Work with us

Programme Tutors in School of Health, Wellbeing & Social Care

£37,999 Pro rata

Part-time, permanent

Closing Date: 29 November, 2024 - 12:00

Location: Wales

Change your career, change lives

The role

We are looking to recruit several Practice Tutors in the area of Social Work in Wales, in the School of School of Health, Wellbeing, and Social Care at the Open University.

The position is part-time (0.250 FTE, 6 teaching hours per week). In particular, there are immediate teaching needs on the following modules: XKPW216 and XKPW315.

The position is home-based and has no fixed core hours. It is permanent, with a probation period of two years. The annual salary and workload are fixed, but there are significant workload peaks and troughs. The practice tutor has a broader role in relation to the professional programme; they are vital to the success of the programme and its professional credibility. These practice tutors have a particular responsibility for practice issues, for facilitating practice learning meetings in a student's practice learning opportunity and for monitoring the overall progress of their student group, particularly progress on practice learning opportunities. Duties entail a mix of individual student support and group work as well as contact with sponsoring employers. Overall, the role is a challenging one and could be described as combining aspects of an associate lecturer, a mentor, and a coordinator. Experience has proved this role cannot be undertaken by someone in full-time employment elsewhere due to the concentrated and occasionally unpredictable pattern of the work. Some evening and weekend work will be required. The ability to teach through the medium of Welsh would be welcome but is not essential. The appropriate level of FTE will be discussed at interview, and there is the possibility of increasing the FTE later. The starting full-time salary is £37,999 paid pro rata based on your FTE. Although most of the work occurs between January and August, the position is paid over the full calendar year.

Contract start date: 1^st January 2025

Person specification:

The person specification for this position should be read in conjunction with the

generic person specification for a Practice Tutor at The Open University. As well as meeting all the requirements set out in the generic person specification, you should have:

• a first degree in social work or a relevant discipline.
• a professional social work qualification and practice experience (preferably recent).
• experience of delivering social work education as a practice teacher, practice assessor, or associate lecturer familiarity with the literature, policies, and research in social work.
• familiarity with current practice regarding the delivery of personal social services.
• sensitivity to the needs of adult learners, and an understanding of how adults learn.
• evidence of ability to negotiate, liaise, and problem-solve with a range of agency contacts.
• experience in the use of IT or a willingness to train and experiment with IT.

It would be an advantage to have:

• A higher degree or Ph.D. (or equivalent).
• Experience of teaching and assessment via an online environment.
• Evidence of having taken the initiative to deliver better teaching and learning or to take advantage of new technology in teaching.
• Teaching qualification in relevant subject or HEA accreditation.
• The ability to work through the medium of Welsh.

What you get in return

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role. To ensure they remain up to date with developments in their academic field, Practice Tutors are allocated 6 days (pro-rata) per annum for AL-led (ie. self-directed) Academic Currency and 1 day, plus 5 days pro rata, per annum for Agreed Academic Currency and Professional Development.

Benefits include a supportive and friendly working environment, 27 days holiday per annum (pro rata) with variable (pro rata) Bank holidays and an attractive pensions proposition.

Tuition Delivery

Mixed (face-to-face & online)

How to apply

An application form and job-related information are available from the links located below. Any queries regarding the application process please contact AL-Recruitment on AL-Recruitment@open.ac.uk, quoting the reference XKPW216 & XKPW315.

All candidates will be asked to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK at interview.

The University is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role as per the requirement laid out the UK Visas and Immigration regarding Right to Work in the UK.

To work with us you will need access to the internet.

Successful applicants will be required to undertake a DBS check or equivalent for their nation of residency.

Early closing date notification 
We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications. 

Email : AL-Recruitment@open.ac.uk 

An application form and job-related information are available from the links located below. Hard copies and access details for disabled applicants are available from the Recruitment Co-ordinator by email (on the link above), quoting the reference XKPW216 & XKPW315.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods, and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential.  We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength.  We strive to recruit, retain, and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services, and staff networks.

