Student Mental Health Adviser (Part Time)

Job Description

Position overview

Location: Devon House, London

Term: Part-time (0.6 FTE = 3 days a week)

Benefits: The university supports staff maintaining a good work/life balance, offer flexible working and parental leave opportunities, an Employee Assistance Programme which provides free, confidential advice on both home and work concerns as well as optional private medical insurance, season ticket loans and being part of the cycle to work scheme.

Start: September 2024

The Student Mental Health Advisers’ primary duty is to provide support and advice to students experiencing poor mental health, including but not exclusively, those with a diagnosed mental health condition. The role holder will provide individualised support and assist students to access NHS services or other relevant specialist support. The role holders will also work as part of the Student Mental Health Advisers team and the wider Student Support and Development team within Academic Services, collaborating with other team members to provide both reactive and proactive support to undergraduate, postgraduate, degree apprenticeship and mobility students, across a range of pastoral issues.

This post sits within a team of five Student Mental Health Advisers. In order to ensure service coverage across the week the role holder’s preferred three days will need to be Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

About the University

Founded in 2012, Northeastern University London (formerly known as New College of the Humanities) has established itself as a prestigious higher education institution based in the heart of London. After becoming part of Northeastern University’s global network in early 2019, the University has undergone a period of rapid growth, having been granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers in February 2020 and moved to a new, state-of-the-art campus in 2021. The University continues to grow further expanding its student cohort, courses, network and opportunities. students year on year, further expanding its courses, network and opportunities.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide advice, information, and guidance to prospective and current students on the provision of mental health support available, through in-person appointments, zoom, email or telephone.
• Effectively manage and prioritise a caseload of students with mental health issues to include:
  • Provide advice on techniques and strategies to self-manage mental health during university study.
  • Provide support and guidance to students to access NHS or other relevant specialist services.
  • Provide support to students where the University’s Safeguarding or Prevent Policies have been enacted, in close liaison with the University’s Safeguarding and Prevent Lead and external NHS, Local Authority or Channel staff if appropriate.
  • Provide support to students where the University’s Support to Study Policy has been enacted, in liaison with other team members and relevant faculty.
  • Assessing students where there are concerns that they are a risk to self/others
  • Working with at risk students to prepare a crisis plan to set out actions to be taken in the event that they feel a compulsion to self-harm.
  • Working with students with previous experience of mental ill-health to agree an intervention plan to set out actions to be taken should faculty, staff or peers become concerned about a deterioration in their mental health. 
  • Liaison with GPs, crisis intervention teams, therapists, counsellors and other external clinicians to help ensure students are properly supported and safeguarded.
• Where appropriate refer students to the external counselling service used by the University following internal processes and guidelines.
• Provide an effective and skilled “in the moment” response to students who may be at risk to themselves or others, or who may be agitated, distressed or anxious; identifying student needs and addressing those according to urgency and priority.
• Ensure students receive holistic support, working closely with other members of the student support team and wider University to ensure a student’s pastoral and educational support needs are met.
• Provide advice to faculty and staff with concerns about a student’s mental wellbeing.
• Maintain accurate records of all student interactions in accordance with internal guidance and protocols in compliance with GDPR.
• Assist with the promotion of good practice across the University in supporting mental wellbeing, including development and delivery of training and awareness workshops for staff and/or students in student mental health matters as directed by the Student Mental Health Adviser.
• As directed by the Lead Mental Health Adviser, contribute to the development of information for students and staff on mental health issues and available support.
• Contribute to mental health awareness-raising activities generally, promoting the maintenance of good mental health and wellbeing for all students.
• Maintain a thorough and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of relevant University policies relating to student support such as Support to Study, Safeguarding, Prevent, Extenuating Circumstances and Break in Studies.
• Regularly review the mental health support being offered, identifying any gaps in support and making recommendations to the Lead Student Mental Health Adviser. 

Person specification criteria (essential / desirable)

• Qualification in mental health nursing, social work, counselling or other professional qualification relevant to this role (E).
• Good Undergraduate Degree (D)
• Experience of working with young people age 16+ (E)
• Experience of working with people from a range of ethnicities, socio-economic groups and nationalities (E).
• Experience of supporting people with mental health issues, including responding appropriately to people in crisis. (E)
• Experience of maintaining professional boundaries appropriate to the role. (E)
• Experience of working as part of a service team, preferably within a multidisciplinary setting. (E)
• Experience of working within organisational policies and procedures. (E)
• Experience of maintaining client/student/patient records. (E)
• Experience of working with FE or HE students in a college or university. (D)
• Experience of developing and delivering training on mental health issues. (D)
• Ability to remain calm and professional when working with people in distress or who are at risk of self-harm. (E)
• An understanding of the challenges of studying at HE level and knowledge of the impact that mental health issued can have on a student and their studies. (E)
• Knowledge of a range of self-help strategies for managing, maintaining and improving mental health and how they can be utilised in an educational context. (E)
• A working knowledge of NHS mental health services and referral structures/protocols. (E)
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to be able to work on a 1:1 basis with a diverse range of students. (E)
• Ability to recognise signs of deterioration in students’ mental health and take appropriate action. (E)
• A good working knowledge of relevant legislation including the Equality Act 2010 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). (E)
• Good IT skills, using Word, Excel, email, Internet (E)
• DBS check will be required. (E)
• Available to occasionally work outside of normal office hours to respond to urgent student issues. (E)

Enquiries

Informal enquiries may be made to Sharan Godfrey sharon.godfrey@nulondon.ac.uk. However, all applications must be made in accordance with the application process specified.

Application Process

Applications should be made via the 'Apply' button above by 23:59 on 8 August 2024. Please reference your application SMHA0724. Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary.

Applications must include a covering letter of no more than one page and a full curriculum vitae.

Interviews are expected to commence w/c August 2024

Please note this role may require a basic or enhanced DBS check. Please note this role may require a basic or enhanced DBS check. Our organisation acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of our students and staff, and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and Ofsted requirements. You must adhere to the above if you are offered a role with NU London.

Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. We welcome applications from all underrepresented groups, including the Global Majority. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.