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Specialist Support Lead
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About Us
The Sheffield College is a thriving further and higher education community, empowering around 13,000 learners each year to achieve their goals. Driven by our mission to transform lives through learning, we foster an inclusive environment — recognised through our 2026 Investors in Diversity Gold award and 3rd-place ranking in the National Centre for Diversity’s 2025 Top 100 Most Inclusive UK Employers.
About The Role
The post-holder will report to the Head of Learning Support: Compliance, Quality and Specialist Support and be responsible for the provision of specialist learning support across all provision types at The Sheffield College.
- Line-manage the Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) team to ensure early intervention and support individuals with neurodivergent conditions through screening, diagnostic assessments, study skills mentoring, and assistive technology training to help students and apprentices thrive in college.
- Line-manage the Communication Support Worker (CSW) team to facilitate seamless interactions between hearing individuals and people who are deaf or hard of hearing to provide effective learning support.
- Work with key partners to source and implement specialist support, as required, to meet all students and apprentices’ needs in an effective and value-for-money manner.
- Champion a culture where assessment of need is robust, timely, and promotes inclusive learning opportunities.
Main Responsibilities
Key Objectives
- Ensure the suitable, timely, and effective provision of specialist support for all students and apprentices.
- Develop strong partnerships with key organizations to support the delivery of specialist learning support.
- Develop strong partnerships with Academy and Sector Leadership teams, raising their awareness of services and processes to ensure their students’ needs are met.
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators for the specialist teams, ensuring that they are providing value for money and an effective service.
- Support the development of effective learning support policies, procedures, and systems that lead to seamless specialist support for our students and apprentices.
Compliance
- Provide support to the Head of Learning Support: Compliance, Quality and Specialist Support to ensure arrangements satisfy regulatory and/or legislative obligations.
- Proactively identify, anticipate, and manage all issues with the potential to cause an adverse effect on the provision of specialist learning support.
- Investigate any irregularities threatening the integrity of the delivery of specialist learning support and ensure timely notification and reporting to Head of Learning Support: Compliance, Quality and Specialist Support.
- Support and advise Vice Principals, Assistant Principals, Academy Directors, Heads of School, Sector Directors, Head of Data Services and Exams, and Heads of Quality Improvement on all issues relating to compliance within the delivery of specialist learning support.
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Monitoring
- Sample compliance of the delivery of specialist learning support against college policy and procedures, ensuring it meets JCQ requirements where appropriate.
- Prepare reports to provide lines of enquiry which feed into Quality Review processes and/or reports that provide assurance to the Executive Leadership Team.
- Prepare for and manage audit activity as may be agreed by the Executive Leadership Team.
- Work with managers in reviewing and updating learning support policies and procedures ensuring regulatory compliance and quality are fully embedded.
Recognition
- Support, as appropriate, the collation and maintenance of evidence needed to effectively underpin successful internal and external audits regarding the delivery of specialist learning support.
- Ensure timely reports on relevant issues and especially those which need to be communicated to the regulator or other key stakeholders.
- Attend, and ensure your direct reports attend, CPD events in relation to regulatory compliance relating to specialist learning support, provided by the regulators or any other party, as agreed by the Head of Learning Support: Compliance, Quality and Specialist Support.
Liaison, Communication and Delivery
- Line-manage the SpLD and CSW team effectively and manage relationships with any partner organizations which provide specialist learning support services to our students or apprentices, ensuring high-quality and value for money.
- Ensure required resources and compliant spaces are available to carry out the delivery of specialist learning support.
- Develop, monitor, and report against a set of robust KPIs related to the delivery of specialist learning support that drives continuous improvement.
- Ensure robust recording of specialist support delivery and assist with the preparation of papers for the Executive Leadership Team that provides assurance regarding the provision of specialist learning support against the agreed KPIs.
- Ensure proactive communication with all relevant leaders, managers, and staff regarding the provision of specialist learning support to their students and apprentices.
- Ensure specialist learning support processes are understood and adhered to so that students’ needs are assessed early, their specialist support is their normal way of working which flow into exam access arrangements.
- Undertake other tasks as reasonably requested by the Head of Learning Support: Compliance, Quality and Specialist Support.
If you want to find out more about the role please contact Lynda Matthias, Lynda.Matthias@sheffcol.ac.uk
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What we can offer you
As the successful candidate, you will be offered a salary of between £40,746 - £47,578 per annum based upon a combination of the skills, knowledge, and experience that you can bring to the role.
Alongside your salary, your pension is one of the most valuable benefits of joining the College. The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), administered locally by SYPA, provides financial security in retirement and support for your loved ones.
Our Full Benefits Package
- SYPA – with a generous employer contribution
- Annual leave - 30 Days (222 hours) + 8 Bank Holidays (59.2 hours) – this includes a discretionary Christmas closure period
- Health and wellbeing support, including:
- Employee assistance programme through Bupa
- Occupational Health through PAM
- Free eye tests for VDU users
- Free parking is available at the majority of our campuses
- Hybrid and flexible working opportunities
- Continuous professional development opportunities
- A people-focused working culture where you can grow and thrive
Further information can be found on our Benefits and Career Development pages.
Disability Confident
We are a Disability Confident employer and are committed to removing barriers for applicants with a disability during our recruitment process, upon appointment, and as an employee. Please review our Recruitment Guidelines for Disabled Candidates which provides further information on reasonable adjustments and how the Disability Confident scheme works in practice. If you require any reasonable adjustments or any support at any point throughout the process, please contact jobs@sheffcol.ac.uk
Armed Forces Covenant
As part of our commitment through the Armed Forces Covenant, we’re pledged to support the Armed Forces Community. Recognizing the value Personnel, Veterans, and military families contribute to our community and country.
Safeguarding
We are an employer who is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students. Successful applicants will be required to have an enhanced DBS check and will be subject to safer recruiting procedures. Further details on our safer recruiting procedures, including the employment of ex-offenders can be found here Safeguarding
Next Steps:
To apply: Click apply online and follow the links to complete the online application. For queries regarding the application process, please contact the Recruitment Team at jobs@sheffcol.ac.uk. CVs are currently not accepted.
As a Leader in Diversity employer, we encourage applications from everyone and value diversity in our workforce.
Closing date: 2nd August 2026
Please be aware – If we have a high number of applications, we may decide to close the vacancy earlier.
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