Head of Student Access and Enabling: Safeguarding

University of the West of England; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An established university seeks a dedicated safeguarding professional to enhance policies and practices within a vibrant educational environment. This role involves collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure effective safeguarding measures are in place, particularly focusing on anti-sexual violence and harm reduction. The successful candidate will be a confident leader, skilled in designing impactful policies and fostering an inclusive community. Join a forward-thinking institution that values diversity and offers a supportive atmosphere for personal and professional growth.

Benefits

Generous Annual Leave

Onsite Nursery

Career Development Opportunities

Retail Savings

Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Experienced safeguarding professional with a strong background in policy and practice.
• Ability to design effective safeguarding interventions and lead teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of safeguarding policies and practices across the University.
• Ensure effective intervention strategies to prevent and reduce harm.

Skills

Safeguarding Policy Development

Stakeholder Engagement

Leadership

Risk Assessment

Communication Skills

Education

Degree in Social Work or Related Field

Professional Safeguarding Qualifications

Job description

About This Role

Working with stakeholders across the University and partner agencies, this is an established role that leads to the continuous development of Safeguarding policy, practice, and provision within UWE Bristol. Located within Student Access and Enabling Services, and working closely with the Dean for Students, the post ensures proportionate and effective intervention as close as possible to the point of difficulty to prevent and reduce the potential for harm.

In addition to statutory duties for Safeguarding and Prevent, the role has key responsibilities in respect of the University’s activity for anti-sexual violence, harm reduction for substance use, the NHS Student Liaison Service, and the University Risk Assessment Panel. The role maintains safeguarding oversight of a complex environment in which statutory, regulatory, and institutional requirements combine.

About You

You will be an experienced and confident safeguarding professional who enjoys a fast-paced and varied workload. You will be able to demonstrate exemplary practice through which you will gain credibility with a highly knowledgeable, experienced, and committed peer group and stakeholders. Your ability to design and translate policy into effective practice will be matched by your ability to work with and through others.

You will be an active listener, an engaged and supportive team member, and a confident chairperson and decision-maker. You will be an influential leader within an inclusive, ambitious, and collaborative professional community.

Where is this role based?

This post is based at our lively Frenchay campus, where we have invested in the latest facilities and resources to give both our staff and students access to everything they need to succeed.

Why UWE Bristol?

We are one of the largest providers of Higher Education in the South West with 38,000 students and 4,000 staff from around the globe. Based in Bristol, one of the UK’s most exciting and forward-thinking cities, we are regionally embedded and globally connected, with an established network of employer and academic partners.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits including progressive pay rates, generous annual leave, career average pension schemes, retail savings, onsite nursery, and opportunities for training and personal development.

Add your individuality to ours

UWE Bristol recognises the power of a truly diverse university community. We are proud to be part of a vibrant, multicultural city that celebrates diversity. We’re always looking for talented people from all backgrounds to join us. Our people are our strength, and diversity enhances our creativity and leads to better decision-making and problem-solving. Bring your talent and ambition to our growing community and find yourself in a stimulating and supportive environment where you’ll thrive.

We particularly encourage applications from global majority candidates as we are currently under-represented in this area of the organization; however, all appointments are made strictly on individual merit.

As a Disability Confident employer, we welcome applications from those who identify as having a disability.

Further information

If you would like to speak to us to find out more about this role, please contact Simon Phillips, Deputy Director Student and Campus Life, at 0117 328 4321 or email: [e-mail].

This is a full-time, permanent post, working 37 hours per week. This post is not available on a job share basis.

UWE Bristol is a campus-based university, and it is vital to our success and the delivery of an outstanding experience for our students that our campuses are dynamic and vibrant places to learn and spend time. This role is therefore campus-based for at least 60 percent of your time, with the opportunity to work from home on the remaining days.

To ensure fairness and equity, all salary offers will be made in line with the University's salary assessment guidelines and will be based on your relevant skills and experience.

This post requires enhanced DBS clearance.

We may be able to sponsor qualifying candidates for this role under the Home Office Skilled Worker visa route. Please read our Skilled Worker Guidance to assess if you are eligible.

Please note that UWE Bristol does not cover any visa or health surcharge costs.

Advice to applicants

We’d love to hear from you—if you are excited about joining us at UWE, please complete our application form as soon as possible.

Tell us how your skills and experience relate to the requirements of this role by describing how you meet each of the essential and desirable criteria listed in the Person Specification section of the Job Description, and include specific examples wherever possible.

Once we have completed shortlisting, we will notify you of the outcome of your application by email, so please check your inbox for updates.