School Careers Guidance Lead

Leicestershire County Council; North West Leicestershire; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

A local educational authority is seeking a Careers Lead to guide and enhance the careers programme for students at Oakfield Short Stay School. The ideal candidate will have a Level 6 qualification in careers guidance and experience working with young people. You will be responsible for leading the careers strategy, including liaising with external partners and ensuring compliance with national benchmarks. The position offers a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students aged 5 to 16.

Benefits

Professional Development

Supportive Team

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience delivering careers programmes in a school setting.
• Ability to engage and inspire students.
• Commitment to equality and diversity.

Responsibilities

• Lead the school's careers advice and guidance programme.
• Liaise with external partners for career development.
• Ensure compliance with Gatsby Benchmarks.

Skills

Level 6 qualification in careers guidance (CIAG)

Experience of working with young people

Knowledge of employment and training opportunities

Experience providing careers advice

Engagement skills with SEND and disadvantaged youth

Understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion

Education

Level 6 qualification in careers guidance

Job description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: Oakfield Short Stay School

Worker Category: Field Based Worker

Salary: Grade 11 £39,939 - £42,699 per annum (Pro rata for part time)

Working Hours: 37 hrs per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 16 November 2025

Interview Date(s): TBC

About the Role

About Us:

Oakfield Short Stay School is Leicestershire’s provision for school aged children who have been permanently excluded or are at risk of permanent exclusion from school. We have expanded the age range of Oakfield School and as a result we are recruiting staff. Our Secondary Inclusion Partnership staff who did put provisions in place for secondary aged children and young people who have been excluded from school, or who are at risk of this, have recently joined the team. Therefore, you will be part of a vital team in an exciting period of development, working with us to meet the needs of children and young people between the ages of 5 and 16 who struggle to manage in mainstream and need a different offer of education to secure their successful next steps.

Role Overview:

The Careers Lead is responsible and accountable for the school’s programme of career advice and guidance. It is a senior role that requires the person doing it to have a clear overview of the school’s careers provision and to make sure that the school meets the Gatsby Benchmarks by the end of each academic year. The careers programme is an essential element of our curriculum, the aims of which are to enable all students to achieve more than they ever believed possible, with equal emphasis on academic success and personal development. The Careers Lead will be crucial in ensuring that this programme addresses the needs of each student and supports them to be successful and expand their horizons.

The Careers Lead will liaise with external partners, such as employers, learning providers and career guidance services, as well as ensuring that the school’s careers provision are coordinated and managed through a stable and embedded programme.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and Inspire: Lead and report back on the Gatsby Benchmarks
• Collaborate with Agencies: Develop and implement the Careers programme in school and with partner agencies
• Accountability: To lead and report back NEET, Gatsby Benchmarks and the impact of the careers programmes in school
• Promote Inclusion: Demonstrate a commitment to inclusion, ensuring all pupils and staff members feel valued and supported.

What We Offer:

• Unique Learning Environment: Experience a diverse and dynamic workplace where every day is different.
• Professional Development: Access opportunities for professional growth and bespoke training.
• Supportive Team: Join a highly skilled and supportive team of practitioners.
• Make a Difference: Play a crucial role in transforming the lives of young people.
• Flexibility: Options for part-time or full-time work to suit your lifestyle.

A DBS enhanced check for a regulated activity is required for this post.

About You

To apply for this post, you must be/have:

• Level 6 qualification in careers guidance (CIAG) or prepared to work towards and extensive experience of delivering careers programmes in school
• Experience of working with young people preferably in a school or college setting
• Thorough knowledge of education, employment, training and personal development opportunities that are available for young people/labour market information.
• Experience of providing careers advice and guidance in a one-to-one setting or group workshop/assemblies to support students with their career aspirations.
• Experience of arranging career talks and a range of activities for students.
• Experience of having the ability to engage with and inspire young people with SEND and disadvantaged as well as with their parents/carers.
• Experience of supporting the Schools or College Careers Leader to implement and enhance the schools programme to contribute towards meetings the Gatsby Benchmarks.

You must also have an understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are keen to support employees to balance their working life with other commitments. Therefore, wherever possible, we will consider working arrangements that suit an individual's personal circumstances whilst still meeting the needs of the Council. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below. This may include requests for term-time working, part-time hours, compressed hours, flexible start and finish times, home/remote working, etc.

Every role within the Council has a defined working style which determines where they can work. The worker category applicable to this post is detailed in the above advert. You can find out more about our worker categories in the Our Working Styles page on our career site.

Interested?

Please contact Vicky Edwards on 07860 611280 to arrange a visit. For informal discussions about the role, please contact Vicky Edwards [e-mail]

How to Apply

Leicestershire County Council is an inclusive organisation which is on a journey to embed and celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion at every level. We warmly welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, as having a diverse workforce with different perspectives and ideas is fundamental to our values and enriches the services, we offer our communities. We particularly welcome applicants from Ethnically Diverse and LGBTQ+ communities and people with disabilities to create a balanced workforce and one that reflects the communities we serve. Applicants with a disability who meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above will be offered an interview under the Disability Confident Employer Scheme.

To apply for this job, please click on the apply button. You will need to upload a supporting statement as part of your application which explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. For more information, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.