Student Engagement Mentor

Derby College; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS pension

Nursery discount

Tastecard discount

Rail discounts

OneDrive storage

SENSI discount

Legal services discount

Development opportunities

Job summary

Derby College is seeking a dedicated mentor to support students facing social, emotional and behavioural challenges. You will provide one‑to‑one guidance, deliver targeted interventions and help students re-engage with learning in a calm, supportive manner.

With strong behaviour management and excellent communication skills, you will work collaboratively with staff to maintain a safe college environment and promote positive outcomes for young people.

Qualifications

• Confident, resilient and motivated to make a difference
• Strong behaviour management skills and ability to remain calm and solution‑focused under pressure
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a wide range of people
• Experience supporting young people with complex social, emotional or behavioural needs (beneficial)

Responsibilities

• Provide tailored one‑to‑one mentoring to students with social and behavioural challenges
• Deliver targeted interventions to raise aspirations and develop essential life and learning skills
• Maintain calm, consistent support and use de‑escalation techniques to reflect and return students to learning
• Collaborate with staff to create a safe, supportive college environment and follow safeguarding procedures

Job description

Optimistic – Equity – Kindness – Innovation – Collaboration

Kindly note that we do not accept CVs, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education requirements. All applications must be submitted via the link provided only.

The Opportunity

This role offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of young people who face social, emotional and behavioural challenges that can affect their learning. By providing tailored support and guidance, mentors will help students overcome barriers that hinder academic progress, re-engage positively with their education and build resilience for the future.

Working with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, mentors will focus on raising aspirations, promoting positive learning behaviours and supporting students to develop essential skills for both education and personal growth. Through one‑to‑one mentoring, targeted interventions and consistent, calm support, this role empowers students to build confidence, strengthen relationships and develop strategies to successfully navigate challenging situations.

As a visible, approachable and authoritative presence around the college, mentors will contribute to a safe and supportive learning environment. They will use effective behaviour management strategies, model calm de‑escalation and help students reflect, repair and return to learning following incidents or moments of heightened emotion.

For a full explanation of the roles and responsibilities, please see the Job Description here.

About You

You will be confident, resilient and motivated by making a difference — even on the most challenging days. Skilled at working with young people who require high levels of structure, consistency and encouragement, you will bring strong behaviour management skills and the ability to remain calm, assertive and solution‑focused under pressure.

You’ll be highly capable of communicating effectively with a wide range of people and possess excellent interpersonal skills. You should feel comfortable working proactively and reactively, balancing positive relationship building with firm, consistent boundaries and clear expectations. Experience of supporting young people with complex social, emotional or behavioural needs is beneficial, as is knowledge of restorative practice, trauma‑informed approaches or positive behaviour strategies. You will have experience responding to behavioural incidents, following safeguarding procedures and working within defined behaviour policies. We welcome reflective practitioners who are keen to learn from experience, adapt their approach and work collaboratively with staff to support a calm, safe college environment.

For a full explanation of the person specification, please see the Job Description here.

The Benefits

• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme with a 19.9% employer contribution
• Discount at our Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ onsite Little Explorers Nursery
• TOTUM discount card (aka NUS/Student Discount Card) / discounted Tastecard
• Discounts on East Midlands Railway Annual Season Tickets
• Microsoft Office for FREE with 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage
• Discount on treatments at SENSI our onsite salon at the Roundhouse
• Flint Bishop Solicitors – free will writing, 1-hour free consultation with family department, 10% discount on Conveyancing services
• Continuous development and progression opportunities

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace which promotes and values diversity. We welcome all talent irrespective of age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race, ethnicity, religion, belief, sexual orientation or other personal circumstances. We ensure that our policies and procedures treat all applicants consistently and fairly during our recruitment process.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, reasonable adjustments, or about the role, please contact us at [e-mail].

Safeguarding statement

DCG is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and all successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. An online search of the preferred candidate is completed to help to identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which the college may need to explore with the candidate further. Please be advised that it is an offence to apply for this position if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

If you require visa sponsorship

Please note that unfortunately, this role is ineligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration points-based immigration system. Applications are welcome from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK but would be eligible to obtain a valid visa via another route. Please consult the Home Office website for further information.

Recruitment Agencies

We have a PSL of trusted partners to assist us when required and do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on this list.