND and multi-agency working.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, families and external professionals.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage a varied workload.
• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths.
• A qualification in SEND, education, psychology, social work or a related field would be beneficial, although not essential.

You may currently be working as a:

• Deputy Head of Student Services
• Pastoral Lead
• Pastoral ManagerSafeguarding Lead
• Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
• SEND or Inclusion Practitioner
• Service Manager / Deputy Manager / Team Manager / Service Coordinator / Registered Manager / Children's Residential Manager / Supported Living Manager

What's on Offer?

• The opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of children and young people every day.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Ongoing training and professional development.
• Opportunities to develop your career within specialist education.
• A welcoming team where your contribution is genuinely valued.

If you're looking for a rewarding role where you can use your safeguarding, pastoral or social care experience to improve the lives of children and young people, we'd love to hear from you.