Assistant Head
| Posting date: | 25 November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £35,000 to £40,000 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Competitive |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 24 December 2025 |
| Location: | Corbridge, NE45 5RJ |
| Company: | The Cambian Group |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 22018 |
Summary
The Cambian Group is one of the largest providers of specialist behavioural health services for children and adults in the UK. Our work in the UK embraces many specialist services including children’s specialist education, children’s residential services, adult mental health, acquired brain injury and fostering services.
Cambian Dilston College is an independent specialist provider of further education in the North East of England, offering 38-week, 52-week residential as well as day placements for young people with learning difficulties, Autism, challenging behaviour and complex needs. The young people that attend our college range between 16 and 25 years of age.
The role
The Assistant Head (Education/Residential) is responsible for supporting both the Head of Care and Head of Education, whilst managing staff during college hours across care and education teams.
Main Responsibilities
- Coordinate day to day operations to ensure all students receive high-quality education and support.
- Maintain and update the education timetable in Databridge promptly, as directed by the Head of Education.
- Oversee the accurate and effective deployment of staffing within education time, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.
- Agreeing overtime and booking of agency staff for Education and Care, where appropriate and in line with the needs of the business.
- Ensure all practices comply with Ofsted and CQC standards and support with preparation for inspections.
- Provide leadership, guidance and mentoring to staff to promote professional development and high quality practice.
- Foster positive relationships with parents, carers and external agencies to support holistic care and education.
- Analyse performance data to identify trends and implement improvement plans in collaboration with senior leaders.
- Support staff to facilitate high levels of student attendance and engagement in education.
- Be one of the Designated Safeguarding Officers (DSO), undertaking appropriate training, dealing with safeguarding issues when needed.
Requirements
- 2 Years of Management experience in an Education or Care setting (experience of Ofsted and/or CQC is essential)
- A recognised teaching qualification or Level 3+ Social Care Qualification
- Experience working with adults in a care/educational setting.
- Experience of working with people with sever learning difficulties, challenging behaviour or mental health issues.
- Knowledge of Ofsted, SEND CoP and Care Quality Commission (CQC) and inspection regimes.
Requirements for an Enhanced DBS and reference checking will be undertaken in line with government regulations and safer recruitment best practice. Whilst we endeavour to keep the recruitment process as short as possible due to the nature of these important checks it may extend the processing time. All young people are equally entitled to have their needs met in a fair and balanced way. Cambian Group employees are responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all and for challenging behaviour or practice which discriminates against any young person or colleague on the grounds of race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference.
We will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will be purely based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the search and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.