JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title: Student Counselling and Mental Health Manager Job Reference: LIB747 Campus: Hendon Campus School / Service: Library and Student Support Grade: Grade 8 Salary Range: 42,759-49,160 per annum inclusive Outer London weighting Period: Permanent Reports to: Deputy Head of Student Support and Wellbeing Reports to Job Holder: Counsellors, Associate Training Counsellors (ATCs, Voluntary), Mental Health Advisors (MHAs), Counselling Psychologist, and Psychiatric Consultancy Library & Student Support (LSS) provides a wide range of support services to students including Library & student IT Support, Student Information & Advice, Wellbeing Services, Learning Enhancement and the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture. The Wellbeing Service combines a number of services to deliver holistic support for students, including: Disability and Dyslexia Support Providing assessment of needs for students with disability, dyslexia or other learning difficulties along with practical support for students and Faculties to ensure that disability does not create an obstacle to learning. Includes the management of the North London Regional Access Centre Mental Health and Counselling Providing individual support sessions and group workshops to students dealing with immediate crises or enduring difficulties affecting their life in general or University life specifically; individual support frameworks for students presenting with mental health issues; and practical advice and guidance to academic colleagues on identifying and making appropriate referrals for students with mental health concerns. Overall Purpose: The post-holder will be responsible for the leadership, management and development of the multidisciplinary Student Counselling and Mental Health Service including Counsellors, Associate Training Counsellors, Mental Health Advisors, Counselling Psychologist, Psychiatric Consultancy and external specialist mental health care providers hosted on campus. They will work closely with colleagues within the Wellbeing Services team and across the University to develop and maintain clear referral mechanisms and protocols for supporting students with mental health issues. The post holder will coordinate staff to manage a varied and complex caseload of students, assessing and managing the risks, and providing appropriate interventions and referrals according to individual needs. They will develop awareness and training across the institution in order to seek to influence the culture of the organisation, provide support for academic personal tutors and encourage students to engage with services. 1
Principle Duties: 1. Lead and manage staff within the newly expanded counselling and mental health services, supporting the implementation and development of new service roles, building morale and encouraging collaborative working 2. Provide a professional and specialist service that delivers a range of activities including one-to-one support, group work, on-line sessions and materials, and self-help resources to support individual students throughout their time at Middlesex in a way that will best enable them to manage their studies and wider University life 3. Work with the Deputy Head of Student Support and Wellbeing to develop policies, procedures, protocols for supporting students with mental health or emotional support, and so provide a clear framework for the service, based on best practice for the sector which is explained and disseminated these across the university 4. Set challenging objectives and projects in line with LSS and University strategies and manage performance to ensure individuals meet their goals, providing constructive feedback to ensure high professional standards and ethics, and compliance with competency frameworks 5. Evaluate and support staff learning needs through observation, appraisal processes and peer supervision where appropriate, and plan and deliver development activities to meet the required skills, knowledge and behaviours of the team to achieve individual, team and service objectives 6. Develop awareness and provide support to academic personal tutors in the forms of advice, training and robust management of referrals. 7. Routinely monitor and review staff s casework to ensure compliance with professional ethics and standards e.g. take responsibility for ensuring the counselling team are appropriately supported and receive external supervision in line with BACP recommendations, and for deciding when to invoke peer or management supervision to address difficult ethical dilemmas or exceptionally complex cases 8. Monitor and review the service, ensuring appropriate resources are available to meet service standards and ensuring the staff and other resources are planned effectively to reflect variations in the service demand cycle and sector developments 9. Network extensively throughout the University (including with the Students Union, Admissions and with Faculties) to develop collaborative relationships and promote awareness about mental health and its relationship to student retention, progression and continuation, and develop good practice in relation to individual students study needs and how their difficulties may impact on academic progress 10. Contribute to the writing, production and delivery of a range of publications, guidance, workshops and presentations for students and staff and other stakeholders, including material for print and online channels, to ensure the availability of relevant and accessible information on a range of mental health and emotional support issues 11. Manage service support in providing advice and guidance to prospective students and potential applicants at University open days, or similar University events to ensure that student concerns do not unnecessarily inhibit decisions to enrol at Middlesex University or impede widening access and participation 12. Act as a University expert in matters relating to student mental health and counselling, explaining and interpreting the context of mental health support to applicants, students and colleagues 13. Establish and maintain robust referral mechanisms within Library and Student Support, Faculties and Registry, working closely with the Disability and Dyslexia Support Manager to ensure students with enduring mental health issues receive seamless provision of the most appropriate support 2
