College Wellbeing Officer - College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Position Details

College of Engineering and Physcial Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £27,511 to £30,046, with potential progression once in post to £33,797.

Grade 6

Full Time FTC 31 July 2021

Closing date 10 January 2021

Job Summary

The University of Birmingham is looking to recruit a Wellbeing Officer on Fixed Term Contracts in the Colleges of Engineering & Physical Sciences.

The Student Wellbeing Officer is a member of the College Professional Services Team and provides proactive and professional wellbeing support to students within their designated School(s).

The main responsibilities for the role will include:

• Providing wellbeing advice and guidance to students following referral e.g. by a member of academic staff or by student self-referral;
• Making referrals as appropriate to specialist services in the University, and signposting to external support services;
• Acting as the Reasonable Adjustment Coordinator for the School(s);
• Contributing to and supporting induction of new and returning students to the University;

Working as part of a wider team of Professional Services and Academic staff, the post holder will provide comprehensive support to students within their College. The post holder will be expected to contribute to other areas (as and when required) in support of their School and College strategic priorities.

At the University of Birmingham we celebrate our diversity and provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the University community and are committed to promoting equality, diversity and fairness irrespective of age, disability, gender, pregnancy or marital status, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status.

Main Duties

Every student in the School has a personal tutor or supervisor who is a member of academic staff. Personal Tutors/Supervisors establish working relationships with students that enable students to disclose personal problems that may affect their work or experience general study difficulties. These difficulties are often dealt with effectively by Personal Tutors/Supervisors. However, some difficulties may require detailed understanding of a range of wellbeing and study-related problems and services, or require more time than academic staff are able to commit.

Personal Tutors/Supervisors will refer such students through to the Wellbeing Officer, duties and expectations will include:

Primary Contact for Student Support

• To be accessible and available to students, holding regular and timetabled office hours.
• Providing helpful, accurate and expert advice to students as the Schools' primary contact for matters relating to student support. We anticipate that the Wellbeing Officer will be able to resolve some problems him/herself; others will need to be referred to University central support services and/or University and College study-skill services for example.
• The Student Wellbeing Officer will act as a key contact and link between the Schools and other College and University support services and ensure that the appropriate academic and professional services staff are kept fully informed regarding changes and updates in practice and policy.
• Build effective networks and relationships with external and internal contacts who contribute to the delivery of activity within their College.
• To maintain relevant records and provide statistics detailing wellbeing interaction activity as required by College/School Senior Management and Senior Tutor(s).

Reasonable Adjustments

• Acting as primary contact for implementing reasonable adjustments, ensuring that the appropriate academic and professional service staff are made aware of all reasonable adjustments to the assessment process.
• As part of this, the post holder will need to work with administrative colleagues to maintain an accurate and dynamic confidential record of Reasonable Adjustment Plans and liaise with Student Disability Services for expert advice and guidance as and when required.
• The post holder will be required to maintain a confidential system for recording and monitoring reasonable adjustments.

Attendance Officer

• Working with their College programme administration colleagues to identify students with low attendance/engagement who may also have wellbeing issues.
• Once identified, working with students with low attendance/engagement to support them to re-engage with their studies.

Extenuating Circumstances Officer

• Acting where required as the designated Extenuating Circumstances Officer, working to University Codes of Practice and School policies.
• College Specific
  Working closely with academic colleagues and Professional Services staff, the post holder will support the induction of first year students and re-induction of continuing students for all Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students.
  
  • Provide written wellbeing guidance information for inclusion in student handbooks
  • Deliver talks and presentations to students on the wellbeing support available to students; working closely with other University services to ensure that appropriate and advice is given to students during their studies.
  • Prepare reports on matters associated with the role, as required by School or College committees. This will include making recommendations for change or review.
  • Ensure responsibilities are carried out in accordance with Policies, Codes of Practice and Regulations as defined by their School, College and University and to be pro-active in offering advice based on these regulations and procedures to students and staff where required and appropriate.
  • Specific areas of responsibility and/or tasks may change from time to time in accordance with the requirements of their College or School and its priorities at the time.
  • From time to time, the post holder may participate in reviews of certain aspects of teaching administration e.g. looking at current practices in Schools and coming up with solutions for good practice across their College. This will be done in consultation with the College/School Senior Management Team.
  • The post holder may also be required to work in other parts of their College.
  • The post holder will also participate in various Working Groups and provide secretarial support to Committee meetings as appropriate.
  • The post holder will assist in the ongoing development of their College's Professional Services, its values, standards, service levels, and professional ethos.
  • To work with their College/School Senior Management Team to ensure that students support services are continuously reviewed and improved when necessary.
  • Any other duties as allocated by their College/School Senior Management Team

Person specification

Shortlisted candidates will be expected to evidence the following in their application:

• An excellent understanding of undergraduate and postgraduate education and the student lifecycle.
• Experience of managing sensitive situations with discretion and acting with integrity
• Considerable experience of working with and providing support to students who have wellbeing issues in a Higher Education environment.
• Experience of advising and supporting stakeholders in complex and varied wellbeing issues such as mental health, bereavement, serious illness, financial difficulties.
• Experience of working with wellbeing-related University processes and systems.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Experience of working with confidential data and information.
• Experience of using Microsoft Office applications and other IT software.
• Experience of using online tools such as VLEs, Zoom, Panopto etc.
• Experience of working accurately and paying close attention to details.
• Experience of successful team working.
• Ability to manage own workload autonomously whilst also working as an effective member of a team.
• Flexibility to manage working hours according to business need.
• A working knowledge of data protection regulations.
• A Graduate level qualification or equivalent work experience in a Student Wellbeing role.
• The successful candidate will need satisfactory DBS clearance.
• Informal enquires to Alex Johl , email: a.johl@bham.ac.uk
  
  We value diversity at The University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community '
  
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