Overview:  

Purpose of the role  

The Senior Student Mentor (SSM) is responsible for leading the Welfare team and ensuring pastoral care for every student is of high standard. The SSM is a main support of the Welfare Manager (WM) to ensure that all BSC YL safeguarding provisions are followed. The Senior Student Mentor plays a key role in ensuring students experience a safe and enjoyable stay at our Young Learners centres. The SSM helps guide and advise the welfare team on the ground and reports directly to the WM for any additional support.

Main Duties & Responsibilities 

House Duties & Pastoral Care

• Be responsible for student welfare.
• Lead, guide and advise the welfare team on the ground.
• Help the WM train the Welfare team.
• Cover any of the welfare teams’ absences or days off when required.
• Ensure high standards of student behaviour.
• Ensure each student’s dietary/religious needs are met.
• Perform all residential duties in a professional manner.
• Monitor students’ regular medication requirements.
• Attend the hospital or Doctors with a student, if/when required.
• Be responsible for unwell students and maintain medical records.
• Maintain high level of tidiness and liaise with Housekeeping as necessary.
• Support the Welfare Manager to manage the laundry system.
• Report any disciplinary issues to the Centre Manager and Welfare Manager. 
• Gave daily meetings with assigned group of individuals.
• Act as a welfare point of contact for individual students.
• Communicate any welfare concerns to the Welfare Manager. 
• Help students settle into life in the centre and the UK, ensuring that they have the correct. information regarding personal safety, centre rules and UK Law.  
• Support the Welfare Manager during student induction, orientation and creating Welcome Packs (ensuring that each student has a fully completed ID card and a wristband).  
• Support the Welfare Manager to record accidents, issues or incidents and note action taken relating to student welfare.
• Support Welfare manager with laundry requirements.
• Cover the Welfare manager duties on their day off.
• Carry out meal time, free time and night time supervision duties as required. 
• Check for student absences from classes by doing classroom checks and following up on absences.  
• To monitor and supervise the centre sickbay when it is occupied.
• Assist the Welfare Manager to ensure that residences are cleaned and maintained to a high standard at all times. 
• Be a role model for International students. 

Centre  

• Work with Centre Manager, Welfare Manager and Centre Administrator to ensure smooth running of Houses.
• Build rapport with the residence and work closely with them to resolve any rooming problems.
• Assist CM and WM on arrival and departure days.
• Assist CM and WM with rooming allocations.
• Assist CM and WM with leading and recording fire drills.
• Ensure all information on emergencies/fire drills/Health & Safety is displayed correctly and clearly.
• Respond to all requests/correspondence from Management in a timely fashion.
• Inform CM of any issues/incidents immediately.
• Be aware of all BSC YL regulations and procedures. 
• Actively encourage participation whilst hosting Student journey questionnaires. 

 Social Programme

• Participate in activities enthusiastically as per timetable.
• Encourage all students to participate fully in the activity programme.
• Promote and update the activity programme using posters, noticeboards, sign-up sheets and in communicating with the students.
• Manage time appropriately by arriving early to set up activity and gather resources. 
• Attend and participate in activity team meetings.
• Accompany and fully supervise students on excursions.
• Be familiar with excursion destination and itinerary.
• Ensure safety of students at all times.
• Attend and participate in pre-excursion briefings. 
• Communicate the weather forecast to the group before leaving so they are prepared.
• Ensure students are wearing their lanyards containing their school ID, emergency contact information and wristbands.
• Ensure students are wearing appropriate clothing for the weather. For example, a jacket for rain, etc.
• Complete a student register before leaving on the bus.
• Carry a first aid kit on the excursion.
• Complete regular head counts and dynamic risk assessments. 
• Consult the Risk Assessment before every excursion.  
• Cover assigned social programme duties of ‘off-duty’ Activity Leaders.  

Transfers  

• Carry out duties associated with the transfer of students on arrival and departure days as required by the Centre Manager.
• Prepare a plan with your activity manager to get to the airport for an appropriate time.
• If necessary, take a printed Unaccompanied minor form with a form of your ID.
• Monitor the flight progress with the flight number to stay up to date with arrival time.
• Arrive to the gate early to give plenty of time for early flights.
• Ensure you collect a packed lunch before departing to the airport. 
• Arrive at the airport neat, clean and presentable. 
• Keep in contact with the coach drivers or taxi companies as you wait at the gate. 
• Wear the BSC branded green uniform.

Child Protection and Safeguarding 

• To promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young persons you are responsible for and come into contact with.
• To adhere to the BSC Young Leaners Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.
• Ensure student ratios are maintained in accordance with site rules BSC Young Leaners Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.
• Complete online Safeguarding for Young Learners (Level 1) before arrival and complete an in-person refresher during on-site induction.

 Other 

In addition to the above, Welfare Leaders are required to: 

• Work positively as part of a team.
• Demonstrate a positive attitude.
• Attend and participate in all centre team meetings.
• Act according to accepted professional standards at all times.
• Make sure you are clean, neat and presentable during working hours.
• Comply with the BSC uniform policy.
• On rare occasions, you may be asked to serve food.
• Act in the welfare of the students at all times.
• Comply with centre and BSC YL rules and regulations. 
• Ask your manager on any policy that you are unsure about.
• To carry out any duties as may be reasonably assigned by the Centre or Welfare Manager. 

*If your interview is successful, you will be invited to attend one of BSC YL’s ‘Assessment Days’ for Activity and Welfare Leaders in which you will have a chance to meet other prospective candidates, ask questions about what to expect and gain more insight into how the centres work.

Conditions 

• Competitive weekly salary which is dependent on experience. Pay scale available on request.
  Accommodation (where applicable) and meals are provided.
  42-45 hours per week. Some working hours may be unsociable due to evening activities, night duties (if residential) and varying times of student arrivals/departures.
  There is at least one full day off per week. (To be agreed with the CM at the centre.)
• Activity Leaders and Welfare Leaders are provided with two BSC YL t-shirts or polo shirts and a BSC jacket. Uniform is compulsory when on duty. 
• All references will be followed up and any gaps in CVs will need to be explained.
• Reference requests will ask specifically whether there is any reason that they should not be employed in situations where they have responsibility for, or substantial access to, persons under 18. 
• Criminal background checks in the form of a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) for UK residents, Garda Vetting for Irish residents, PVG for Scotland, ‘Conduct Certificate’ Malta as well as a police check from your country of residence (if not a UK or Irish resident) will be requested.
• Proof of identity and qualifications will be required. Only those with the right to work in the UK, Ireland, France or Malta are eligible for any BSC YL position.
• Team employees should provide evidence of being double vaccinated against COVID19. Failing this, a thorough Covid19 risk assessment and safety protocols will need to be followed at the centre where any contracts are offered.