Student Support Coach - Prison Education & Induction

PeoplePlus UK; Bedford; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

PeoplePlus UK are looking for a proactive and compassionate Student Support Coach to join our Prison Education team. You will be the first point of contact for learners, delivering induction, assessment, and ongoing pastoral support to help them access education and stay engaged.

This fixed-term contract for 18 months requires building relationships, supporting learners with barriers, and guiding them to learning pathways including Open University options, while coordinating with tutors and

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration or equivalent.
• Level 3 qualification in supporting individuals with learning disabilities or equivalent.
• Information, Advice and Guidance qualification.
• Experience safeguarding, equality and data protection.
• Experience in prison or secure environments.
• Strong IT and data management skills.
• Excellent organisational and interpersonal abilities.
• Ability to motivate and engage learners with barriers.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a warm and professional welcome to learners entering education.
• Lead screening and assessment during induction.
• Gather learner history and assess starting points.
• Deliver engaging induction sessions to maximise participation.
• Provide ongoing pastoral support to improve retention.
• Build relationships to understand goals and barriers.
• Support learners at risk of disengagement and track interventions.
• Use trauma-informed approaches to support learners effectively.
• Offer advice and guidance on available courses and learning pathways.
• Promote education opportunities, including Open University and distance learning.
• Support applications and liaise with tutors and external organisations.
• Ensure learners are enrolled on courses aligned to their sentence plans.
• Maintain accurate learner records and data across prison systems.
• Coordinate with internal teams and partner agencies.
• Contribute to achieving contract KPIs and standards.

Skills

Induction skills

Pastoral support

Trauma-informed approaches

Relationship building

Communication skills

Teamwork

Data management

Motivation & engagement

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration

Level 3 qualification in supporting individuals with learning disabilities

Information, Advice and Guidance qualification

Tools

MS Office

Data systems

Job description

PeoplePlus UK are looking for a proactive and compassionate Student Support Coach to join our Prison Education team. You will be the first point of contact for learners, delivering induction, assessment, and ongoing pastoral support to help them access education and stay engaged.

This fixed-term contract for 18 months requires building relationships, supporting learners with barriers, and guiding them to learning pathways including Open University options, while coordinating with tutors and