14. Work with colleagues within the Cause for Concern group, Wellbeing Services, Academic Registry and Faculties to sustain the Cause for Concern Framework protocols for students at risk and those in mental health crisis, including emergency referral and appropriate support for when students return to their course 15. Ensure the team make effective use of technology to ensure there is a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of services, maximises efficiency, effectiveness and access to resources for students and staff and explore / recommend new systems, software and processes to enhance service delivery 16. Make links with and attend regular meetings of professional organisations, local community mental health teams, University networks, UMHAN and other support providers, to ensure the University s influence at local and national level regarding student mental health and counselling support 17. Understand the University s obligations and responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act, to act in accordance with the Act and other relevant legislation at all times when a client discloses a disability, and ensure regulatory and best practice are implemented within the service 18. Understand and implement the Service s Code of Confidentiality and make appropriate and timely decisions to breach the code in cases where individuals might be at risk of harming themselves or others and to invoke emergency procedures or referrals where necessary, ensuring that duty of care responsibilities are met at all times 19. Keep thorough, accurate and up to date records of support /client case notes to ensure compliance with the Service s Code of Confidentiality, professional standards and the Data Protection Act 20. Ensure that staff maintain databases and spreadsheets about individual students and support provided and be able to provide statistics and reports to inform decision making and service development, to anticipate trends, and maximise service efficiency and continuity 21. Be responsible for effective and timely response to complaints, FOIs and subject access requests on behalf of the service 22. Contribute to discussions relating to student feedback, including NSS, to analyse the feedback and make recommendations on service improvements 23. Undertake regular training and continuing professional development in order to keep abreast of changes and developments in the field of mental health and counselling support, and to ensure compliance with professional competency frameworks and best practice 3
PERSON SPECIFICATION Job Title: Student Counselling and Mental Health Manager Campus: Hendon Grade: 8 The successful candidate should be able to clearly demonstrate the following key skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary for the role: Essential: A degree or equivalent professional qualification A registered practitioner, such as a Counsellor, Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker or Occupational Health Worker, with significant relevant and recent experience of managing a service supporting clients with mental health or emotional wellbeing issues, preferably in an educational environment Detailed and current knowledge of NHS structures, practices and referral systems relating to mental health and of other agencies Significant experience of working in a service supporting people with complex and varied needs, including those with depression, bi-polar affective disorder and those with suicidal ideation Effective staff and service performance management Successfully leading teams through change and implementing systems Experience of developing processes and procedures from scratch Experience in preparing, analysing and presenting statistical reports Experience of developing good practice in service delivery Negotiating and working within appropriate professional boundaries, and managing potentially difficult or conflict situations with confidence Able to anticipate potential problems and initiate ways of improving standards Excellent communication skills and able to gain trust with students and staff and establish credibility at all levels Able to develop a vision for the service and set standards sufficiently high to meet current and future student and institutional needs Commitment to on-going professional development and reflective practice Highly developed IT skills A team worker with a flexible approach to work Well organised and able to effectively manage competing demands A proactive and positive, student centred approach Commitment to equality and diversity and its practical implications Desirable: Significant relevant and recent experience of managing a service supporting clients with mental health or emotional wellbeing issues, preferably in an HE environment A good understanding of the HE student life cycle and of issues related to study at a UK University Experience of effective promotion of referral protocols within an educational environment Experience of, or willingness to train in safeguarding responsibilities and support for students This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service certificate. You are therefore required to disclose details of any criminal record. ALL criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings, even if they would otherwise be regarded as spent 4
under this Act must be disclosed, as well as any other information that may have a bearing on your suitability for the post, including pending prosecutions. The University will apply for a DBS certificate before your appointment is confirmed. Hours: 35.5 hours per week for 52 weeks per annum; actual daily hours by arrangement. Some flexible working involving weekend or evening work will be required Leave: 30 days annual leave plus six extra University days and all Bank Holidays. Flexibility: Please note that given the need for flexibility in order to meet the changing requirements, the duties / location of this post and the role of the post-holder may be changed after consultation. No Parking at Hendon campus: There are no parking facilities for new staff joining our Hendon campus, except for Blue Badge holders. Information on public transport to Hendon can be found here: http://www.mdx.ac.uk/campus/campuses/docs/hendon_campus_map.pdf We offer an interest-free season ticket loan, interest-free motorbike loan, and bicycle and motorbike parking and changing facilities. The post-holder should actively follow Middlesex University policies and procedures and maintain an awareness and observation of Fire and Health & Safety Regulations Middlesex University is working towards equality of opportunity. Flexible working applications (including part-time working) will be considered. What Happens Next? If you wish to discuss the job in further detail please contact Julie Crabb on (020) 8411 6790, or 07941 359 644, or by email at j.crabb@mdx.ac.uk 5