Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Services

Join us to lead a University where everyone contributes to build a respectful, progressive and inclusive society.

Alison Mullan - Director of Students, Education and Academic Services

Leading student wellbeing and safety so every student can thrive.

Thank you for your interest in the position of Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Services at Lancaster University.

This is a pivotal leadership role within our Student and Education Services division. Reporting to the Associate Director (Student Wellbeing and Inclusion), you will ensure our people and processes are agile, student-centred, and aligned with the University’s strategic ambitions. At Lancaster, student wellbeing isn't just a service, it is a core pillar of our community. This role is vital in ensuring every student can thrive while ensuring institutional risk is managed with both rigour and empathy.

You will lead a dedicated, multi-disciplinary team of professional staff covering everything from disability and mental health, early intervention and widening participation, and serious and critical incident support ensuring that our safeguarding, statutory and regulatory responsibilities are met. Success in this role requires a collaborative spirit; you will work hand-in-hand with colleagues across our Division, Colleges, the Students’ Union, academic units and other professional services and external partners to deliver inclusive, high-quality support.

We are looking for a visible, trusted leader who can navigate complex student cases with confidence and lead service transformation for the future. If you are motivated by making a tangible difference within a world-class University, we look forward to hearing how your experience and vision will contribute to Lancaster’s student wellbeing leadership aspirations.

Our University

You will be joining a university which is among the best on any objective measure.

Lancaster University is modern, forward-thinking and nimble to adopt the latest developments in teaching and research. Our vision for the future is to be sustainable, academically excellent and recognised as one of the leading universities in the world. Our greatest assets are the brilliant minds who are attracted to teach and learn at our Lancaster and global campuses; the research that delivers innovative solutions to the world’s everchanging issues; and the positive economic, cultural, societal and environmental change that we are making locally, nationally and globally.

Our excellence in these areas is demonstrated by our consistently high rankings in many influential league tables.

10th in the Complete University Guide 2026
14th in The Guardian University Guide 2026
15th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026
157th of 1,501 universities globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026

Lancaster is a university committed to civic engagement and develops trusted relationships with partners to drive economic regeneration and access government funding for regional development, such as the Health Innovation Campus.

Gateway to the Lake District — Lancaster University perfectly positioned as a gateway to the Lake District

Role Outline: Leading a joined-up student support ecosystem

Influence institutional culture, shape sector-leading practice, and make a tangible impact on student wellbeing, inclusion, and success.

As Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Services, you will be a leader within Student and Education Services, responsible for delivering ambitious, inclusive policies and practices that set the standard for student support and wellbeing.

You will provide leadership across a complex, multi-disciplinary portfolio spanning mental health, disability, serious incident support, early intervention and widening participation and advance this through digital innovation and case management. We are looking for a leader who ensures our interventions are:

Evidence-based and trauma-informed: grounded in the latest sector research on ‘what works?’

Safe and robust: operating under clear clinical and safeguarding assurance frameworks.

Integrated: Working seamlessly across our unique Collegiate system, Faculties, and academic units to create a joined-up student support ecosystem and ensure effective individual and institutional risk management.

As the University’s specialist adviser and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) for students, you will play a critical role in our compliance with OfS regulatory expectations and wider statutory and regulatory duties.

Person specification

We are seeking an exceptional professional who performs with integrity and sound judgment in sensitive environments. You will bring:

Substantial leadership experience: A proven track record in managing professionals and specialist services (such as Mental Health, Disability, or Safeguarding) within Higher Education, the NHS, Local Authority or a comparable public sector statutory setting.

Risk and regulatory confidence: In managing both institutional and individual risk, with a deep understanding of the statutory landscape surrounding student safety and wellbeing.

Digital and data fluency: The ability to leverage data and management information to optimise service delivery and demonstrate impact to University committees and working groups.

Partnership expertise: The credibility to build trust with academic leaders, the Students’ Union, and external healthcare partners, influencing decisions that benefit our diverse student body.

