Student Adviser in Hatfield

SALARY: £28,000 p.a.

LOCATION: Working from both College Lane and De Havilland Campuses on a rotated basis.

RESPONSIBLE TO: The post holder reports to the Assistant Advice Centre Manager.

CONTACTS: The post holder will have contact with students, Students’ Union (SU) and University staff, SU Elected Officers and staff from external support organisations.

PURPOSE: Be part of a team of experienced Advisers – providing high-quality confidential and impartial advice to University of Hertfordshire students; enabling students to understand university procedures and regulations, make informed decisions, represent themselves effectively and feel supported during their studies.

THE ROLE: A Student Adviser provides confidential and impartial advice, in either a one-to-one or group basis; covering a wide range of advice areas; including academic, housing, financial or welfare matters. Demonstrating an understanding of university procedures and regulations, whilst communicating effectively with a variety of people and a range of queries; a Student Adviser has excellent written, presentation and interpersonal skills whilst maintaining confidentiality, impartiality, and professionalism at all times. With proven experience of working in a busy environment, and managing a complex workload, a Student Adviser has a passion for offering service of the highest standard and supporting others as part of a dedicated team. Problem-solving skills, digital capability and an eye for detail and presentation are essential. Practical experience of advice work either in higher education or a student led, democratic environment would be desirable.

Vision: Our vision at Herts SU is to help students love their time at Herts. The Advice and Support Team is a core part of our vision, and the role of Student Adviser is an essential part of supporting individual students to ensure that they get the most from their time at the University of Hertfordshire.

Values: We are a truly values-led organisation. We are looking for someone who lives our everyday values of being helpful, empowering, representative, transparent and student focussed.

Service Excellence: We go above and beyond for our students and each other – we are committed to providing excellent service across the board and we support each other to prioritise this every day.

Equal Opportunities: We encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, to reflect the current student population at Herts. We welcome all applications regardless of a persons’ race, sex, disability, religion/beliefs, sexual orientation, or age.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Undertake detailed casework, including one-to-one or group consultations, advocacy, and mediation for students.
• Provide the highest standard of service to students accessing the Advice & Support Centre and Students’ Union; identifying any changes in the needs of students and suggesting adaptions to service delivery whenever appropriate.
• To work flexibly and efficiently, always adhering to strict professional service standards to meet the needs of students, legislation, and internal/national standards.
• Maintain accurate records of consultations and casework in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), the Students’ Union Data Protection Policy and internal service standards.
• Liaise with the University and other agencies involved in advisory work to develop and maintain a holistic and inclusive approach to supporting student welfare.
• Handle referrals of complex welfare cases and ensure effective referral pathways with internal and external support agencies to enable continuation of support.
• Promote Advice & Support Centre services through attending Students’ Union and University events, and delivering tailored talks or presentations to students, University staff or other stakeholders.
• Deliver training sessions and create advice resources for students, as and when required.
• Assist in developing policy and procedures relating to student advice and welfare, as requested, to ensure that robust and relevant mechanisms are in place.
• To keep abreast of relevant national and local developments, changes in legislation, and good practice, attending conferences, training events and meetings as necessary.
• Assist with the coordination of Students’ Union events as needed; particularly supporting the Students’ Unions’ activities and events during start of term.
• To develop and maintain relationships with colleagues from other Students’ Unions and relevant organisations, including site visits to other Students’ Unions and organisations as necessary.

General:

• Being friendly and respectful of others to maintain a safe and considerate workplace, reflecting our values of being Helpful, Empowering, Representative, Transparent and Student-focused.
• To set high standards of integrity, punctuality, accuracy, politeness, and professionalism by personal example.
• To have a flexible approach to work and to undertake any other reasonable duties which may be required, always promoting a positive image of Herts SU.
• To abide by the Herts SU Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Union Policies and Procedures, always respecting the democratic structure of the Students’ Union.
• To be aware of the department’s impact on the environment and to work within the environmental policies of the Union and the University (where applicable).

This document outlines the general duties required for the time being. This is neither a comprehensive or exhaustive list and the duties may be varied from time to time and may be changed and be added to or deducted from. Any changes will not alter the general character of the job and/or level of seniority or responsibility, unless following on from discussion and agreement.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

• Educated to degree level or have equivalent work experience.
• Highly literate and numerate with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Experience of working within a welfare, support, or advice environment.
• A motivated and enthusiastic approach towards working as part of a team with shared outcomes.
• Excellent administrative skills and the ability to adhere to defined policies and procedures.
• Ability to suggest and implement improvements to service delivery.
• Ability to work flexibly and efficiently whilst prioritising and managing own workload.
• Ability to relate to students, assess their needs and advise accordingly.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage a demanding caseload.
• Able to work evenings and weekends (as required).
• Commitment to Equal Opportunities and understanding of its relevance to Students’ Unions.
• Ability to work with a wide range of people from different backgrounds and cultures.
• Understanding of working in a democratic environment.
• IT literate with the confidence to tackle new systems and software.

DESIRABLE

• Relevant qualification in advice or welfare.
• Experience of working within a student led, democratic environment.
• Professional or voluntary experience of advising students.
• Knowledge of support services available to students.
• Working knowledge of university procedures and regulations.
• Experience of using a case management system.
• A particular interest in academic casework and academic policy.

Qualifications: Educated to a degree level or equivalent.