Specialist Mentor -ASC

The Role

The role

The SM-ASC role is largely funded by Student Finance, who set out the purpose of the role as one that supports students in accessing their higher education studies by:

• Supporting students in understanding what isrequiredofthem academically in HE.
• Identifyingbarriers to the student’s learning.
• Helping students to develop effective organisation and time management skills and strategies to manage their workload and deadlines in the presence of their condition.
• Helping students with prioritisation and realistic goal setting, including producing plans of work and targets.
• Developing a support programme tofacilitatethe growth of the student’s independence, reducing the need for support in the longer term.

You will meet students regularly, usually in-person, and provide them with support to help them reach their potential regardless of their difficulties. This flexible role will mostly be carried out on-campus, between the hours of 9am and 5pm, during university term-time, which spans up to 30 weeks across the year between mid-September and the end of May. It may require you to provide support for a smaller caseload of post-graduate students and resitting undergraduates during summer break.

The SM-ASC must not offer any subject-specific support or tutoring, nor act as an advocate or counsellor. It is expected that SM-ASCs should have an in-depth knowledge and experience of autism and an understanding of the demands of study in HE. They should be able to recognise when there is a need to refer to other support services.

Successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check.

Appointments are normally made within 4 - 8 weeks of the closing date.

This job description is subject to review and amendment in the light of the changing needs of the University, to provide appropriate development opportunities and/or the addition of any other reasonable duties.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

You’ll work with students in a sensitive and empathetic providing a safe, non-judgmental meeting space for your students and responding positively and calmly to students in distress. You’ll be able to understand and manage professional boundaries, establishing

and maintaining productive working relationships with students while understanding the importance of professional record-keeping and confidentiality.

You will support your students through periods of transition in their course: from the initial orientation of campus and processes through to preparation for life after university.

You will help your students to develop effective organisation and time management skills for managing their workload and deadlines; plotting assignment deadlines, identifying and managing any converging deadlines, and prioritising workload. You will provide regular opportunities for students to check email, Blackboard and any other relevant sources of information and communication and to encourage the student to act on these as necessary.

You will assist the student to meet their own aspirations and targets, including goal setting activities to monitor and review progress in this area. You will also facilitate the growth of the student’s confidence and independence through an understanding of their condition and the reframing of deficit thinking.

You will assist students in managing social situations and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

You will be well placed to pick up quickly on any safeguarding concerns and will monitor both your student’s engagement with their course of study and any health and wellbeing issues, identifying areas of risk and referring concerns appropriately.

You’ll understand the importance of managing record keeping and other administrative processes in a thorough and timely manner and support your students in their administrative responsibilities.

Essential