Jobs Board

Student Wellbeing Adviser (Mental Health)

Location: University Academy 92

UMHAN member organisation: No

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE)

Salary: £35,000 - £40,000

Date posted: 25th March 2024

Closing date: 5th April 2024

More information:

The Student Wellbeing Adviser will provide safe, ethical and high-quality wellbeing support to students presenting with a wide range of wellbeing difficulties within the UA92 Student Support Service. The role involves managing a 1-1 caseload of students presenting with complex wellbeing and mental health difficulties including high levels of risk, as well as liaising with NHS and external services and providing follow-up support. The role also involves developing and delivering wellbeing workshops and group sessions. 

As a key role within the UA92 Student Support Service, the Student Wellbeing Adviser will play an active part in the development of the service, contributing to new initiatives and ways of working to meet changing needs and demands of students. The Student Wellbeing Advisor will actively promote an open culture around wellbeing within the UA92 community by developing and running student-focused wellbeing events, campaigns and activities.

The Student Wellbeing Adviser will report to the Counselling & Mental Health Manager for all day-to-day aspects of the job, including clinical support as appropriate. They will also receive a pro-rata allowance for external clinical supervision. Regular group supervision will be provided with other mental health, wellbeing and counselling professionals within the UA92 Student Support Service.

The Student Wellbeing Adviser will work within the Student Support team alongside, two other Student Wellbeing Advisers, a Disability & Inclusion Adviser, two part-time Student Counsellors, our Counselling and Mental Health Manager and the Head of Student Support.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide appropriate 1-1 mental health and crisis support to UA92 students presenting with mental health difficulties, either alongside or instead of therapeutic intervention provided by Student Counsellors. 
• Hold Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) responsibilities. This includes effectively dealing with student safeguarding matters, ensuring that concerns are efficiently and accurately reported and monitored as appropriate, and contributing to the development and upholding of UA92’s safeguarding policies and culture.
  To report to Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL).  
• Provide 1-1 wellbeing support to UA92 students presenting with a wide range of wellbeing related issues, including circumstantial, financial and relational challenges. 
• Complete one-off student appointments and, where appropriate, regular ongoing support appointments with students within a managed caseload, incorporating regular assessment and review of support provision to ensure that support needs are being met. 
• Assess and manage varying levels risk presented by students, ensuring that correct steps are taken to adequately support student safety, and provide ongoing support where appropriate.
• Hold and manage short drop-in and triage appointments with students, assessing support needs in relation to wellbeing, mental health and disability, then agreeing and following up on next steps to ensure appropriate wellbeing support is provided efficiently.
• Work closely alongside the UA92 Counselling & Mental Health Manager and Student Counsellors to ensure a thorough, efficient and safe mental health & wellbeing support provision for all UA92 students.
• Liaise effectively with external services and agencies regarding student support needs.
• Liaise effectively with internal colleagues, including the Disability & Inclusion Adviser, academic teams, registry team, accommodation and careers officers and student experience team regarding student support needs.
• Support students with practical needs in relation to their wellbeing, such as completing and following up referrals, and managing appointments, prescriptions and other wellbeing needs.
• Prepare, organise and run group workshops in-line with student support needs based on trends and patterns of difficulty identified amongst students.
• Maintain accurate electronic records regarding clinical activity with all students in accordance with UA92 policies and guidance from professional bodies, including clinical assessment with clear identification of difficulties and plan of care.
• Play an active role in the development of the UA92 Student Support Service, working alongside the Counselling & Mental Health Manager to develop the student wellbeing provision including effective service processes and policies.
• Organise and run wellbeing campaigns and events e.g. University Mental Health Day, Month of Hope etc. to improve understanding and reduce stigma.
• Involvement in student induction talks and annual Welcome Festival to promote the Student Support Service.
• Maintain a high level of knowledge and awareness of changes and developments in the fields of Higher Education, wellbeing and mental health, and their implications for the organisation and delivery of wellbeing support within the institution.
• Contribute to and deliver relevant wellbeing-based staff development training sessions.
• Provide an informed opinion and/or verify students’ exceptional and mitigating circumstances, taking part in Fitness to Study case conferences where wellbeing and/or mental health difficulties are prominent.
• Work with students to determine when there might be a need to prioritise treatment over current continuation of studies, in accordance with UA92 policies.
• Advise students regarding reasonable adjustments and signpost to disability support, where appropriate.
• Support, when appropriate, the effective coordination of the UA92 chaplaincy, financial hardship fund and other areas of the wider Student Support Service in relation to student wellbeing.
• Work alongside the UA92 chaplaincy to support the effectiveness and efficiency of the wider wellbeing provision.
• Carry out any other duties that are reasonable and relevant to the work of the Student Support Service.

Apply here