Lay Member Council jobs

About Us:

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF REGINA’S CARE, SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT

Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES) is a world of extraordinary stories, where inspirational people help our residents acquire new knowledge and skills on the hundreds of courses we offer. People like Regina, are dedicated to encouraging learners as they navigate the world of study and assisting them as they develop their careers.

Regina started at WAES as an Admissions Temp in 2008 through an agency for a 2-week booking. She excelled in this role and was asked to stay on a permanent basis. Regina loved this role as she was able to support and make a difference to people's lives.

Regina always wanted to support people, help them focus on their dreams and make a positive impact on their lives, so when the new posts of Career and Learning Development Officers came up, she didn’t think twice about embracing the challenges of the role. And now her days are spent welcoming new learners, guiding them on their journeys and pointing them in the direction of opportunities they might never have known about before. With the financial support of WAES, Regina is about to finish her Level 6 qualification in Careers Information Education Advice and Guidance.

Yassir is one of her many success stories – born in Sudan, his father’s work meant he moved to a different country every few years, until at the age of 12 he found himself in the UK. He stayed here for a while before moving back to Sudan, but then war broke out and he returned to the UK. He applied for a place at King’s College London and started his studies before falling seriously ill and was forced to drop out. When he recovered, Yassir didn’t know where his future lay but was single-minded in his determination to make something of his life, so he joined WAES and started studying with us, which is when he met Regina. She helped him with his university application, and he is now studying Molecular Genetics at Sheffield University.

Regina is at the heart of our commitment to the residents of Westminster, and her dedication and determination to seek out the best in people is what makes her such an inspiration to her colleagues and the learners she works with.

To find out more about the amazing work WAES does, visit waes.ac.uk

The Role:

As a Welfare Officer, you too can make a powerful contribution. As part of our Learner Development team, you will offer essential support and guidance to adult learners, helping them to overcome barriers, and achieve their goals. This role is well-suited to someone who is empathetic, proactive and enjoys working with people, as you’ll have the opportunity to have a genuine impact on learners, colleagues and the organisation.

We meet adults that face multiple barriers to achieving their learning potential. They may be homeless, vulnerable, living in temporary accommodation, or struggling with mental illness. On welcome days and enrolment periods, you will identify any barriers that are impacting learning. From there, you’ll manage our Learning Bursary and advise learners on the welfare and wellbeing support they could benefit from. You will be working alongside Safeguarding and across all Academic and Business Support Department to offer comprehensive support for the learner. At times, you’ll refer the learner to an external organisation. It’s necessary that you’re a clear communicator with the ability to build a rapport with a wide range of people. You will maintain high standards of professionalism and confidentiality when dealing with colleagues, customers, clients, learners, stakeholders, parents, carers and guardians.

It will also be your responsibility to keep up-to-date records of learners and their requirements. To stay effective, you’ll read up on any relevant legislation, practices and procedures.

We are an experienced, positive and driven team. Our work can be challenging – and very rewarding.

Please refer to the Job Description for more information.

About You:

We’re looking for someone familiar with the Learner Bursary application process. You’ve supported learners that are ‘at-risk’ of not completing their course, this may have included vulnerable individuals. You’ll also bring a good understanding of safeguarding.

Alongside this, you’ll bring experience working in a busy office environment, where you’ve had to be organised and flexible. This has given you excellent administrative and record-keeping skills. You can conduct analysis using spreadsheets and databases, then confidently disseminate the information. Plus, you’re able to write clear and concise letters and minutes.

You are comfortable working independently and managing your own priorities. At the same time, you’re happy to be an active member of the team. We’d like you to be proactive about developing working relationships with individuals at all levels, so that you can promote Curriculum areas and WAES priorities.

We’d like you to be willing to complete a Safeguarding Level 3, counselling and/or welfare qualification. You’ll have Level 2 (GCSE) Maths and English.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role.

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe. At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is Our Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/

As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.

The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.