Wellbeing Advisor
Job Type : Temporary, Full Time
Salary : £21.05/hour Umbrella, PAYE available
Wellbeing Advisor (Student Services)
Temporary – ongoing
Term Time Only – 40 weeks
Full Time: Mon – Fri: 9am – 5pm
South West London
£21.05 per hour umbrella (exluding holiday pay) PAYE available
Our client, a leading college group in London, is seeking a number of Wellbeing Advisors at their campuses in South West London.
You will need a qualification in Mental Health/Psychology, Counselling, Social Work or a relevant professional qualification at Diploma level.
The Role
The Safeguarding and Wellbeing Officer will provide high quality, confidential, time-bound intensive Pastoral support for students experiencing significant or complex emotional difficulties in line with service referral thresholds and/or professional guidelines. The post-holder will provide responsive and flexible financial support in the Student Support centre. The role will work in close liaison with students, staff and external organisations and the Counsellor/Student Engagement Advisor team to safeguard students through a holistic package of support (including enrichment) tailored to meet their needs.
Main Purposes and Responsibilities
* To provide a high quality professional and confidential holistic Wellbeing service to students ‘at risk’ meeting thresholds and boundaries in order to promote emotional health and resilience
* Triage, assess and action referrals through a central team inbox accordingly in line with pastoral caseload thresholds and the safeguarding procedure
* Provide accurate information and support to students around the College bursary applications and to signpost / refer as appropriate in liaison with central payments team
* Provide a referral service for students to external support agencies around issues such as; benefits, homelessness, childcare, sexual health and substance misuse etc.
* Identify, assess and respond to the needs of ‘at risk’ students facing significant difficulty e.g. CLA’s (children looked after), through multi-agency strategies, referrals and 1-1 intervention including for a fixed period
* Take appropriate and timely action to safeguard students, providing a consistent and professional service. Identify and report Safeguarding concerns, using the College’s internal and external procedures and provide ongoing support to a caseload of students identified as ‘at risk’
* Lead on student risk assessment / safety plans and compile external agency documentation and correspondence in files for caseload as appropriate in line with College safeguarding and fitness to study policy to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the cohort
* Lead on key pastoral support/wellbeing Service initiatives to target student cohorts such as the Adult Education Budget (AEB) support programme and develop service capacity through professional volunteers as required
* Disseminate sensitive information in line with the General Data Protection and Equality Act 2010 using the Groups agreed systems where appropriate
* Promote and develop effective marketing materials and online resources for the Counselling/ Wellbeing provision and wider Support Service to promote emotional resilience
* Liaise with relevant partner agencies and networks to develop delivery of on-site trainee Counselling provision where feasible
* Work closely with internal staff and specialist external agencies to advocate and provide effective support for students where relevant, providing feedback as appropriate in line with data protection and safeguarding procedures
* Maintain accurate and timely records in accordance with the Group’s quality standards, learning support (AEB) funding requirements, professional guidelines, self-assessment, inspections, and skills audit in order to ensure a consistent high quality and cost effective service for learners
* Provide workshops to learners with wellbeing/ mental health issues on for example; building resilience, building self-esteem, staying safe etc
* Deliver an agreed number of staff development sessions on teaching and supporting learners with wellbeing/mental health issues
* To analyse the data collected and produce reports regarding access to the provision, making recommendations as appropriate
* Be a proactive ambassador for wellbeing and the wider service (enrichment/careers), raising awareness of issues, through a variety of activities e.g. team meetings, service films, websites, presentations, events and workshops etc. in order to reduce stigma and improve the wellbeing of students
* Willingness to support students out of college hours where appropriate and required
Person Specification
* Diploma in Mental health/Psychology, Counselling, Social Work or similar
* Experience of safeguarding and counselling support in FE setting
* Interviewing skills and experience
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – both oral and written (to include empathy, discretion and confidentiality with both internal and external customers)
* Significant safeguarding practitioner experience and knowledge of external support agencies, data protection regulations, and referral procedures in relation to safety planning risk assessment and information sharing.
A DBS within 12 months or on the update service is required. Applicants without this cannot be considered
