Student Wellbeing Advisor - Dubai Campus

Job Posting Title:                           Wellbeing Officer (Students of Determination)

Grade :                                            Grade 7

Location:                                         Dubai Campus

FTE and working pattern:             Full Time

Organisation Name:                      Registry and Academic Support

About our Directorate and Team: 

The Global Registry and Academic Support Directorate support our students and staff colleagues across the full student life-cycle from enrolment to graduation. 

The Directorate has responsibility as the definitive record-keeper of all student information and programme and course details, and leading services that help students settle and stay at the University with professional help and advice, through a range of wellbeing services. 

It supports academic and professional services staff across the University in a number of areas, including: academic, institutional and student related Regulations and Policies and global, national and institutional quality matters.

It delivers these services through four Divisions, each managed by a Global Head, and two Head of Campus Registry:

• Student Life
• Online Student Services
• Academic Operations
• Academic Quality
• Head of Registry – Dubai Campus
• Head of Registry – Malaysia Campus

In Dubai, services are managed by a Head of Registry, working closely with the Heads of Division, the Academic Registrar and the Chief Operating Officer, Dubai Campus.   

Division: Student Life

The Student Life Division in Dubai is made up of five areas:

• Student Service Centre: A single point of access for students that delivers a consistent student experience, including face-to-face and virtual services (eg, enrolment, student account payments, student records, etc.)
• Student Records: Responsible for the management of back-office functions to support the Student Service Centre, acts as the definitive record-keeper of the student record, and manages standard/consistent processes for all student transactions (eg, transfer, Temporary Suspension of Studies, etc.).
• Wellbeing: Provides a range of services to support the student journey including support for people of determination, mental health, and retention activities.
• Careers and Graduate Futures: Delivers career and employability advice to students and recent alumni, working closely with local and global employers, and with Heriot-Watt’s Schools supporting the employability strands.
• Student Engagement: Supports the Student Council, and coordinates activities and events for students to facilitate their extra-curricular development and build community.

Purpose of Role 

This post plays a key role in the delivery of a pro-active, professional support service to students. The post holder acts as a central point of contact for prospective and current students. This includes advice, assessment and arrangements for students of determination/with disabilities, and referral for support to deal with personal issues.  Tasks include carrying a caseload of students who need ongoing support; liaising with academic staff to ensure that the recommended support is delivered and making onward referrals to counsellors and other mental health professionals where required. 

The student experience is at the heart of all we do and the main purpose of student wellbeing is to provide advice, information, and support to undergraduate and postgraduate students throughout the student lifecycle from enrolment to graduation. 

The successful candidate will work alongside the other members of the Wellbeing team to contribute to the development of a programme of workshops and other proactive support initiatives. They will also work closely with other teams from across the Student Life Division, in particular the Student Engagement and Student Council teams. They will form part of the Global Wellbeing Team, with professional support available from colleagues in Scotland and Malaysia.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

1. Provide an information, advice and guidance service to students on the Dubai Campus. 
2. Undertake initial assessments of students who present with disability and provide appropriate support and guidance.  
3. Undertake assessments for Students of Determination/disability and co-ordinate the provision of specific support and services to students ensuring that appropriate reasonable adjustments are made. 
4. Screen students for Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia) and make referrals for further assessment by Educational Psychologists.
5. Assess and advise individual students regarding their support needs.
6. Identify where there is a need for formal counselling or ongoing Psychological or Psychiatric services and make referrals as appropriate.
7. Organise and contribute to case conferences as appropriate.
8. Liaise with academic and other support departments to administer support arrangements for students of determination/with disabilities, including exam arrangements.
9. Develop effective working relationships with others in the Wellbeing team and the Student Life Division globally to ensure consistency of practices.
10. Provide consultation and professional advice for academic and administrative staff on how to deal with situations relating to determination/disability.
11. Supporting the ‘Thinking of Leaving’ Service for students at risk of non-progression.
12. Develop relevant literature, resources, policies and procedure in relation to the service, working in an integrated way with other colleagues.
13. Develop and contribute to a programme of workshops to proactively support students of determination with their studies.
14. Maintain appropriate records and make use of the IT based systems and provide reports as directed by the Student Life Manager and Global Head of Wellbeing. 
15. Work with student engagement to actively promote the service. 
16. Regularly review procedures and practices to ensure that the service is working as effectively and efficiently as possible to enhance the student experience.
17. Support the wider wellbeing team (mental health)
18. Undertake additional duties as directed by the Student Life Manager

Education, Qualifications & Experience: 

Essential

1. Educated to first degree level or equivalent or equivalent practical experience in the workplace 
2. Experience of working within a similar environment as outlined above
3. Competent in the use of relevant IT packages 
4. Proven relevant experience in enhancing the student wellbeing experience, which will have been acquired over a number of years, with a basic understanding of the relevant theory
5. Good knowledge and understanding of relevant legal, statutory and governance applications and turning them into good practice
6. Excellent interpersonal, influencing and presentation skills, able to understand and communicate complex issues effectively
7. Demonstrable excellent customer service 
8. Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment
9. Experience of working closely with stakeholders across all levels of the organisation 
10. Ability to research, analyse and present complex information effectively with good attention to detail
11. High level organisational skills with the ability to prioritise major developments and to function effectively in a pressured environment
12. Demonstrable professional and proactive approach
13. Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team 

Desirable

1. Postgraduate qualification
2. Professional qualification relevant to the role
3. Experience of working in Higher Education 
4. Ability to use Excel to interrogate, analyse and report on student data

Heriot-Watt University Values

With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and professionally relevant, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry.

We are a vibrant, forward-looking university, well known for the quality of our degrees with employers actively seeking out our graduates.  Heriot-Watt is also Scotland’s international university with an unsurpassed international in-country presence. We deliver degree programmes to circa 30,000 students in 143 countries around the world, have a further overseas campus in Dubai and boast the largest international student cohort in Scotland.

At Heriot-Watt we’ve created an environment that nurtures innovation and leadership - where our researchers, staff and students can realise their potential and develop their ambitions.

We are proud of our collegiate atmosphere and integrated teaching and research approach which has helped to build a community of committed academics and highly motivated students.  Our focus on careers delivers results and we’ve an excellent reputation for graduate employability.

In addition to the Edinburgh campus, we currently have campuses in  the Scottish Borders, Orkney, Dubai and Malaysia.  For all of our campuses we aim to provide stimulating, supportive environments conducive to effective learning and research, where staff and students can excel. At Heriot-Watt, we have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership, and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.

Our values describe our deeply held beliefs and our community spirit. They characterise not only how we are as a higher education institution but also frame how we want to be.

Our values are:

• Belong
• Collaborate
• Inspire
• Celebrate

As learning, living and working institution, we use our values as the building blocks of how we go about doing our work and how we each conduct ourselves as members of Heriot-Watt University. They represent what binds us together as a University community and help us to become the best at what we do.

For full details on our University, please view our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/about.htm

‘How to Apply’

Please submit your CV and a cover letter setting out how you meet the criteria for the role. We regret that we cannot consider applications with CVs alone. 

At Heriot-Watt University, we understand that being diverse makes us better which is why we support a culture of respect and equal opportunity, and value diversity at the heart of what we do. We want to increase the diversity of our workplace to underpin a dynamic and creative environment.

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team. 

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

The appointment is conditional upon successful completion of all Labour and Immigration formalities, and the start date will need to be delayed if the employment visa is not in place.