Disability Specialist - Study Skills (SpLD/ASC)

Blackpool and The Fylde College; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational institution in England is seeking a dedicated Disability Specialist to support students with disabilities. The role involves managing caseloads, conducting assessments, and delivering one-on-one study sessions to enhance students' academic skills and confidence. Candidates must meet qualifications for delivering Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). This position provides opportunities for professional development and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Enhanced leave allowance of 38 days

Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave

Competitive pension scheme

Extensive professional development opportunities

Agile working opportunities

Extensive wellbeing provision

FREE car parking

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Mandatory qualification to deliver Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA).
• Experience working with students with disabilities.
• Knowledge of support strategies for neurodiversity and learning difficulties.

Responsibilities

• Deliver specialist support to enhance students' study skills and confidence.
• Conduct assessments for students with disabilities.
• Develop professional relationships and strategies for students.
• Maintain records of support interventions and progress.
• Engage in continuous professional development.

Skills

Expertise in disability support

Knowledge of the DSA process

Strong communication skills

Ability to conduct assessments

Collaboration skills

Education

Mandatory qualification for delivering DSA

Job description

Overview

Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) is seeking a dedicated and knowledgeable Disability Specialist – Study Skills (SpLD/ASC) to join our Student Support and Wellbeing department. The Disability Specialist role involves managing a busy caseload of students who have declared a disability that affects their study requirements. As a Specialist Study Skills Tutor, the majority of your time will be spent providing specialist 1:1 study sessions for students disclosing Neurodiversity, Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), and/or Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC). As part of this support, you will discuss and implement appropriate reasonable adjustments for students. You will also be responsible for associated administrative tasks such as supporting students to progress their Disabled Students’ Allowances’ applications and will need to establish good working relationships with a range of staff to ensure effective support for disabled students. To apply for this role you must meet the Department for Education mandatory qualification and professional body membership requirements to deliver Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) fundable Non-Medical Help (NMH) matrix-june-2025-latest.pdf. The salary for this role is negotiable depending on experience.

Your Responsibilities

• In this role, you will deliver specialist support that directly enhances students’ study skills, confidence, and progression. Key responsibilities include:
• Conduct initial assessments for students with Neurodiversity, SpLD, ASC, Mental Health conditions and other disabilities, identifying barriers to learning and determining appropriate support and reasonable adjustments.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on the Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) process, collaborating with internal colleagues and external stakeholders to ensure timely and effective support arrangements.
• Develop supportive, professional relationships with students on your caseload, helping them build strategies in areas such as time management, memory, attention, and academic study skills.
• Deliver targeted small-group sessions or workshops, and contribute to wider awareness-raising activities relating to disability and inclusive practice.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready records of support interventions and student progress, contributing to quality assurance, service reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Engage in ongoing CPD to maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, best practice, and HE sector developments, and support wider college events where required.

Qualifications

To apply for this role you must meet the Department for Education mandatory qualification and professional body membership requirements to deliver Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) fundable Non-Medical Help (NMH).

Why Join Us?

By joining B&FC, you become part of a collaborative and learner-centred community committed to positive student outcomes. This role offers the chance to make a long-lasting difference while continually developing your own specialist expertise. We are dedicated to supporting staff through ongoing training, CPD, and opportunities for progression.

How we support you

At Blackpool and The Fylde College, we’re committed to creating an inclusive and supportive recruitment process. If you require any adjustments to take part in our selection process, please let the hiring manager or People Team know before your interview so we can make sure you have the support you need to perform at your best.

Rewards and Benefits

Blackpool and The Fylde College is proud to be Great Place To Work® Certified™

• Enhanced leave allowance of 38 days (full-time equivalent), inclusive of bank holidays
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
• Competitive pension scheme:
  • Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) - 28.68% employer contribution
  • Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) - 15.4% employer contribution
• Extensive professional development opportunities for all, with B&FC choosing to invest circa £1.8m annually in colleague development and professional qualifications
• Agile working opportunities
• Enhanced Family friendly policies
• Extensive wellbeing provision including, but not limited to:
• Access to funded Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) available 24/7, 365 days a year
• Occupational Health
• FREE Flu Vouchers for those not entitled through the NHS
• FREE eye tests
• Dedicated Wellbeing Hub available to all colleagues containing rich and varied content with resources relating to emotional, physical, financial and social wellbeing
• FREE healthy breakfast
• Sports facilities including fully equipped gym and discounted memberships
• Health and beauty salon
• Trim Trails on Campus (guided routes for walks)
• Onsite food outlets and Starbucks at subsidised rates
• FREE car parking
• Car lease scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Onsite kids ‘Sports Camp’ 8am – 5pm during selected half-term breaks

Our Safeguarding Responsibilities

B&FC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all learners and expects all colleagues to share in this commitment. All colleagues are required to complete safeguarding training and uphold the College’s policies and procedures to ensure a safe and supportive environment for learners.