Associate Lecturers in School of Health, Wellbeing & Social Care

£37,999 Pro rata

Part-time, permanent

Closing Date: 29 November, 2024 - 12:00

Location: Wales

Change your career, change lives

The role

We are looking to recruit several Associate Lecturers in the area of Social Work in Wales, in the School of School of Health, Wellbeing, and Social Care at the Open University.

The position is part-time (KZW216 - 0.250 FTE, 7.5 teaching hours per week) and would involve teaching one or more modules. In particular, there are immediate teaching needs on the following modules: KZW216  and KZW315 in Wales

The position is home-based, with 5 face-to-face and 2 online workshops. There are no fixed core hours. It is permanent, with a probation period of two years. The annual salary and workload are fixed, but there are significant workload peaks and troughs, mainly linked to providing marking and assessment feedback. This is likely to include exam and end of module marking tasks. Other tasks will be required such as focused student support (individual and forum), such as peer mentoring and working with the module team on assessment activities and quality improvement. The ability to teach through the medium of Welsh would be welcome but is not essential. Some evening and weekend work will be required. The appropriate level of FTE will be discussed at interview, and there is the possibility of increasing the FTE later. The starting full-time salary is £37,999 paid pro rata based on your FTE. Although most of the teaching occurs between January and September, the position is paid over the full calendar year.

Contract start date: 1^st January 2025

Person specification:

The person specification for this position should be read in conjunction with the generic person specification for an Associate Lecturer at The Open University. As well as meeting all the requirements set out in the generic person specification, you should have:

• a first degree in social work or a relevant discipline.
• a professional social work qualification and practice experience,
• familiarity with the literature, policies, and research in social work.
• familiarity with current practice regarding the delivery of personal social services. 
• sensitivity to the needs of adult learners, and an understanding of how adults learn.
• The ability to grade assignments accurately and to provide constructive feedback to students.
• Experience of teaching online or an understanding of the pedagogical issues surrounding online teaching.
• Demonstrate ability to encourage students to engage with scholarship and independent study (including awareness of resources).

It would be an advantage to have:

• A higher degree or Ph.D. (or equivalent).
• Experience of teaching and assessment via an online environment.
• Evidence of having taken the initiative to deliver better teaching and learning or to take advantage of new technology in teaching.
• Teaching qualification in relevant subject or HEA accreditation.
• The ability to teach through the medium of Welsh.

What you get in return

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role. To ensure they remain up to date with developments in their academic field, Associate Lecturers are allocated 6 days (pro-rata) per annum for AL-led (i.e. self-directed) Academic Currency and 1 day, plus 5 days pro rata, per annum for Agreed Academic Currency and Professional Development.

Benefits include a supportive and friendly working environment, 27 days holiday per annum (pro rata) with variable (pro rata) Bank holidays and an attractive pensions proposition.

Tuition Delivery

Mixed (face-to-face & online)

How to apply

An application form and job-related information are available from the links located below. Any queries regarding the application process please contact AL-Recruitment on 

AL-Recruitment@open.ac.uk, quoting the reference WELS_KZW216.

All candidates will be asked to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK at interview.

The University is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role as per the requirement laid out the UK Visas and Immigration regarding Right to Work in the UK.

To work with us you will need access to the internet.

Successful applicants will be required to undertake a DBS check or equivalent for their nation of residency.

Early closing date notification
We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications. 

Email : AL-Recruitment@open.ac.uk 

An application form and job related information are available from the links located below.  Hard copies and access details for disabled applicants are available from the Recruitment Co-ordinator by email (on the link above), quoting the reference WELS_KZW216.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential.  We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength.  We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.

