Role outline

Influence institutional culture, shape delivery of sector‑leading practice & make a tangible positive impact on student wellbeing, inclusion, safety and success

As Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Services you will be a senior leader within Lancaster University, with responsibility for shaping and delivering an ambitious, inclusive and sector-leading approach to student wellbeing, safeguarding and support.

You will provide leadership across a complex, multi-disciplinary portfolio of services supporting students’ mental health, disability, wellbeing, safeguarding and case management. You will ensure that services are inclusive, trauma-informed, evidence-based and aligned with current and emerging sector best practice and statutory obligations.

The role combines strategic leadership with operational oversight, ensuring robust governance, clinical and safeguarding assurance, effective risk management and continuous service improvement.

You will act as the University’s senior specialist adviser on student wellbeing and as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead for Students, playing a critical role in ensuring compliance with Office for Students regulatory expectations (including Condition E6), safeguarding legislation and wider statutory and regulatory wellbeing duties.

Working closely with academic leaders, professional services colleagues, students, external partners and other higher education institutions, your responsibility is to ensure that central services integrate effectively with local provision across colleges, faculties and departments, creating a coherent and joined-up student support ecosystem.

Working closely with academic leaders, professional services colleagues, students, external partners and higher education institutions, you will ensure that central services integrate effectively with local provision across colleges, faculties and departments, creating a coherent and joined‑up student support ecosystem.

Person specification

We are seeking an exceptional leader who performs with integrity, fairness, and sound professional judgement in complex and sensitive environments who will provide leadership across a complex, multidisciplinary portfolio of services that sit at the heart of the University’s commitment to student success, inclusion and wellbeing.

This role requires the ability to influence, engage and build trust across a complex university environment, often in situations that demand sensitivity, clarity and confident decision-making.

You will have substantial experience of leading specialist services that support students in areas such as mental health, disability, early intervention, incident support or widening participation, including where safeguarding referrals and high-risk or sensitive cases are involved. You will be comfortable providing oversight of both institutional and individual risk, and experienced in developing and embedding policies, processes and services that operate within clear regulatory and compliance frameworks.

A strong understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and the legal and regulatory context within higher education, or a comparable setting, will be essential. You will also bring high levels of digital and data fluency, with experience of using or optimising systems and management information to enhance service delivery, efficiency and student engagement.

You will be an effective and credible communicator, with experience of producing board-level reports and presenting complex information clearly to senior leaders and stakeholders. Central to your success will be your ability to build and sustain strong internal and external partnerships, influencing strategic decisions in ways that benefit both the institution and the students it serves.

This is a significant opportunity for an experienced professional to apply their leadership and expertise in a role that makes a tangible difference to student wellbeing, safety and inclusion within a complex, global, compassionate university.

A full job description and person specification are available on the Lancaster University recruitment portal.

Recruitment statement

We want to ensure you have clear and comprehensive information at an early stage, so you can make a fully informed decision about whether this role is right for you and whether you wish to continue in the recruitment process. We value openness and fairness, and hope this information supports you in reflecting on your interest in the role and how it might fit with your circumstances.

After reviewing the details incuded here, we encourage you to consider whether you would feel able to take up the role if an offer were made. This helps ensure a positive and respectful process for everyone involved.

This is a full-time position based on Lancaster University’s main Bailrigg Campus in North Lancashire. The role requires the successful candidate to live within a reasonable commuting distance of the campus. If this would involve relocation, we recognise that this may raise wider considerations, such as housing, schooling or employment for family members or others who may accompany you. We are happy to discuss these factors with you and will offer support wherever possible.

Throughout the recruitment process, we aim to work in a positive, open and transparent way. We encourage you to raise any questions or concerns at an early stage, so we can explore these together.

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.

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.