Senior Student Disability Adviser

Job overview

As Senior Student Disability Adviser you will provide a full range of efficient and effective services and interventions for disabled students, contributing to high‑quality advice delivery and supporting the Trust to meet its duties under the Equality Act 2010.

You will work sensitively with students with a range of disabilities including mental health conditions, sensory impairments, specific learning differences, long‑term health conditions and physical difficulties or differences. You will collaborate with colleagues across student support services and Tavistock Education and Training to support and advise disabled students and staff, delivering a positive learning experience.

You will have an in‑depth understanding of learning support and accessibility in higher education, as well as developments in Assistive Technology. You will work closely with the Student Support and Engagement Team to realise our disability strategic plan, including developing procedures, delivering training, contributing to a case‑management system, and progressing the Disabled Students Commitment.

Your work will be informed by the social model of disability. You will manage a student caseload, identifying and coordinating individual adjustments that remove disabling barriers to study, and providing advice and training for colleagues on inclusive teaching and learning practices.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a reflective and empathetic individual who has significant experience in the field of disability support within an education setting. The postholder will have excellent interpersonal skills and in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Equality Act, subscribing to the social model of disability. They will also be experienced at assessing needs and recommending appropriate and proportionate supports for a range of disabilities, conditions and neurodivergences. The team handles a high volume of complex cases, and so excellent organisation and systems or process management is essential.

The main duties of the job include:

• Developing and maintaining excellent working relationships and communication with a range of staff, students and other stakeholders
• Providing support and advice to students and staff, relating to disability, accessibility and reasonable adjustments
• Enhancing and maintaining effective processes and services relating to student support services
• Delivering training and development to key stakeholders
• Attending regular training and development and keeping up-to-date with best practice

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Work closely with the Student Support Coordinator to ensure seamless day-to-day delivery of disability support services, providing operational guidance and coordination on casework and student-facing activities.
• Manage a caseload of disabled students advising on, and coordinating, adjustments and support which facilitates access to study. This includes liaison with external agencies such as Student Finance England, non-medical help providers and equipment suppliers.
• Hold one-to-one meetings with disabled students to assess support needs, coordinate provision, and build the relationship between the student, their support package, and the institution.
• Undertake in-house Needs Assessments for students as required, identifying appropriate support from within available provision or proposing additional, non-standard adjustments with a clear rationale, including in relation to any associated costings.
• Monitor the implementation of Student Accessibility Plans (SAPs), ensuring adjustments are in place in a timely manner, tracking individual review dates and following up with students and staff as needed.
• Agree and arrange Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPS) for students who require them, working with the Trust’s Health, Safety and Estates teams to ensure plans are in place and reviewed regularly.
• Exercise professional judgement in navigating disclosure decisions, including advising students on the implications of not sharing information with course teams, recognising where duty of care obligations may require confidentiality to be overridden in the interests of safety.
• Recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, escalating risks in line with Trust policies and statutory requirements, working collaboratively with relevant teams to ensure student safety and wellbeing.

This is not an exhaustive list, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.