Job Description

Role: Student Wellbeing Couselor

Grade: G7

Department: Registry and Academic Support Directorate

Location: Dubai Campus

•(This role is a maternity cover with a contract lasting 6 months, applicants must be on their own visa). •

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 referred to the service who present with emotional difficulties in order to ensure that appropriate interventions are delivered for students. The successful candidate will carry a caseload of students who need ongoing support. 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.


The successful candidate will work alongside the other members of the Wellbeing team to contribute to the development of a psycho-educational programme of workshops and other proactive support initiatives. They will also work closely with other teams from across the Student Life Division, in particular the Student Engagement and Student Council teams.



Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide information, advice and guidance services to students on the Dubai Campus
• Undertake initial assessments of students presenting at the counselling and support service and assess their needs
• Where indicated, provide appropriate interventions (including counselling and support or referral to another agency) to individual students to address the presenting emotional or psychological issues, including those who may have severe or enduring mental health difficulties, ensuring appropriate risk management at all times
• Identify where there is a need for formal counselling or ongoing Psychological or Psychiatric services and make appropriate referrals to external agencies.
• Organise and contribute to case conferences as appropriate
• Assess and advise individual students regarding their support needs, including dealing with cases of student harassment or emergencies such as student death
• Develop effective working relationships with others in the Wellbeing teams and the Student Life Division globally
• Work alongside the Student Life Dubai team to contribute to and develop general wellbeing strategies and initiatives to support the student community
• Provide consultation and professional advice for academic and administrative staff on how to deal with situations relating to mental health
• Develop relevant literature, resources, policies and procedure in relation to the service, working in an integrated way with other colleagues
• Develop and deliver workshops for students on wellbeing and mental health topics
Supporting the 'Thinking of Leaving• ' Service for students at risk of non progression
• Supporting students with Mitigating Circumstances requests if reason for request is related to mental health
• Maintain appropriate records and make use of the IT based systems and provide written reports as directed by Student Life Manager (Dubai) or Head of Student Wellbeing
• Work with colleagues in the Wellbeing team to deliver training to staff as directed by the Student Life Manager (Dubai)
• Undertake continuing professional development as appropriate and engage in clinical supervision with the Head of Student Wellbeing
• Engage in external clinical supervision with a supervisor approved by the Head of Student Wellbeing
• Any other task as requested by the Student Life Manager (Dubai) orHead of Student Wellbeing
• Provide support and coverage of cases for Students of Determination/Disability as needed
Work closely with colleagues at other campus to ensure consistency of service provision
•

Education, Qualifications & Experience:

Essential


• Educated to first degree level or equivalent or equivalent practical experience in the workplace
• Experience of working within a similar environment as outlined above
• Competent in the use of relevant IT packages
• Proven relevant experience in enhancing the student wellbeing experience, which will have been acquired over a number of years, with a basic understanding of the relevant theory
• Good knowledge and understanding of relevant legal, statutory and governance applications and turning them into good practice
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and presentation skills, able to understand and communicate complex issues effectively
• Demonstrable excellent customer service
• Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment
• Experience of working closely with stakeholders across all levels of the organisation
• Ability to research, analyse and present complex information effectively with good attention to detail
• High level organisational skills with the ability to prioritise major developments and to function effectively in a pressured environment
• Demonstrable professional and proactive approach

Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team

•
Desirable


• Experience of working in Higher Education
• Experience of working in wellbeing within a higher education institution
• Experiencing of developing and using online resources to support wellbeing development, including social media

Sound knowledge of the Higher Education sector and current issues surrounding employability

•
Special Factors


• Occasional requirement to work at weekends or out of hours
Only Applicants on their own visas will be considered
•

Heriot-Watt University Values

With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and professionally relevant, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry.


We are a vibrant, forward-looking university, well known for the quality of our degrees with employers actively seeking out our graduates. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's international university with an unsurpassed international in-country presence. We deliver degree programmes to circa 30,000 students in 143 countries around the world, have a further overseas campus in Dubai and boast the largest international student cohort in Scotland.


At Heriot-Watt we've created an environment that nurtures innovation and leadership - where our researchers, staff and students can realise their potential and develop their ambitions.


We are proud of our collegiate atmosphere and integrated teaching and research approach which has helped to build a community of committed academics and highly motivated students. Our focus on careers delivers results and we've an excellent reputation for graduate employability.


In addition to the Edinburgh campus, we currently have campuses in the Scottish Borders, Orkney, Dubai and Malaysia. For all of our campuses we aim to provide stimulating, supportive environments conducive to effective learning and research, where staff and students can excel. At Heriot-Watt, we have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership, and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.


Our values describe our deeply held beliefs and our community spirit. They characterise not only how we are as a higher education institution but also frame how we want to be.


Our values are:


• Belong
• Collaborate
• Inspire
• Celebrate

As learning, living and working institution, we use our values as the building blocks of how we go about doing our work and how we each conduct ourselves as members of Heriot-Watt University. They represent what binds us together as a University community and help us to become the best at what we do.


For full details on our University, please view our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/about.htm



'How to Apply'

Interested applicants must submit applications attaching an updated CV.


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.



•The appointment is conditional upon successful completion of all Labour and Immigration formalities, and the start date will need to be delayed if the employment visa is not in place. •