Job Description

Disability Officer

Department: Wellbeing and Support

Location: Salford Campus

Position Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Working Hours:37.5 hours per week

Working Pattern: Monday to Friday

Reports to: Course Director and Head of Wellbeing Service

Company Description

UK Management College (UKMC) is a growing higher education provider offering a range of business-focused and professional programmes.

Our mission is to deliver inclusive, practical, and career-oriented education that supports every learner to reach their full potential.

We work closely with experienced academics, industry partners, and wellbeing and inclusion specialists to ensure that our learning environment remains supportive, accessible, and compliant with relevant legislation.

Job Purpose

The Disability Officer will lead the operational coordination and quality assurance of disability support across UK Management College (UKMC). The postholder will manage disability disclosures and complex cases, oversee reasonable adjustments and Temporary Learning Agreements (TLAs) and inclusive teaching, learning and assessment practices, and ensure consistent, timely and confidential support from pre-enrolment to completion of study.

The Officer will lead and supervise Disability Support Tutors responsible for disability-related assessments, Learning Support Plans (LSPs), and disability-related contributions to Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs), working in partnership with Health & Safety colleagues.

Key Responsibilities

Disability Disclosure, Assessment and Case Management

• Manage disability disclosures at application, admission, enrolment and during study; contact students promptly, explain available support and obtain appropriate consent.
• Assess barriers to access and participation, review supporting evidence where relevant, and coordinate individualised reasonable adjustments without unnecessary delay.
• Provide confidential one-to-one appointments, regular case reviews and timely follow-up; record student preferences, actions, decisions, outcomes and referrals.
• Identify complex or changing needs, respond sensitively to welfare concerns and escalate safeguarding or urgent risks through established institutional procedures.

Leadership of Disability Support Tutors

• Lead, allocate and oversee Disability Support Tutors’ day-to-day work across all campuses, ensuring consistent service delivery and clear accountability.
• Supervise tutors undertaking initial needs discussions, disability-related casework, LSP preparation and review, and PEEP-related information gathering and liaison.
• Check the accuracy, quality, timeliness and implementation of tutors’ work; provide case guidance, induction, coaching and constructive feedback.
• Monitor outstanding tasks, caseloads, service standards and escalation points; report capacity or compliance risks to the Wellbeing and EDI leadership team.

Learning Support Plans (LSPs) and Temporary Learning Agreements (TLAs)

• Develop, issue, implement, review and maintain LSPs that clearly identify barriers, agreed adjustments, responsible teams and review dates.
• Work with academic teams and Personal Academic Tutors (PATs) to implement Temporary Learning Agreements (TLAs), where appropriate, and inclusive teaching, learning and assessment arrangements, including accessible learning materials, classroom participation and authorised assessment adjustments.
• Check that agreed adjustments are communicated on a need-to-know basis, actioned by the appropriate department and evaluated with the student.
• Coordinate review of LSPs following changes in health, study mode, placement, course requirements or student feedback.

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs)

• Identify students whose disability-related circumstances may require an individual emergency evacuation assessment or PEEP.
• Oversee Disability Support Tutors’ gathering of relevant student information and coordinate referrals to campus management and competent Health & Safety personnel.
• Work with Health & Safety teams to ensure PEEPs are appropriately assessed, approved, communicated to authorised staff, reviewed and updated; do not substitute disability casework for specialist fire-safety decisions.

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) and referrals

• Explain Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), including general eligibility, application routes, evidence and needs-assessment processes; assist students with enquiries and applications without guaranteeing an award.
• Coordinate referrals to specialist assessors, assistive technology, wellbeing, safeguarding or external services, and track follow-up actions.

Records, Partnership working and Service Quality

• Maintain the Disability Registry, case notes, evidence, consent records, LSPs, PEEP-related referrals and review logs securely and in accordance with UK GDPR, data protection and institutional retention policies.
• Liaise with Admissions, Student Services, Wellbeing, EDI, academic teams, PATs, examinations and assessments teams, campus operations and Health & Safety.
• Monitor case response times, LSP and PEEP referral progress, scheduled reviews, student feedback and agreed key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Produce accurate management information and audit-ready reports; recommend improvements to accessibility, inclusive practice and student experience.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications and Professional Knowledge

• A relevant qualification in disability support, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), inclusive education, student support, social care, psychology or a closely related discipline; or demonstrably equivalent professional experience.
• Relevant disability-support training or certification, for example disability awareness, SEND/inclusive practice, reasonable adjustments, autism or neurodiversity support, mental health awareness, or assistive technology.
• Working knowledge of the Equality Act 2010, reasonable adjustments, confidentiality, safeguarding, UK GDPR and disability-inclusive practice in a UK education setting.
• Sound understanding of LSPs, DSA processes, disability-related needs assessments, Temporary Learning Agreements (TLAs) and the purpose of PEEPs, including the distinct responsibilities of Health & Safety specialists.

Essential Experience and Skills

• Substantial practical experience supporting disabled learners or service users, including confidential case management, needs assessment and coordinated follow-up.
• Experience preparing or reviewing individual support plans and working with teaching, assessment or service-delivery teams to implement adjustments.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, coordinating or quality-checking colleagues’ work, with the ability to lead Disability Support Personal Academic Tutors across multiple sites.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, professional judgement, accurate record keeping, digital literacy and the ability to manage competing deadlines sensitively and independently.

Desirable

• Experience in UK higher education or further education disability services, including DSA support and cross-campus delivery.
• Relevant accredited training or professional development in disability advice, inclusive teaching, assistive technology, safeguarding or case management.
• Experience of disability registers, reporting, audits, service KPIs and collaborating on PEEP arrangements with Health & Safety teams.

Key Terminology

DSA – Disabled Students’ Allowance | LSP – Learning Support Plan | TLA – Temporary Learning Agreement | PEEP – Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan| PAT – Personal Academic Tutor | EDI – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

UKMC is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates. Appointment will be subject to relevant recruitment and pre-employment checks.