Portland School Β· Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands
We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate Careers Advisor to join our SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) school team. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people by supporting them to identify their strengths, build confidence, and prepare for positive futures in education, employment, and training.
Working closely with students, staff, families, and external agencies, you will provide tailored careers guidance that recognises the individual barriers and challenges our learners may face.
Key Responsibilities
β’ Deliver high-quality, impartial careers information, advice, and guidance to students with SEMH needs.
β’ Support pupils in identifying career aspirations, pathways, and achievable goals.
β’ Develop and maintain relationships with colleges, training providers, employers, and apprenticeship organisations.
β’ Organise work experience placements, employer encounters, careers events, and transition opportunities.
β’ Assist students with CV writing, applications, interview preparation, and employability skills.
β’ Work collaboratively with pastoral teams, SENCOs, therapists, and teaching staff to support individual outcomes.
β’ Maintain accurate records and contribute to Gatsby Benchmark and careers programme development.
β’ Promote attendance, engagement, resilience, and independence among students.
The Ideal Candidate Will Have
β’ Experience working with young people, particularly those with SEMH, SEND, or additional needs.
β’ A recognised careers guidance qualification (Level 4 or above desirable).
β’ Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
β’ Patience, empathy, resilience, and a flexible approach.
β’ Knowledge of post-16 pathways, apprenticeships, further education, and local labour markets.
β’ The ability to motivate and inspire students who may have had negative experiences in education.
At Portland School, we are dedicated to providing exceptional learning and experiences to pupils with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMHD). Our mission is to empower young minds and nurture futures, ensuring that every student reaches their full potential. We are a split site school with two provisions to meet different needs, one at Trent Vale one at Blythe Bridge. We have an amazing staff team who work tirelessly to support approximately 140 pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs.
As a specialist school our pupils benefit from smaller class sizes, a more practical curriculum, access to alternative accreditations and a highly trained staff team. Both sites have spacious grounds allowing us to provide outdoor education, with our Blythe Bridge site boasting specialist classrooms for Design and technology, Art and Design, Science, Food technology and PE.
At the heart of our school are a set of shared values where our entire school community are supported to develop a sense of Respect, Responsibility, Belonging, In