Student Mentor

Job Description

Salary: £25,000 per annum

Location: New College Lanarkshire College, Motherwell

Contract/Hours: Fixed Term contract until June 2026 (with possible extension) / Full Time – 37 hours per week

Closing date for applications is midnight of Sunday 8th January and interviews are scheduled to take place on 17th February

Benefits

• 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave
• Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities
• Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages
• Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover
• Staff discount portal and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts.

We are one of the largest children’s charities in the UK and have been making a difference to the lives of the UK’s vulnerable children for over 150 years.

A bit about the role

Looking to make a real difference in the lives of young people across Motherwell? This is a wonderful opportunity to join a forward thinking mentoring service that’s helping students stay engaged, confident, and thriving in college.

Our STAY mentoring service offers dedicated, one to one support to young people who are most at risk of leaving their studies early. As a Student Mentor, you’ll become a steady, encouraging presence for 16-26 year olds who may be finding college life overwhelming or who are facing personal barriers that make it harder for them to reach their full potential.

You’ll be part of a passionate, energetic team who believe deeply in empowering young people. Together, you’ll help them settle into college life, build resilience, and discover pathways to success-both during their studies and long after they’ve moved on. Your support will stay with them as you help them navigate challenges, celebrate progress, and nurture their confidence. It’s a role where your impact truly matters.

Whether you’re just beginning your journey in social care with a new qualification, or you already have experience supporting young people through difficult circumstances, this could be the perfect next step. It’s a chance to grow, to inspire, and to be part of something genuinely meaningful.

How you’ll help to create brighter futures

Some key responsibilities of the Student Mentor role include:

• Offering supportive guidance to students both on campus and out in the community.
• Standing alongside young people as they navigate key challenges in their lives, from housing worries to low confidence, motivation, family or community pressures and providing advocacy when they need a voice.
• Helping students build practical budgeting skills and strengthen their financial confidence.
• Providing dedicated support to care experienced young people, young carers, and estranged students to help them stay engaged and succeed in their courses.
• Creating and delivering tailored workshops that equip both staff and students with helpful information and tools.
• Coordinating a vibrant programme of cross campus events that encourage personal growth, progression, and employability and collaborating with colleagues to open up new opportunities for students’ futures.

Let’s talk about you

• An SVQ 3 in Social Care, Guidance, or a similar field would be helpful – though we warmly welcome applicants who bring strong relevant experience, even without a formal qualification.
• Experience supporting vulnerable young people both one to one and in group environments.
• A solid understanding of the challenges young people face, including the impact of unemployment and other barriers to progression.
• Previous experience within the recruitment or employment sector.
• Insight into the experiences of young people who are struggling to access or sustain employment.

Good to know

Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Contact: Laura McCarthy at quoting reference 12546

Diversity, equality and inclusion

At Action for Children, we’re dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace.

We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.

Male staff are under-represented within our Children Service roles. We would like to encourage more male applicants for our Children Service roles.