Student Welfare Adviser

£32,942 to £36,977 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £42,523.55 per annum)

Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact.

Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook.

Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

The Registry support all aspects of the student journey, right from initial enquiry and application, all the way through to final award and student completion.

We strive to provide an outstanding service to all our users and to be thought leaders in our fields of expertise, developing research informed practise.

Registry teams work collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver a high-performance culture that promotes wellbeing, diversity and opportunity for all, supporting excellent student experience.

About Student Services

Student Services at the University of Derby is committed to providing the best possible support services to our students, to enhance the student experience, to help students achieve their full potential and to meet the strategic aims of the University.

These services are central to the student experience they are visible, seamless, effective and tailored to the needs of our student community.

As part of this commitment, a transformational programme of work is underway in Student Services to ensure that the support we deliver meets the needs of our students.

We are excited for this next chapter in our service and welcome applicants with vision, drive and a passion for supporting student success.

The Student Welfare Adviser plays a key role in delivering a responsive, frontline support service to students across the University.

Acting as a first point of contact, you will provide timely advice and guidance on a wide range of wellbeing, financial and personal issues, resolving queries wherever possible and triaging to specialist services when required.

You will have an understanding of safeguarding and be confident responding appropriately to students at risk

You will support students through one-to-one interactions, helping them navigate the challenges of university life, build resilience and remain engaged with their studies.

The role also includes responding to urgent and complex situations, working collaboratively with academic schools and professional services, and contributing to preventative wellbeing initiatives across the student lifecycle.

This position is offered on a 12 month fixed-term basis to cover a period of maternity leave.

There may be the potential for the contract to be extended beyond this date, however this cannot be guaranteed.

You will have experience of delivering high-quality, student-centred support within a Higher Education environment or a similar setting supporting adults.

You are confident working with students facing a range of personal, financial and wellbeing challenges, and can provide practical, solution-focused guidance through both brief interventions and ongoing support.

With excellent interpersonal skills, you can build rapport quickly, manage sensitive situations and work effectively with academic and professional colleagues.

You are organised, adaptable and able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, with a strong understanding of the pressures and barriers affecting students in Higher Education.

• To provide a welcoming, supportive and knowledgeable service to students with a wide range of queries, either face-to-face, online, telephone and chat enquiries
• To resolve problems in relation to student advice on matters such as SFE funding, disability support (DSA) and other areas of wellbeing support within Student Services and act as the initial student point of contact for areas directed through the Student Welfare Service.
• To efficiently and effectively answer queries at the initial enquiry stage wherever possible.

To make a judgement when referral to a specialist advisor is necessary and to book an appointment ensuring that the advisor is appropriately briefed on the students’ query.

• Provide 1-1 support and guidance to students who are having difficulties functioning or continuing their studies for non-academic reasons, to help them successfully engage with university life and avoid crises.

This might include, for example, helping students access resources within and beyond the University, understand University policy/procedures, and develop necessary life skills and positive coping strategies.

• Assist in managing the initial response to acute student crisis situations calmly, sensitively and efficiently, in conjunction with the Student Welfare Manager, other colleagues in Student Services and/or relevant University and external services.
• Provide a first and point of contact for vulnerable students, those at risk of non-engagement and particularly those who may be reluctant to access professional services or students who are unsure of which support service to access.

Offer a practical, problem-solving approach to help them engage successfully with their academic studies and appropriate support services.

• Be passionate about a “student first” approach and actively seek feedback to measure the impact of the service delivery and review, identify and develop improvements to services working with the Student Welfare Manager.
• Work in accordance with university policies and procedures, regulatory frameworks, GDPR and other key legislation ensure accuracy and consistency in approach to making decisions and delivering processes based upon criteria.

At all times work towards ensuring that service level agreements are met, which deliver the highest level of service to all students, internal customers and stakeholders

• Together with colleagues provide a ‘wellbeing drop-in’ and triage service to students helping them access appropriate services both within the University and externally
• To assist in the development and delivery of key wellbeing literature, online material and support for key student life cycle events such as induction, welcome week etc. design and deliver skills sessions, and contribute to wellbeing campaigns.
• To work closely with academic tutors and colleagues in relevant student services to provide an appropriate and joined-up service for students experiencing mental health difficulties
• Use a CRM system to maintain up-to-date, professional notes, correspondence and records of individual cases, and contribute to an annual report on the work undertaken.
• Support the embedding of data and monitoring and evaluation strategies to ensure a cycle of continuous improvement to ensure effective and improved service delivery.
• Participate in external activities and organisations related to student support and wellbeing, where these benefit students and staff.
• Contribute to raising awareness of Student Services within the student population through collaboration with colleagues within the Student Services, professional services and the Colleges.

Prepare and deliver a range of advice and guidance sessions at various inductions, Open Day and admissions events throughout the year.

• A professional qualification (or equivalent applied experience) relating to one or more aspects of student services, and/or professional body membership

Experience

• Excellent customer service skills and experience with a strong commitment to delivering a user focussed, professional service
• Experience of working within a complex multidisciplinary team and fast paced office environment
• Experience of offering individual support within a Higher Education or Further Education environment or a similar institutional context/age group
• Experience of offering a wide range of interventions to individuals experiencing difficulties, providing appropriate advice and information, using creativity to resolve problems
• Experience of developing and delivering training sessions to groups on a range of wellbeing related topics
• Experience and confidence with a range of IT applications including MS Office and a willingness to develop expertise in the use of technology and social media
• Experience of prioritising and operating to tight deadlines whilst under pressure
• Experience of Safeguarding, “Cause for Concern” and related regulations and policies

Skills, knowledge & abilities

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to deal sensitively with enquires from a diverse range of individuals and de-escalate and manage potentially difficult or conflict situations calmly and with confidence
• Demonstrable knowledge of a range of support services and of how to effectively build community links
• Demonstrable evidence of a proactive and positive, student-centred approach and with an understanding of and commitment to the values, aims and objectives of the University
• Ability to negotiate and work within appropriate professional boundaries, and to manage potentially difficult or conflict situations with confidence
• Strong organisational skills, able to handle competing demands and priorities and remain focused, working autonomously whilst also working successfully in collaboration with colleagues
• The ability to work collegially to engage with a wide range of colleagues/ teams at all levels, building relationships to effectively carry out the role/deliver the services
• Good understanding of issues affecting students and potential barriers to accessing and succeeding in higher education
• Business Requirements
• Ability to work outside of normal working hours (including some evenings and weekends), to support the business during key University events, such as Graduation, Clearing and Open Days
• Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
• Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
• Discounted onsite gym
• Cycle to Work scheme
• A flexible working environment
• A commitment to personal and professional development
• Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.

We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.

Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.

When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'.

We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns.

This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates.

Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.

The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process.

This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead.

This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.

However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings.

Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do.

We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities.

In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.

Don’t miss your chance – join the team and make a difference today!

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