Job Description

 The post-holder will be part of the Mental Health Support Team and part of our university’s multi-disciplinary Counselling & Mental Health Support Team (in Student Support & Wellbeing Services) and will have experience and current accreditation as a Mental Health Nurse, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner or a Mental Health Social Worker.  

The post-holder will possess specialist knowledge of issues related to student mental health, including the assessment and management of risk, mental health assessment, crisis management, and external referral of cases (into external crisis services, etc.).  The post-holder will liaise with a 

 wide range of internal and external stakeholders to ensure the university responds effectively to the mental health needs of students.  They will work closely with the other two sub-teams that make up the Counselling & Mental Health Support Team (the Counselling Sub-Team and our Outreach & Training Sub-Team) to ensure the appropriate referral of cases and an effective multi-disciplinary approach to all aspects of clinical work.  

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract

This is a full-time  post  - 100% FTE

Key Responsibilities

To provide confidential mental health support to students as part of the Mental Health Support Team. 

The support will be primarily concerned with assessing and triaging students who present with mental health issues, identifying any further support and liaising with internal and external services as needed to enable students to fully participate in university life.

Candidates will also be expected to offer short-term counselling interventions to students whose difficulties can be managed by low intensity and self-help oriented work and offer mental health support/advice/signposting to students who may be in distress or presenting with mental health risk to self or others.

To work with colleagues within Counselling and Mental Health Support Team and Student Services to support students with mental health conditions, including linking with internal and external organisations.

To identify and make recommendations for internal and external support for students with complex mental health needs (ie. referral into ‘Student of Concern’ meetings, referral to Consultant Psychiatrist, GP letters, liaison with statutory mental health services).

When acting as the first point of contact with this cohort to undertake an appropriate risk assessment and if necessary refer the student for clinical/counselling support.

To be part of a weekly duty rota system to triage and manage ‘Student of Concern’ referrals for students identified as at risk, vulnerable or having complex needs by members of the King’s Community.

To act as an advocate for students in negotiating time out/moving to alternative modes of studies. To be responsible for providing an informed opinion and/or verifying students’ mitigating circumstances, taking part in case conferences where mental health difficulties are an issue.

To support students in requesting extensions for completing work/providing supporting statements for students in academic appeals.

To work with students to determine when there might be a need to prioritise treatment over current continuation of studies, in accordance with KCL policies.

To support the students’ emotional and psychological wellbeing to enable successful engagement with academic commitments and the wider demands of student life, making referrals to other health and mental health professionals as appropriate.

To support staff working with individual students with mental health conditions in particular advising on individual needs and how the student’s mental health may impact on their participation in higher education.

To be involved in the design and delivery of presentations or training sessions across the university about mental health issues.

To work closely with colleagues in the Counselling Service, Disability Support Service, Residences and the King’s Health Centre as appropriate, to ensure parties are kept up to date with student’s support needs.

To work with colleagues in Counselling, the King’s Health Centre and other external services to help in the containment of student crisis situations involving mental health issues and facilitate effective contact with appropriate internal and external parties.

To keep accurate and up-to-date client case notes ensuring that they are compliant with the data protection act.

To maintain therapeutic boundaries at all times.

To comply with relevant legislation and regulations, including, for example, our duty of care, safeguarding legislation, data protection legislation (including the General Data Protection Regulation), equality legislation, and health and safety legislation.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

1. Professional qualification and current professional accreditation in the field of mental health nursing, psychological wellbeing practitioner or mental health social work
2. Expert knowledge and skills of undertaking mental health and risk assessment and management, including standardized assessment protocols and relevant clinical outcome measures (such as CORE)
3. Expert knowledge of the mental health issues and support needs of students and/or young adults
4. Ability to manage relationships sensitively with distressed clients and tolerate and manage high levels of risk
5. Knowledge of legislation relating to mental health
6. Understanding of the issues that students face in Higher Education and the types of support/advice that students require beyond mental health support
7. Excellent IT and administration skills, including administrative self-sufficiency (e.g. diary management, letter writing, etc.)
8. Experience of managing a large complex caseload of clients presenting with a wide range of mental health difficulties
9. Experience of referring cases into NHS and voluntary sector bodies, and working closely with such services on complex cases
10. Experience of balancing the need to share information appropriately to ensure the effective management of risk with the need for confidentiality and data protection legislation compliance
11. Experience of supporting others to maintain effective appropriate boundaries in their work
12. Experience of delivering training, presentations and/or group-work
13. Qualification or training in counselling skills and/or a sound understanding of counselling/psychotherapy models and their impact
14. Strong advocate of diversity and of promoting access for people with mental health issues

Further Information

The post-holder will be required to:

• Attend regular clinical supervision in relation to casework
• Attend regular line management supervision and team meetings
• Ensure regular updating of skills and knowledge in line with developments in mental health research and practice and keep up to date with changes in legislation, and government policy with particular, but not exclusive, regard to the implications for HEI’s.
• Maintain professional accreditation with an appropriate professional body (all advisors within the team are personally responsible for meeting the costs incurred in securing and maintaining this accreditation).

Interviews will be held on Friday 17th December.