Staff Q&As: Tom Poad

This time, we’re in conversation with OfS communicator Tom Poad, who tells us about how he’s working to improve students’ understanding of our work and the importance of finding your tribe at uni.

Tell us about your role – what do you do at the OfS?

As a strategic communications manager, I drive the planning and delivery of OfS communications, ensuring we’re talking effectively about our work to students, universities and colleges, and the public.

At the OfS we see communications as a frontline regulatory tool that serves the interests of students and society. So how we communicate and get news about our regulation out into the world is really important.

What does a typical day look like for you in your role?

Every day is different. Typically, it will consist of project managing various publications across my portfolio, which includes everything from detailed regulatory case reports to social media posts, and seeking opportunities for people outside of the OfS to work with us.

My role mainly supports communications for the OfS’s regulation of financial sustainability, quality and standards, and protecting students from harassment and sexual misconduct. That involves working with colleagues in communications, policy and regulation to decide what we want to say and how we want to say it and developing strategies that will help a range of audiences to understand our work.

Can you tell us about an important project you are working on and why it’s important?

It’s no secret that the higher education sector is facing challenges to its financial sustainability. A long-term project I’ve been working on is advising on communications around the OfS’s work in this area, particularly the annual report we produce each year on the financial condition of the sector and the potential impact of changing student recruitment patterns.

As this is a sensitive, complex area, it’s important we clearly explain our expectations of universities and colleges and provide useful analysis that anyone with an interest in the financial sustainability of the sector can understand.

We’re also working to improve the way we communicate these issues to students, so they’re better informed about our role and what they can expect from us and their institution if financial difficulties affect their studies.

What aspects of your work excite you the most?

I enjoy being busy, so working across a varied mix of regulatory areas keeps things interesting. I like working with different teams on a given project to design, develop and ensure that our work is understood by different audiences. It’s also good to see how publications are received by the press, institutions and others in the sector to find out what went well or what could be improved for next time.

What are the challenges you’re coming up against in your area?

I see this more as an opportunity than a challenge, but our work might sometimes feel quite remote to a student thinking about their day-to-day studies. It's important that we think about how we can make things like monitoring financial sustainability or assessing the extent to which students continue or complete their studies, chime with and connect with students.

This year, we’ve done more to help bridge this gap, such as releasing a new video for students that explains our role and what we do, running events for students where they can ask us questions, and publishing free resources for student unions on harassment and sexual misconduct.

However, there’s always more we can do to ensure students are better informed about what they should expect and receive from their higher education experience from a university or college that’s registered with the OfS.

Why did you join the OfS? What did you do before you came here and how have your previous experiences informed the way you work now?

I joined the OfS as a press officer before being promoted to my current role, having previously worked in a range of publishing roles across non-fiction, newsprint and lifestyle magazines. I was drawn to the OfS because I wanted to play a role in supporting students’ higher education experiences for the better.

I’m able to build on and use various communications skills from across my career, such as longer-term communication strategising, thinking about different audiences for a given publication and how to support their needs, and writing informative content across a wide range of formats.

I do miss seeing my name in bylines, though!

If you could give one piece of advice to students in 2025, what would it be?

I treasure my higher education experience for the course mates and housemates who have become lifelong friends. Loneliness as a student is difficult and can affect your studies in so many ways. So, my advice would be to make the most of the offers to socialise, try starting a new hobby, or join a group that will help you to find your tribe.