UMO is recruiting a Specialist Mental Health Mentor to support university students in Stirling. Help students develop practical strategies for managing mental health-related barriers to study through one-to-one mentoring, delivered in person and online. You must be able to attend in-person sessions in Stirling.
Location: Stirling and online; in-person availability required
Contract: Zero-hours
Pay: £25 per hour
Start date: By agreement
About the role
You will work with undergraduate and postgraduate students whose mental health affects their experience of studying. Sessions combine practical planning and reflective discussion, helping each student develop approaches that fit their strengths, priorities and course demands.
The role includes both in-person and online support. This is not a remote-only vacancy: applicants must be able to deliver sessions in Stirling. Hours are arranged around referrals, student timetables and your agreed availability; no minimum hours are guaranteed.
What you will do
- Provide individual mentoring focused on mental health-related barriers to learning and participation.
- Help students plan workloads, prioritise tasks and develop workable routines.
- Support students to prepare for deadlines, meetings and changes in university life.
- Review agreed goals and help students identify strategies they can use independently.
- Help students communicate their own support needs and access appropriate services.
- Recognise safeguarding concerns and follow UMO's escalation procedures.
- Maintain accurate, confidential records and communicate appropriately with UMO and relevant university staff.
About you
- A relevant mental health professional qualification and appropriate current professional registration or membership.
- An honours degree and at least one year's post-qualifying experience supporting young people or adults with mental health conditions.
- Understanding of how mental health can affect concentration, organisation, confidence and participation in higher education.
- Strong listening, communication, reflective practice and practical strategy skills.
- A student-led approach, with clear professional boundaries and a commitment to disability equity.
- Reliable organisation, secure record keeping and confidence working independently within a team.
- Ability to deliver support in person in Stirling as well as online.
Qualifications and professional requirements
Please include your relevant qualifications, professional body and membership or registration status in your application. UMO will verify these against the requirements of the mentoring work allocated to you before support begins.
For Non-Medical Help (NMH) work covered by the Department for Education (DfE) framework, practitioners must meet the current mandatory qualification and professional-body membership requirements for Specialist Mentor - Mental Health (SM-MH). Please review the DfE NMH mandatory requirements (September 2026 PDF, page 8) (https://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/media/2198/matrix-september-2026_final.pdf#page=8). The Student Loans Company NMH supplier guidance (https://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/exchange-blog/2020/september/10092020-guidance-for-nmh-suppliers/) carries the latest version and updates. UMO will confirm the requirements applicable to each referral; the DfE framework is not a universal requirement for every Scottish funding route.
What we offer
- A zero-hours role with sessions arranged around agreed availability and student requirements.
- Clinical supervision, continuing professional development and support from UMO's experienced team.
- The opportunity to provide practical, person-centred support for students in higher education.
Specialist mentoring supports study-related strategies and independence. It does not include counselling, psychotherapy, diagnosis, medical treatment, crisis intervention, advocacy or subject tuition. Mentors do not complete academic work for students. Where a student needs additional or urgent support, follow the appropriate safeguarding and referral procedures.
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Specialist Mental Health Mentor in Stirling employer: UMO
UMO is an exceptional employer that values inclusivity and flexibility, offering notetakers the chance to support disabled and neurodivergent students at a specialist university in London. With a commitment to professional development, employees receive comprehensive induction and ongoing support from an experienced team, fostering a collaborative work culture that prioritises disability equity and student-led initiatives. The flexible zero-hours contract allows for a work-life balance tailored to individual schedules, making it an ideal opportunity for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment in higher education.
