Associate Lecturer – Health and Social Care OR Childcare

Role: Associate Lecturer – Health and Social Care OR Childcare

Location: Bedford College – Cauldwell Street Campus

Salary/Benefits: £23.50 per hour

Hours/Weeks: Varied – Full or Part Time hours can be offered

Contract Type: Sessional – Hourly Paid

About the role:

We are currently seeking an Associate Lecturer in either Health and Social Care or Childcare to join our Care, Childcare and Counselling department at The Bedford College Group.

As a Lecturer, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• Teaching & Learning Delivery – Plan, deliver, assess, and verify a range of subject specialisms across various levels, ensuring high-quality, inclusive learning experiences tailored to individual student needs.
• Student Progress & Support – Monitor and record student progress, provide timely feedback, and support learners in achieving their goals through effective guidance, reporting, and intervention strategies.
• Curriculum & Quality Development – Contribute to curriculum innovation, develop engaging learning materials, and participate in internal quality assurance, course reviews, and self-assessment processes.
• Engagement & Promotion – Support marketing activities, conduct student interviews, and participate in open days and events to promote programmes and enhance student recruitment and retention.
• Professional Standards & Compliance – Maintain up-to-date industry knowledge through CPD, uphold safeguarding, equality, and health & safety standards, and complete all administrative tasks accurately and on time.

About you:

• Qualifications & Industry Knowledge – Holds a Level 3 or higher qualification in Health and Social Care OR Childcare (or related subject), GCSEs in English and Maths, and ideally a Certificate in Education (or willingness to work towards it).
• Vocational Experience & Sector Insight – Brings relevant industry experience, up-to-date knowledge of the health and social care sector, and an understanding of current developments and best practices.
• Professionalism & Values – Demonstrates high performance, strong organisational skills, and alignment with college values (Student Centred, Educational Excellence, Teamwork, Continuous Improvement, Caring, Inclusive).
• Communication & Collaboration – Communicates confidently across all platforms, builds strong relationships with colleagues and students, and contributes positively to a respectful and inclusive team environment.
• Safeguarding & Flexibility – Committed to safeguarding and professional boundaries, with a flexible approach to working hours and locations, and a dedication to ongoing professional development.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held: TBC

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisationalVISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork – We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously – We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred – At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive – We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring – We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence – We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

What is an Associate?
Associates work on a short term basis as assigned. They teach or provide support services and they work with and are supported by core staff. As an Associate you will be issued with an Associate agreement, under this Agreement period you will be eligible to work on assignments offered to you. Typically an agreement runs from January to December and may be renewed thereafter.

About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group’s policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.

Documents

TBCG Ex-Offenders Policy.pdf

JD & PS – AL Lecturer in Health and Social Care.docx