More details are contained in the Job Description and Person Specification for the role, available on the University's recruitment portal.

Recruitment statement

Our commitment to you: a transparent recruitment process

We believe in a recruitment process built on openness and mutual respect. This is a leadership role based on our Bailrigg campus in Lancaster, Lancashire, and we recognise that a move of this nature may involve more than just you. We are happy to support:

Informed decision making: We provide comprehensive information early so you can reflect on how this role fits your career and personal circumstances.

Relocation support: For the right candidate, we are happy to discuss the practicalities of relocating to the beautiful North-west, including housing and family considerations.

Open dialogue: We encourage you to raise questions about hybrid working, out of office hours on-call expectations, or the role’s scope at any stage. We want this to be the right fit for Lancaster, and the right next step for you.

Contact

If, having considered the above, you would like to continue with your application, we would very much welcome hearing from you. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Sabiha Patel, Associate Director (Student Wellbeing and Inclusion) by email s.patel25@lancaster.ac.uk to arrange a call.

Lancaster - a great place to work.

We would welcome the successful candidate to start as soon as possible. This is a full-time, indefinite role offering a significant opportunity to shape the culture, direction and future of Student Support and Wellbeing Services at Lancaster. The postholder will play a central role in strengthening student wellbeing, inclusion and safeguarding, with real scope to make a lasting impact on the student experience and the wider University community.

Pension

For this role the University offers the opportunity to join the UK based Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is one of the UK’s largest pension schemes, offering financial security in retirement for university employees. USS members benefit from a hybrid pension structure that offers option to plan and secure an income in your retirement.

Be yourself

Enjoy being part of a staff community of over 4,000 people from different backgrounds, interests, faiths, and lifestyles. We have numerous staff networks, events, and facilities to help you find friends and settle in.

Library

The Library sits at the heart of the global Lancaster University community. Our digital and online resources are available to all staff and students providing open and inclusive resources for teaching, research and leisure. Our award winning team support our provision to the international campuses with a strong digital presence ensuring you can access the resources you need wherever you are.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning provides access to over 22,000 online learning courses, taught by industry experts. LinkedIn courses support skills and personal development across a broad range of topics, and are a fantastic addition to our online learning offer for staff and students alike.

Make a difference, with great rewarding work and award-winning sustainability actions

Be a part of a team that wants to make a positive impact in the world, from the wellbeing of our students and local community, to the future of our planet. We believe everyone at Lancaster University has a part to play in delivering positive change. Find out more about our award-winning sustainability actions at lancaster.ac.uk/sustainability Any staff member, whatever their role, can be recognised and rewarded for making an outstanding contribution to the University’s work with our staff awards, long service awards schemes and pay progression.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Our employee community across the UK and the world comprises people from 85 nationalities. They practise different faiths, have different lifestyles and are at different stages in their lives. It is this mixture of life experience that adds diversity of thought and approach to make Lancaster University a force for good.

We are committed to creating an environment where everyone can feel welcome, thrive and fulfil their potential. Our equality, diversity and inclusion leaders are involved with everything from policy creation to celebratory events to help us be a fairer and more inclusive employer.

Our chartermarks

As an organisation, we have successfully achieved the following chartermarks demonstrating our positive actions to address equality, diversity and inclusion issues.

Athena Swan

As well as our institutional Athena Swan Bronze award, Lancaster is very proud to have achieved Athena Swan awards in all our departments or faculties, recognising our commitment to advancing gender equality within higher education and research.

Disability Confident Employer (Level 2)

Lancaster University is a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2). We are committed to actions to improve how we recruit, retain and develop disabled people.

Race Equality Charter

Lancaster is proud of our Bronze award, demonstrating our commitment to improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students at Lancaster.

AccessAble

We have made significant investments in accessibility improvements at our Lancaster campus.

Application process

Applications should be submitted through our recruitment portal by using the Apply button below.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Sabiha Patel, Associate Director (Student Wellbeing and Inclusion) by email s.patel25@lancaster.ac.uk

Apply