Wellbeing Practitioner (Mental Health)

This is a role for a creative and dynamic Wellbeing Practitioner with a mental health background to include qualifications and experience in Nursing (RMN) Social Work (AMP), Counselling or Psychology. The post holder will need to respond to changes in the higher education sector and work collaboratively with services on and off campus to ensure students have access to appropriate resources and services that will support them to achieve their academic and personal development goals.

The Wellbeing Practitioner (Mental Health), will work within a multi-disciplinary team to develop and deliver an exceptional range of proactive support to include; planned face to face and online interventions and psycho-educational workshops and mentoring to help students engage in developing skills for managing and maintain good mental health and wellbeing. The post holder will act as a point of contact in mental health emergency situations and respond to crisis, students causing significant concern and critical incidents. The post will have substantial experience of assessing and managing risk and a commitment to delivering a ‘stepped care' model of support. The post holder will also develop proactive responses to promote a sense of community within the University through social and educational programmes and individual services, to ensure that students have the opportunity to succeed in their studies, fully participate in University life, and develop resilience, good physical and mental health.

Responsibilities include working to embed innovative and inclusive practices across the University through networking and contributing to training.The post holder will be required to operate flexibly to meet the demands of the service, working at least one late evening per week.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications

• Relevant qualification and substantial experience in a related area. For example, substantial experience in supporting people with mental health conditions and a qualification in Counselling, Psychology, Nursing, (RMN) Social Work (AMP).
• Membership of an appropriate professional body, such as NMC/RCN/HCPC/BACP/UKCP.
• All post holders are subject to a satisfactory and enhanced DBS check.

Knowledge and Experience

• Significant demonstrable experience of working with clients with mental health difficulties and also of assessing and managing ‘at risk' clients.
• Experience of case working/support working of clients with mental difficulties.
• Experience of assessing the mental health needs of people from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience of working with mental health issues in a group setting, and an ability to deal with difficult and challenging group dynamics.
• Experience of assessing and working therapeutically with people who self-harm and experience suicidal feelings.
• Experience in health promotion or health education.
• Experience of delivering training and workshops
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver a service.
• Experience of delivering training as part of health and wellbeing, e.g. personal resilience.
• Experience of Developing effective working relationships with internal partners and external agencies.
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver mental health and/or wellbeingservices.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent IT skills and experience of using systems to manage work requirements.
• Ability to keep thorough and accurate client case notes, and ensure compliance with confidentiality policies and procedures, professional standards, and Data Protection and GDPR legislation.
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the mental health needs of people including an awareness of issues of diversity, the social context of their lives and of the different ways they may express stress.
• Ability to engage people individually and in groups in developing strategies and skills for managing their mental health and wellbeing by using creative methods, models and processes.
• Demonstrable experience of partnership and collaborative working.
• Excellent communication skills; both written and oral, and an ability to deal with people at all levels.
• Experience of developing and delivering training for a variety of audiences.
• Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own workload and manage time effectively in an environment of change and conflicting priorities.
• Professional Commitment Ensuring that issues of equality and a respect for diversity are reflected in all aspects of work.
• Continued professional development through undertaking training and participating in other learning opportunities in line with role and service needs
• Recognition of the need to be accountable for work through supervision, performance management and other relevant processes.
• Work as part of a multi disciplinary team.