Description Role: Student Counsellor Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £36,294 - £46,485 (pro-rata) FTE and working pattern: 0.6 FTE, 21 hours per week Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) (pro-rata) Purpose of Role Heriot-Watt University, in common with all other Higher Education Institutions, has seen a significant rise in both the extent and severity of mental health difficulties in the student community. The role focuses on assessing the needs of students who present with emotional difficulties to ensure that appropriate interventions are delivered. This will range from providing on-going counselling; providing therapeutic support; making referrals to external agencies; and liaising with external professionals to ensure appropriate care and support. Key Duties & Responsibilities Undertake initial assessments of students presenting at the Counselling and Support service to assess their needs, monitor risk, and offer appropriate response. Provide high quality counselling and support according to the professional practice agreed with the Counselling Manager and in compliance with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Ethical Framework. Liaise with Wellbeing colleagues, academic staff, and external services to negotiate appropriate support and responses for individual students. Provide therapeutic support to a wide range of students to address their presenting emotional or psychological issues, including those who may have mental health difficulties. Work flexibly from home or campus, according to service needs. Participate in service development and liaise with other professional staff, as directed by the Counselling Manager. Maintain appropriate records and make use of the IT based systems and provide written reports as directed by the Counselling Manager or Head of Student Wellbeing. Assist in the development and delivery of Wellbeing workshops and training for students and staff. Undertake continuing professional development as appropriate and engage in external clinical supervision, and case management with the Counselling Manager. Any other task as requested by the Counselling Manager or Head of Student Wellbeing. Essential Criteria Essential Professional counselling qualification BACP accredited counsellor, UKCP registered psychotherapist, or HCPC registered counselling psychologist or eligible for such accreditation Extensive experience in providing counselling Extensive experience of conducting Mental health assessments including risk assessments Experience in working within student services Highly developed assessment skills and the ability to make professional judgments as to which interventions are most appropriate Highly developed practitioner and therapeutic skills with the ability to provide a range of interventions, based on assessed need Capacity to work with a range of professionals Experience of developing and delivering training materials and workshops Excellent organisational, communication and networking skills Understanding of the factors affecting student mental health Understanding of equality and diversity issues Knowledge of relevant legislation How to Apply Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Sunday 2nd March 2025. Please submit your CV and covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment. We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options. Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/. Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University. About the Team This post is located within the Student Counselling Team, within the wider Student Wellbeing Service, and works closely with colleagues from Disability, Student Experience and the Chaplaincy teams. The main purpose of Student Wellbeing is to provide advice, information and support to undergraduate and postgraduate students, throughout the student lifecycle, from the point of initial enrolment onto a university study programme right through to graduation supporting them to overcome barriers to learning. About Heriot-Watt University At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team. Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.