Mental Health and Wellbeing Service Manager

This postholder will lead a programme of change that will deliver our ambition to develop a sector leading wellbeing service, leading the strategic and operational management of Mental Health and Wellbeing Support service; provide line management and casework support to practitioners delivering Mental Health support. They will maintain their own casework portfolio, providing advice and assistance to students, staff across the University, and external partners. Develop preventative initiatives in response to mental health and wellbeing needs of student and the University. The postholder will work as part of a team to pro-actively promote Equality and Diversity and ensure that best practice in supporting students is embedded across the University. They will ensure professional and quality service standards are maintained and applied to the work of the Student Wellbeing team.

The postholder will work closely and collaboratively with the management team within the Student Wellbeing Service to deliver inclusive and accessible support and be proactive in responding to the needs of students in the context of their academic relationship with the University; ensuring effective communication and referral pathways between teams is achieved. They will contribute to the work of the Service in the formulation, promotion, monitoring of the Service delivered to students at the University: developing systems, policies and protocols that underpin and support sustainable, evidence based, sector leading practise.

 

Qualifications

• A good honours degree. (Essential)
• Registered with appropriate professional body such as BACP/BABCP/UKCP or HCPC
• A professional qualification in an area relevant to the responsibilities of the post, for example, Counselling psychology, Counselling, Nursing, Social work (Essential)

 

Knowledge and Experience

• Extensive experience of developing good practice in service delivery and knowledge of a range of therapeutic models and their relevance/suitability to students (Essential)
• Post-qualification therapeutic work with clients including the management of complex and challenging cases and clinical risk (Essential)
• Understanding of psychological and emotional impact of transition (Essential)
• Significant relevant and recent experience of managing a service supporting clients with mental health or emotional wellbeing issues. (Essential)
• Ability to take responsibility for and resolve complex professional matters including handling situations of students in crisis/at risk. (Essential)
• Demonstrable experience of using innovative approaches to service development and ability to successfully initiate and implement change (Essential)
• Demonstrable leadership, management and motivational skills with a practical and creative approach to problem solving(Essential)
• Substantial experience of successfully creating, maintaining and the ongoing development of partnership work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. (Essential)
• Demonstrable understanding statutory requirements and national developments in student Wellbeing across HE and experience of implementing appropriate plans. (Desirable)

 

Knowledge and Skills

• Experience of managing and leading change, including people and services, influencing cultural change and breaking down barriers to effective working across disciplines. (Essential)
• Substantial experience of leading and managing teams. (Essential)
• Ability to manage staff, inspiring confidence and the ability to motivate staff and create a collaborative team spirit. (Essential)
• An ability to demonstrate the successful development of new systems and processes to deliver enhanced outcomes and impact, and the successful communication of the purpose of those developments. (Essential)
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including evidence of the ability to build relationships with a variety of key stakeholders and internal and external colleagues and agencies. (Essential)
• Be able to use initiative and own judgment effectively. (Essential)
• Ability to deliver results in an environment of ambiguity. (Essential)
• Demonstrable understanding of, and commitment to, equality and diversity. (Essential)
• Detailed and current knowledge of NHS structures, practices and referral systems relating to mental health and of other agencies (Desirable)
• Experience of implementing new IT systems and refining/enhancing existing IT systems and procedures to assist with the efficient running of a busy service (Desirable)
• Knowledge of current research into mental health issues, treatment options and services (Desirable)