Job Title: Wellbeing and Disability Advisor
Reports To: Wellbeing and Disability Coordinator
Business Function/Sub-Function: Registry and Academic Services
Location: North Common Road and Gunnersbury Avenue
Contract Type: Part-Time (0.5 FTE, including regular Saturday working)
Salary: £28,100 - £35,050 pro-rated
Role Purpose: As a Wellbeing and Disability Advisor, your primary responsibility is to provide comprehensive support to students managing the impact of disabilities, additional needs, and mental health. This role involves offering expert advice, guidance, and signposting services to promote student wellbeing and inclusivity within the Metanoia community. Overall, this role plays a vital role in fostering an inclusive and supportive campus environment where all students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. You will work closely with the Wellbeing and Disability Coordinator (WADC) and the other advisor, developing and delivering a comprehensive range of student support.
Roles And Responsibilities
Key Areas of Responsibility:
Wellbeing Advice, Guidance, And Signposting
1. Provide one-on-one support sessions to students seeking guidance on various wellbeing concerns, including stress management, mental health, and personal development.
2. Under supervision of the WADC, carry a caseload of students requiring ongoing help with their wellbeing and mental health.
3. Provide a range of self-help resources and wellbeing toolkits for students to access.
4. Create a range of information and guidance materials and workshops for students and staff that will be delivered in a variety of ways: in person and online.
5. Offer information and signposting services to connect students with relevant resources, support groups, and external agencies.
6. Act as the main point of contact for general welfare enquiries from students and support the welfare and safeguarding at campus locations and online.
7. Identify circumstances where it is necessary to breach the service's code of confidentiality, ensuring that duty of care responsibilities are always met and informing senior staff as needed.
8. Work with colleagues across the institute to ensure students are fully supported, with any barriers to learning addressed promptly and effectively.
Disability Advice And Support
1. Engage students disclosing disabilities, assessing needs, and making recommendations for 'reasonable adjustments' to overcome barriers in the learning environment, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
2. Manage new and continuous student disability cases in a timely manner (within 5 working days) and resolve queries appropriately within 24 hours (where possible).
3. Provide one-to-one advice and information to disabled students, including but not limited to those with specific learning differences, sensory impairments, Autistic Spectrum Conditions, long-term health conditions, physical impairments, and mental health difficulties.
4. Write detailed student Learning Support Plans (LSPs) and communicate these with academic teams and other relevant stakeholders to ensure reasonable adjustments are implemented effectively.
5. Undertake individual casework with students to facilitate their applications for funding support, such as Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), liaising with external bodies including Student Finance England, SFW, SAAS, or SFNI.
6. Accurately interpret, and stay up to date with, all relevant legislation and regulations related to disability and mental health matters affecting students, ensuring that accurate and appropriate advice is always offered.
7. Contribute to the development of and deliver disability awareness training to staff.
8. Participate in recruitment, Open Day, Welcome and Induction events as required.
9. Maintain service records, such as student case records and service usage data, in accordance with service guidelines and the instructions of the WADC.
10. Perform any other duties as deemed reasonable within the skills required of the role.
Essential Person Specification:
1. Undergraduate-level qualifications or equivalent.
2. Working knowledge of a range of disabilities including specific learning differences, mental health conditions, Autistic Spectrum Conditions, and sensory impairments, and their effects on access to learning.
3. Significant experience of working with and advising students with disabilities, particularly specific learning differences on support matters.
4. Experience working in the education sector, in an advisory post.
5. Significant experience of working in a team of staff in a changing environment and frequently under pressure.
6. Evidence of training and continuous professional development in a range of disability matters.
7. Working knowledge of current disability legislation (Equality Act 2010, Mental Health Act 2007, and Mental Capacity Act 2005), policy, and procedures, particularly within an educational institution.
8. Ability to work weekends, including regular Saturday working, as this is a core requirement of the role.
9. Knowledge of specialist organisations and referral agencies for individuals with disabilities.
10. Up-to-date knowledge of relevant mental health legislation and local statutory service provision available to support and refer students to.
11. Working knowledge of higher education funding streams for disabled students.
12. Excellent interpersonal and communication (verbal and written) skills.
13. Ability to empathise, remain calm, and act professionally when students present in distress or crisis while maintaining confidentiality.
14. Excellent problem-solving ability and analytical skills.
15. Commitment to providing an excellent and proactive customer-focused service.
16. Knowledge of GDPR and the Data Protection Act.
Desirable
1. Possession of a relevant professional qualification in a mental health/disability-related discipline such as:
1. OCR SpLD Diploma or equivalent.
2. Professional/vocational qualification in mental health.
2. Accreditation or Membership of a Professional Body such as the National Association of Disability Practitioners (NADP).
3. Experience delivering training or awareness-raising in disability and/or mental health.
4. Working knowledge of the range of study skills, learning strategies, specialist IT programmes, specialist equipment, and human support available to disabled students in higher education.
Other Information: The Wellbeing and Disability Advisor will also be expected to demonstrate their commitment to:
1. Metanoia values and regulations, including Metanoia’s social, economic, and environmental responsibilities.
2. Metanoia’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion responsibilities, ensuring engagement in the successful implementation of Metanoia’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy.
3. Their health and safety responsibilities to contribute to a safe and secure working environment for staff, students, and other visitors to the institute.
4. Regular Saturday working is required as part of this role.
To apply, please submit a CV with Cover Letter to hr@metanoia.ac.uk
To learn more about this position, and to view the job description please visit the Metanoia Institute website: https://www.metanoia.ac.uk/ or to arrange an informal discussion about this role, please contact Professor Paul McDermott, Director of Education at paul.mcdermott@metanoia.ac.uk
We believe equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to making Metanoia Institute a welcoming, vibrant and successful organisation. We encourage applicants from a range of backgrounds because having a diverse workforce opens up a wealth of possibilities, makes us more creative and accelerates our impact on society.
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