The Role
To play a key role in contributing to a professional, specialist advice and guidance service to students with a range of mental health and wellbeing difficulties and vulnerabilities. This service enables students to engage in and access their studies and encourages academic progress and student retention.
To comprehensively respond to a range of concerns related to mental health and wellbeing risk and vulnerability, from a range of sources. This includes but is not limited to: external health and emergency services, students, families, academic and professional service colleagues, and other third parties.
To advise and support the wider HEI in relation to meeting the needs of students, acting as a source of knowledge and expertise on student mental health and welfare.
The role is campus based. There may be some flexible hybrid working dependent on service need.
You will work closely as part of a duty team, supporting colleagues and sharing responsibility for promoting student welfare, responding to concerns, and ensuring a safe and supportive environment. A strong team ethos and commitment to working together are essential.
Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require a DBS before you can commence in the role.
Key Accountabilities
• To act as a central point of contact for students with varied, complex and sensitive mental health and wellbeing difficulties or vulnerabilities:
o discuss support requirements
o provide advice, guidance and information on relevant internal and external services
o provide assessment and short-term support to students experiencing a range of welfare concerns, including safety planning
o refer to other agencies as appropriate
o manage risk appropriately, initiating safeguarding processes where necessary
Presenting concerns may include; complex mental health, high distress and crisis, housing and welfare, police and crime matters (where students may be the alleged reporter or responder) such as allegations of assault, discrimination and sexual violence etc
• To offer proactive appointments to students to discuss relevant support requirements and to facilitate any ensuing communication and liaison with academic schools and other University departments
• To manage safeguarding, student crisis and follow up ‘Out of Hours’ incidents. This may include, but is not exclusive to, missing students, hospitalisations, students being at risk to themselves or others, etc
• To act as a consultant and trainer to university staff to provide support and clinical reasoning, working together to support students with a range of mental health and wellbeing vulnerabilities
• To work in a multi-disciplinary team fashion, liaising with both external bodies and internal colleagues to assist in providing adequate support for students
• To undertake regular training and CPD, keeping up to date with changes in legislation, Government policy, research etc. and act as an information resource to the University on matters relating to emotional and psychological difficulties and mental health
• To maintain memberships and accreditations under appropriate national bodies and relevant accreditations
• To participate in promotion of SHWS activity, open days, receptions, Welcome Week which, from time to time, may require working out-of-hours i.e. evenings and weekends (only very occasional)
• To complete and maintain the electronic notes adhering to the Service policy and data protection requirements
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Knowledge and understanding of the implications of a range of mental health difficulties on individuals and potential impact on the University experience
• Strong experience of crisis management, safeguarding and coping with sometimes life-threatening situations
• A highly flexible working style, duty-style working
• Excellent communication, advice and guidance skills
• Ability to exercise initiative and judgement in relation to decision making
• Ability to manage time and resources effectively by prioritising and organising a high volume, complex and varied workload
• Evidence of experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Evidence of commitment to principles of equal opportunities and diversity
• Competent IT skills: Word, Excel, Email, Internet, Databases
Attributes and Behaviour
• Takes the initiative to ensure future success of the University and area by presenting new ideas and approaches
• Recognises urgency and takes decisive action when required
• Accepts the reality and requirements of change as part of achieving organisational goals
• Anticipates change and prepares for it. Accepts change and ‘runs’ with it
• Establishes effective time management and workload systems, planning tasks in a systematic way in conjunction with team and area objectives
• Confidently deals with and considers large amounts of complex information quickly and identifies key issues
Qualifications
• A relevant professional qualification such as Registered Mental Health Nurse/ Social Worker, and substantial demonstrable expertise in mental health
Desirable
• Qualifications in or experience of working in a safeguarding or crisis management role.
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 28534