Customer Service Adviser (Student Support) x5

£24,044-£26,038 (grade 4)

Permanent, 37 hours per week (willing to consider part time candidates; 30+ per week)

Closing Date: 28 November, 2024 - 12:00

Location: Based within our OU in Wales, Cardiff office, but operating a pattern of hybrid working (with a minimum of 2 days per week in office)

Welsh language: There are 5x vacancies in total; For 4x of these vacancies, the ability to communicate in the medium of Welsh is Desirable. For the remaining vacancy, the ability to communicate in the medium of Welsh is Essential.

Are you looking for a job with a real purpose?

• Passionate about delivering an exceptional level of customer service
• An effective communicator with sufficient IT skills that allow you to support students with a range of enquiries
• A motivated self-starter who can adapt to the needs of the operation
• Able to solve problems using the resources available to you and your initiative
• Able to thrive in a collaborative working environment and enjoy being part of a highly experienced and supportive team
• Able to bring energy to your role and always striving for excellence
• Excited about the prospect of working for a highly established distance learning organisation in which you will be able to make a difference to students’ lives

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short Youtube video.

We have several exciting new opportunities for customer service professionals to join our frontline team in our Student Recruitment and Support Contact Centre. This is a busy and varied role, where you’ll help our students – and people who are looking to study with us – make decisions about their learning.

Our Student Advisers are the first point of contact for prospective and current students seeking information about study at the OU.  The team support students by ensuring they have the information they need to make the right study choices for them, and are able to enrol and pay using their chosen method.  The teamwork with colleagues across the University to support students and enquirers.

About the role

The role involves significant telephone work, both inbound and outbound, to provide support to students through their study journey as well as email, letter, webchat and other mediums as necessary. You will need to be confident working with multiple systems, information and databases to maintain student and enquirer details. You will ensure that prospective and current students are given accurate information and you will work with colleagues across the University to provide support.

You will receive full training for the role from our experienced team who will use high quality materials, followed by regular support, coaching and development from your Team Manager and established team members to build your confidence and knowledge within the role.

We currently have posts available at our Cardiff office. Successful candidates will be expected to complete their training and then work in a hybrid style. This means that candidates should be able to work comfortably from home and their appointed OU office. Therefore, candidates will need to live within a reasonable commute to the OU office. Candidates will be supplied with a laptop to work flexibly.

Full job description

Full job description (Welsh essential role)

What you get in return

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role.  This includes thorough induction into the organisation and regular reviews of your training and development needs.

We also offer a great range of benefits that support our employees and their families for the long term. Benefits include an attractive pension scheme and 30 days holiday per annum for support staff, plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure days although this role may require some flexibility to service the needs of the business. 

Dates and key information

This role is full time working 37 hours. Successful candidates will be required to work to a working pattern which will be between the current opening hours of 8.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday. The current working pattern is between 8:30am – 5:00pm.

Please note that leave will be restricted during the initial training period, and during the months of August, September, October and January each year as this is the peak operational period.

During training, you will be fully supported in a training group. You’ll be able to see and communicate with your group and will also be required to interact with group activities via a webcam, so you’ll need to be comfortable with this.

On the occasions that you are required to work from home, you will need to ensure you have broadband internet speeds of at least 10Mbit/s download and 2Mbit/s upload. You can test your speeds at the below site:

www.speedtest.net

How to apply

If you have any questions about this role, please contact Tom Poultney on 029 20 26 27 16 who will arrange a convenient time for the hiring manager to contact you for a chat.

To apply, send a CV and Supporting Statement (max 2000 words) to wales-recruitment@open.ac.uk, quoting job reference 21897. Your Supporting Statement should clearly address how you meet the essential and desirable criteria listed in the job description.

Please let us know if you would like to use Welsh at an interview or any other form of assessment. We will provide a translation service from Welsh to English if one is needed.

Applications can be be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Please note: If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the application closing date, please assume that on this occasion you have not been selected for interview. However, we thank you for your interest and encourage you to apply for future career opportunities.

Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential. We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength. We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.