Core purpose

Provide the day-to-day backbone of student support: line-manage mentors, build mentor capability, triage wellbeing concerns, and strengthen academic/pastoral support and referral pathways so the Future Leaders Programme Manager can remain focused on programme build-out and strategic leadership.

Key responsibilities

Line management of mentors

• Supervise mentors through regular 1:1s, team meetings, and performance support.
• Clarify role expectations, standardize mentor practice, and build mentor confidence.
• Implement mentor routines (case reviews, planning, documentation standards, escalation discipline).

Mentor capability building

• Train mentors in coaching fundamentals, boundaries, safeguarding basics, and difficult conversations.
• Create practical tools and resources (conversation guides, referral steps, academic support checklists).
• Support mentors to provide consistent, age-appropriate guidance and follow-through.

Student support triage (mental health awareness and referral)

• Provide accessible first/second-line wellbeing support (not clinical therapy).
• Identify concerns early, document appropriately, and refer/escalate to professionals or partners when needed.
• Maintain a clear referral directory and ensure safe handling of sensitive information.

Academic and pastoral support

• Support students’ study routines, sleep discipline, exam preparation behaviours, and general school-life coping.
• Work closely with house parents (pastoral care) and mentors (frontline support/coaching) so students don’t fall through gaps.
• Flag patterns (attendance dips, repeated behaviour issues, academic drops) and coordinate early interventions.

Operational interface with the school

• Coordinate with school coordinators/teachers on student issues within agreed escalation pathways.
• Keep the Future Leaders Programme Manager informed of trends and high-risk cases without overloading them with day-to-day detail.

Wellbeing systems and prevention

• Establish preventative wellbeing activities (group sessions, stress management, peer support structures).
• Support safeguarding reporting lines and ensure the mentor team acts in line with safeguarding standards.
• Contribute to a culture of wellbeing and psychology safety

Person specification (essential)

• Strong experience working with adolescents/young people in education or youth support settings.
• Proven people management capability (supervision, coaching, accountability, confidence-building).
• Practical mental health awareness and referral competence (recognize, support, escalate appropriately).
• Safeguarding-literate: understands confidentiality boundaries and escalation routes.
• Calm, trusted communicator with strong judgement and cultural sensitivity.
• Ability to create structure and consistency in a team that is still developing its professional confidence.

Person specification (desirable)

• Prior pastoral/wellbeing role in a school, residential programme, or youth organization.
• Mental Health First Aid or equivalent training.
• Coaching qualification or demonstrated mentoring leadership experience.
• Experience supporting Community Engagement Learning reflection and managing pastoral risk across activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred (education, youth work, psychology, social work, counselling-related fields).

• Supervise mentors through regular 1:1s, team meetings, and performance support.
• Clarify role expectations, standardize mentor practice, and build mentor confidence.
• Implement mentor routines (case reviews, planning, documentation standards, escalation discipline).
• Train mentors in coaching fundamentals, boundaries, safeguarding basics, and difficult conversations.
• Create practical tools and resources (conversation guides, referral steps, academic support checklists).
• Support mentors to provide consistent, age-appropriate guidance and follow-through.
• Provide accessible first/second-line wellbeing support (not clinical therapy).
• Identify concerns early, document appropriately, and refer/escalate to professionals or partners when needed.
• Maintain a clear referral directory and ensure safe handling of sensitive information.
• Support students’ study routines, sleep discipline, exam preparation behaviours, and general school-life coping.
• Work closely with house parents (pastoral care) and mentors (frontline support/coaching) so students don’t fall through gaps.
• Flag patterns (attendance dips, repeated behaviour issues, academic drops) and coordinate early interventions.
• Coordinate with school coordinators/teachers on student issues within agreed escalation pathways.
• Keep the Future Leaders Programme Manager informed of trends and high-risk cases without overloading them with day-to-day detail.
• Establish preventative wellbeing activities (group sessions, stress management, peer support structures).
• Support safeguarding reporting lines and ensure the mentor team acts in line with safeguarding standards.
• Contribute to a culture of wellbeing and psychology safety

• People management
• Coaching
• Accountability
• Confidence-building
• Mental health awareness
• Referral competence
• Safeguarding literacy
• Confidentiality
• Communication
• Judgement
• Cultural sensitivity
• Ability to create structure and consistency

• Strong experience working with adolescents/young people in education or youth support settings.
• Proven people management capability (supervision, coaching, accountability, confidence-building).
• Practical mental health awareness and referral competence (recognize, support, escalate appropriately).
• Safeguarding-literate: understands confidentiality boundaries and escalation routes.
• Calm, trusted communicator with strong judgement and cultural sensitivity.
• Ability to create structure and consistency in a team that is still developing its professional confidence.
• Prior pastoral/wellbeing role in a school, residential programme, or youth organization (desirable).
• Mental Health First Aid or equivalent training (desirable).
• Coaching qualification or demonstrated mentoring leadership experience (desirable).
• Experience supporting Community Engagement Learning reflection and managing pastoral risk across activities (desirable).