Quality and Student Services Manager

Location: High Pavement House, Sutton-in-Ashfield

Contract Type: Full-time

Closing Date: 31 August 2025

Salary: Hay Band C (£42,708 - £47,754 FTE)

Specific Hours: 37 hours per week

Quality and Student Services Manager

Hours: 37 Hours Per Week

Interview Date: w/c 15th September 2025

Closing Date: 31st August 2025

Salary: Hay Band C (£42,708 - £47,754 FTE)

**Once you have submitted your application, please email recruitment@inspireculture.org.uk with your name, vacancy title and application reference so that we can check that your application has been received**

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a high quality (Ofsted Grade 2 - Good) Adult Community Education Service that supports the residents of Nottinghamshire.

You will have experience of working in Further Education in a quality role, and will have experience of both non-accredited, accredited and 16 to 18 provision (including High Needs Learners). You will also be familiar with Ofsted Inspection Frameworks, and will have participated in successful Ofsted inspections in an FE environment in the past.

You will have experience of supporting the recruitment of learners to FE provision, (both adults and young people) and will have management experience of a small team. You will be responsible for managing Inspire Learning's Quality Assurance programmes and for managing a small team of dedicated learner recruitment, Information Advice and Guidance Officers and IT support colleagues.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff to share this commitment and undergo appropriate checks.  As such, this post will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

If you would like to find out more about this exciting new opportunity, then please don't hesitate to contact Ian Bond, Director of Learning, on 07766134031 for an informal discussion about this role.

 

Job Description

Job Title: Quality and Student Support Manager    

Grade Hay C

 

Job Purpose 

To be responsible for all aspects of quality assurance across Inspire Learning’s programmes.

To support the Head of Adult Learning to ensure that the relationship with the Learning Service’s subcontractors is successful and that the Service’s subcontractors have a level of quality at least as good as directly delivered provision.

To lead the Service’s Student Support function.

To lead on Inspire Learning’s training and continued professional development of staff. 

 

Key Responsibilities

  1. To be accountable for effective performance of Inspire Learning as measured by Ofsted and to lead the preparations for Ofsted inspection ensuring that the service is ready for inspection
  2. Leading the Self Assessemnt and QIP processes, while ensuring that all policies and procedures are kept up to date and good practice embedded across the service
  3. Supporting managers and tutors to use the service’s MIS system to constanty monitor performance, including monitoring learner destinations and progression
  4. To support subcontracting arrangements in liaison with Nottinghamshire County Council
  5. To lead the Service’s Student Support function
  6. To provide reports to the learning and skills committee and to Nottinghamshire County Council
  7. To act as the Service’s deputy nominee in the case of an Ofsted inspection
  8. To lead the Service’s Observation of Teaching Learning and Assessment (OTLA)
  9. To act as To lead on all equlity and diversity and to champion learner voice. To be the Service’s lead on Safeguarding and on Health and Safety
  10. The post holder will work in accordance with all Inspire policies and procedures, Inspire Brand guidelines, contractual requirements, and professional best practice
  11. The post holder will perform any duties or tasks assigned by management required to meet service needs as appropriate to the role
  12. The post holder will assume the role of Appointed Person and/or First Aider as required

 

Education and Knowledge Required for the role

  1. Hold or be working towards a relevant level 5 or above teaching qualification accredited by the QCA
  2. To have a relevant L3 work place assessors’ qualification
  3. Degree in a related discipline or considerable relevant experience of successfully delivering the quality of FE provision
  4. GCSE A - C or equivalent in Math's and English and ICT qualification at Level 2
  5. Experience of leading the embedding of cross-curricula quality and effective OTLA processes
  6. Ability to establish and exceed demanding KPIs and performance targets for the Service’s provision.
  7. Knowledge of safeguarding and Prevent policies and procedures
  8. Understanding Ofsted inspection requirements and quality standards relating to learning
  9. Awareness of health and safety issues and knowledge of relevant legislation

 

Skills and Experience

  1. 3 years’ experience of operating within a Young People’s or Adult and Community learning context
  2. Experience of leading an area of Further Education provision
  3. Experience of actively promoting effective equality, diversity and inclusion in an FE environment. 

 

Role Dimensions

  1. To effectively lead the quality assurance process for the service area to move from Good to Outstanding.
  2. Experience of line managing multi-disciplinary teams to ensure that their effectiveness is maximised.
  3. Experience of developing an appropriate quality assurance system and processes for an evolving, growing and complex FE provider
  4. Experience of creating a culture that enables learners and staff to excel, in which staff reflect on and debate the way they teach, and learners take pride in their achievements.
  5. Experience of ensuring that Fundamental British Values safeguarding and Prevent are at the heart of the work of the whole organisation.

 

Inspire Competencies

 

Customer Service (Competency Level 4) 

  1. Demonstrates effective customer service skills – in person, online, email or on the phone - identifies and satisfies customer needs, adjusting their style with a friendly and professional approach as appropriate for the customer, respecting confidentiality, equality & diversity and prioritises the customer over tasks where appropriate
  2. Responds positively to customer concerns, acts to resolve or reassure customers as needed, agrees solutions with the customer or hands over to an appropriate colleague
  3. Responds positively to any complaint or suggestion and seeks to resolve it within limits of their authority or hands over to a more senior manager as appropriate
  4. Monitors, analyses and acts upon customer service data to maintain and/or improve the service. Considers the impact on customers when implementing change

 

Deliver the service offer (Competency Level 5) 

  1. Knows and/or accesses information to advise and promote the Inspire Service Offer to all customers – to meet their immediate needs and other services that could be of interest or benefit them
  2. Embraces any changes to the offer and any associated changes to processes or working practices positively, takes responsibility for their own development and engages with and makes the most of development opportunities provided
  3. Shares feedback about the Inspire offer with their line manager and contributes to meetings, discussions and related activities to ensure service delivery and/or improve our offer
  4. Leads work to develop, enhance or create new elements of the Inspire service offer and where appropriate ensure there is an integrated customer offer and journey
  5. Takes a strategic view of the Inspire Offer – across all services, benchmarking against comparable organisations and acts to change the offer in light of changing customer demand, circumstances or financial constraints.

