JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Deputy Senior Tutor

Reports To: Senior Tutor

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

Deputise for the Senior Tutor in various capacities, as agreed. There will also be further opportunity to develop leadership and managerial skills.

Share oversight and operational responsibility for supporting students’ academic progress and mental health, for assisting students through various forms of non-academic and academic difficulty, and for the proactive advancement of student study support and wellbeing initiatives in the institution.

Be responsible for ensuring the College meets the anticipatory duties of the Equality Act, and making any reasonable adjustments as required and lead on wider targeted EDI and Wellbeing initiatives.

Work with our Wellbeing Team and Education Coordinators

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Shared oversight of Wellbeing team and the College’s Tutorial support

• Work closely with the College Wellbeing Lead in the provision of all aspects of welfare support for Homerton students, including regular check-ins with staff;

Play an active role in the Wellbeing Team

• Recognise the different needs and stress points throughout the cycle of the academic year, and support the tutorial and pastoral teams in providing timely support as appropriate;

• Liaise with the Senior Postgraduate Tutor on a regular basis to understand and support postgraduate students’ wellbeing needs;

• Meetings with HUS Welfare Officers (JCR) to keep abreast of issues of importance to the student body, and liaison with the Postgraduate Tutor on MCR matters;

• Assist with recruiting Tutors (in liaison with the Senior Tutor and the Senior Postgraduate Tutor), including the College Disability and Harassment Contacts (CDHCs);

• Co-chair regular Tutor meetings for training, updates and discussion;

• Arrange, in consultation with the Senior Tutor and Senior Postgraduate Tutor, a regular away day for members of the pastoral team;

• Support the Disability Liaison Officer to implement policies and practices to support students with disabilities, liaising with Tutors and others as appropriate;

• Liaise with the Rooms Tutor on complicated or sensitive accommodation issues;

• Liaise with Accommodation Officer and the Rooms Tutor over timings and conduct of accommodation survey;

• Liaise with Changemakers over aspects of their programme;

• Lead the Hardship Committee, and liaise with the Finance Tutor regarding hardship awards/funds to manage and mitigate both emergency and medium-term financial stress;

Personal wellbeing support to individual students

• Advise Tutors and CDHCs as required on individual welfare cases, assist with pastoral interventions, and engage the Senior Tutor or Postgraduate Tutor as and when appropriate;

• Have (or acquire) a detailed knowledge of the Cambridge system in order to be able to guide students, Tutors and Directors of Studies (DoSes) through applications and procedures;

• Liaise with University and College departments as appropriate to ensure the implementation of individuals’ Student Support Documents;

• Liaise with the Dean, Student Health Advisor and Porters' Lodge after incidents have been raised, checking that follow-up action is implemented where appropriate;

• Oversee the use of the College’s Capability to Study procedure or equivalent, working with the Senior Tutor or Postgraduate Tutor as appropriate;

Support undergraduate Examinations Access and Mitigations Committee applications for intermission and exam allowances, working with the Tutorial Office Manager and taking advice from the Senior Tutor on more complex cases as appropriate;

• Work with Education Co-ordinators, Tutors, DoSes and students on applications for Alternative Modes of Assessment;

Working with the Wellbeing Lead, implement targeted support programmes for students with particular requirements or from particular backgrounds, for example, care-experienced students, or those estranged from their families.

Communication

• Ensure Homerton’s policies and practices for student welfare and wellbeing are kept up to date and well understood (both by staff and by students);

• Liaise with the Communication team to ensure that the necessary documentation is available and easily accessible on the College website;

Oversee the mechanisms for the provision of feedback from individual students on their experiences of the College’s wellbeing support.

General duties

• Form part of Senior Tutor team, sharing Duty Tutor/Senior Tutor and emergency on call duties as appropriate to this role, ensuring issues are addressed and followed-up swiftly as appropriate;

• Prepare reports on welfare and wellbeing provision as required by the College or external bodies including Prevent and safeguarding, where appropriate with input from the Senior Tutor;

• Work with the College Safeguarding Team to deal with Safeguarding matters as required;

• Deputise for the Senior Tutor where necessary, including attending some University meetings, taking the lead in certain College Committees and working groups;

• Attend College Council if required.

• The postholder will require a Basic DBS check.

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

Essential Qualities and Skills

• Experience of working in HE with a developed understanding of challenging university academic environments;

• Understanding a contemporary student environment;

• Management skills, ability to lead a team and work with others;

• Strategic thinking and vision;

Excellent verbal and written communications skills;

Good understanding of the tutorial office support function (or similar);

• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential issues and to remain discreet, calm, and professional;

• Understanding of duty of care and data protection;

• Appreciation of the range of opportunities available to support and promote positive wellbeing among students;

• Demonstrable organisational and administrative skills;

• Flexibility and a collaborative approach

Committed to high professional standards and able to embrace change;

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;

• Able to gain the trust of students, staff and Fellows, and work across the collegiate University;

Desirable Qualities and Skills

• Ability to give presentations in a clear and articulate manner;

• Ability to produce written reports, policies and procedures;

• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, and database management;

• Excellent record keeping skills.

Please note: we reserve the right to make minor changes to the Job Description to meet the needs of the organisation.