Head of Advice & Response

Job Purpose

The Head of Advice & Response provides strategic leadership and senior oversight of the University’s Safeguarding and Residence Life Welfare Teams. The postholder leads, develops and embeds activity that will shape our institutional culture in relation to student welfare and safety, safeguarding, gender-based violence, harassment, hate crime and bullying, ensuring alignment with university priorities, sector expectations, and statutory duties.

As a senior member of the Student Wellbeing Leadership Team, the postholder shapes policy, governance, and practice. They ensure the student-centred delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed, and legally compliant support, case management and welfare processes, including oversight of out of hours support for students in university residences.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide strategic leadership for the Advice & Response function, setting direction, priorities, and objectives aligned with university strategy, safeguarding duties, accommodation provision and sector expectations.
2. Lead contributor shaping institutional approaches to student welfare and risk, contributing to policy development, governance frameworks, and long-term planning as part of the Student Wellbeing Leadership Team.
3. Lead and develop the Advice & Response service, ensuring effective service delivery and standard operating procedures across the Safeguarding and Residence Life Welfare functions.
4. Oversee governance and quality assurance in relation to, case management and welfare processes, ensuring safe, consistent, and legally compliant practice. Ensuring effective out of hours support in university residences, and promoting proactive outreach, early intervention, and coordinated escalation pathways.
5. Ensure effective partnership working across Student Wellbeing, particularly with the Head of Community Engagement, Education and Prevention, to inform preventative and community-based approaches which support and improve student wellbeing.
6. Provide senior oversight of complex and high-risk cases, ensuring appropriate triage, escalation, and risk management responses, and offering expert advice to colleagues.
7. Maintain strong partnerships with Security, Accommodation Services, Student Conduct and external agencies (e.g., Police Scotland, NHS, Social Work) to support safe and effective responses to student risk.
8. Lead horizon scanning and risk identification, analysing sector developments, regulatory changes, and emerging patterns to inform preventative action and institutional planning.
9. Design and implement service wide improvements that enhance student safety, operational efficiency, and the University’s ability to respond to emerging risks and case trends.
10. Manage budgets and resources, ensuring value for money, effective capacity planning, and compliance with financial controls.
11. Analyse performance data and case management insights to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, and develop action plans that improve outcomes and service performance.
12. Ensure the competence, confidence and wellbeing of the Advice and Response team, including escalation confidence and supported decision making.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and management skills in a similar or number of different specialist roles.

A2 Strong knowledge of safeguarding, mental health, sexual violence, harassment, misconduct, hate crime, and student risk management in higher education or a comparable setting. A3 Understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion principles and relevant legislation.

A4 Ability to work effectively with diverse communities and navigate complex organisational environments.

Desirable:

B1 Registered with a statutory regulatory body for health or social care (e.g. HCPC NMC).

B2 Qualified sexual violence advocate or advisor.

Skills

Essential:

C1 Strong leadership skills, with the ability to influence, engage, and support colleagues across organisational boundaries.

C2 Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to handle sensitive and complex issues. C3 Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex information and make sound decisions.

C4 Ability to lead change, generate new ideas, and drive service improvement. C5 Effective project, resource, and budget management skills.

C6 Ability to coach and develop a team, building confidence, resilience and morale.

Experience

Essential:

E1 Significant experience managing complex, high‑risk, or escalated cases, including safeguarding and crisis response activity within a large or complex organisation.

E2 Experience leading service-wide or cross‑institutional initiatives that deliver measurable improvements aligned with strategic priorities. E3 Demonstrable experience of influencing institutional policy, governance, or strategic decision‑making through expert advice, data insight, or sector knowledge.

E4 Experience working with external agencies such as police, health, or social care partners. E5 Strong risk assessment and case management experience in high risk or demanding environments.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 8, £50,253 - £58,225 per annum.

This post is full time and open ended.

Closing date: 23:56 30th July 2026

Benefits

1. A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
2. An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension – pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.
3. A flexible approach to working.
4. A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6‑month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Applications are particularly welcome from people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under‑represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

Other Information

The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship. Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.