 

Communicating well (Competency Level 5) 

  1. Communicates clearly and effectively in person, on the phone and in writing respectfully and in a style appropriate to the person and situation and uses and engages with Inspire’s online communications
  2. Communicates effectively in a meeting or other group situation, respectfully and in a style appropriate to the group and situation with a solutions-based / can-do approach
  3. Debates, positively challenges and/or discusses issues with colleagues and line manager, sharing views and acknowledging and respecting the views of others, seeks to reach agreement and respects the final decision made
  4. Communicates complex information concisely and clearly using the most effective means, negotiates effectively across teams, services or with external partners and reaches agreement with all affected parties
  5. Communicates effectively across all Inspire, with external partners and stakeholders, directly and through all appropriate indirect channels with clear messages that are understood

 

Working together (Competency Level 5) 

  1. Adopts a friendly, helpful, supportive and respectful manner when working with others
  2. Acts in a way that shows they are trustworthy, reliable and transparent in their dealings with others, respecting privacy and confidentiality as appropriate
  3. Forms positive and effective working relationships, makes and implements decisions fairly, using good judgement and with integrity, in line with Inspire values and role modelling Inspire management and leadership behaviours
  4. Forms and maintains effective internal and external working relationships across the organisation, with external partners, stakeholders and funding organisations, motivated by achieving the best for our customers and in the best interests of all concerned
  5. Forms and maintains effective, ethical internal and external working relationships at an organisation wide and partner organisation level, supported by agreed contracts and/or service level agreements

 

Managing others (Competency Level 4) 

  1. Effectively supervises and supports the day-to-day activities of a colleague(s) to enable them to perform their duties, planning and co-ordinating the activity of colleague(s) to deliver tasks or activities over time to meet service demand effectively and efficiently
  2. Manages and reviews performance and attendance of individuals effectively, setting goals, agreeing targets, and organises training as needed, tackling poor performance or attendance if required using Inspire policies
  3. Manages their team and indirect teams effectively, empowering them to perform well, monitoring group performance against service targets and acting proactively and positively in response to performance data to ensure service delivery targets are met
  4. Conducts investigations in the event of discipline or grievance fairly and respectfully, communicating findings and making recommendations ethically and in the best interest of all parties
  5. Manages and deploys teams across the service to best effect to deliver Inspire’s contractual and service level agreement obligations and meet strategic objectives and business plans

 

Leading the way (Competency Level 4) 

  1. Incorporates the spirit of Inspire’s mission, vision and values in the work they do with customers, colleagues and stakeholders, plays their part in implementing Inspire policies and procedures and management decisions
  2. Articulates and shares Inspire’s mission, vision and values to enthuse and focus the efforts of colleagues
  3. Contributes to the decision-making process, stands by decisions made and owns them when implementing them
  4. Makes decisions in the best interest of Inspire, its customers, staff and stakeholders that are sound, ethical, socially responsible, shares rationale for them, implements them and stands by them

 

Working efficiently and cost effectively (Competency Level 4) 

  1. Uses Inspire resources and their time effectively to meet service demand, objectives and/or targets
  2. Plans ahead, making best use of time and resources available to achieve service delivery, maximising the use of technology available, minimising unnecessary travel or waste, prioritising work and working within spending limits
  3. Resolves competing or conflicting demand for resources and time effectively to meet the needs of themselves, colleagues and customers
  4. Manages a budget, forecasting activity and required spend, monitors service activity and actual spend and takes pro-active action to ensure budget target and/or savings targets are met

 

Skills and qualifications (Competency Level 6) 

  1. GCSE (Grades 1-31 [previously D-G]) or Level 1 Diploma (Foundation) Including: Good verbal communication skills – willing to or working towards Level 2 English and Maths
  2. GCSE (Grades 4-91 [previously A-C]) Inc. English and Maths or Level 2 Diploma (1st Diploma) Including: Demonstrable IT Skills (Inspire Recruitment Activity/test)
  • Use of Internet – information searching
  • Microsoft Office – Basic Skills
  • Good verbal and written communication skills
  1. A level / A2 Level / AS level or Level 3 Extended Diploma or Level 3 National Certificate
  2. Newly Qualified or working towards: Diploma or Service Specific qualification or relevant HNC
    or
    Experienced Qualified (3 years or more): Diploma or Service Specific qualification or relevant HNC
  3. Newly Qualified or working towards: Foundation Degree or Service Specific qualification or relevant HND
    or
    Experienced Qualified (3 years or more): Foundation Degree or Service Specific qualification or relevant HND
  4. Newly Qualified or working towards: Degree or Service Specific qualification
    or
    Experienced Qualified (3 years or more): Degree or Service Specific qualification

 

**Once you have submitted your application, please email recruitment@inspireculture.org.uk with your name, vacancy title and application reference so that we can check that your application has been received**

Apply now