Role: Lead Practitioner for (P)LAC - INTERNAL ONLYLocation: Bedford College – Cauldwell Street Campus
Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £41,086 and £47,971 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People’s pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.
Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week – 52 weeks per year
Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time
This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the
Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.
About the role:
We are currently seeking a Lead Practitioner for (P)LAC to join our Student Services department at The Bedford College Group.
As a Lead Practitioner, you play an important role in the success of our students through: Leadership of LAC/PCE Support – Provide specialist leadership across all campuses, ensuring consistent, high‑quality support for Looked After and Previously Care‑Experienced students and meeting all statutory FE responsibilities.Casework, Monitoring & Advocacy – Hold an oversight caseload, monitor progress, welfare and engagement, chair or contribute to PEP and multi‑agency meetings, and provide strong advocacy ensuring learner voice informs decisions.Partnership Working & Information Management – Build effective relationships with Virtual Schools, Social Care, health and external agencies, lead compliant information‑sharing processes, and ensure accurate reporting to stakeholders.Training, Inclusion & Quality Improvement – Lead training on trauma‑informed practice, attachment and corporate parenting, champion inclusive approaches, analyse outcome data, and drive targeted improvements across the college group.Progression, Enrichment & Transition – Strengthen pre‑entry and transition pathways, coordinate mentoring, enrichment and wellbeing interventions, and support positive destinations into higher education, apprenticeships or employment.
About you: Qualifications & Safeguarding Credentials – Level 3 DSL, Level 5 safeguarding‑related qualification (or relevant experience), GCSE‑level Maths/English, strong Microsoft proficiency and demonstrable CPOMS knowledge.Safeguarding & Care‑Experienced Expertise– Extensive experience supporting Looked After and care‑experienced young people, with up‑to‑date safeguarding, Prevent and CONTEST knowledge and experience liaising with external agencies such as Social Care, CAMHS and police.Case Management & Decision‑Making– Skilled in managing complex caseloads across multiple sites, analysing data, making difficult decisions, and ensuring timely, effective outcomes through holistic multi‑agency working.Communication, Leadership & Professional Skills – Excellent written and verbal communication, strong attention to detail, effective relationship building, ability to lead and motivate others, and a practical, solutions‑focused approach to problem‑solving.Values, Flexibility & Compliance – Demonstrates commitment to educational values, equality and diversity, continuous improvement and safeguarding, with flexibility to travel across sites, adapt to changing demands and maintain professional boundaries.
For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.
Interviews to be held: TBC
Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational
VISION values: Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.
About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.
Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.
Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.
Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.
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