Student Support Practitioner (Mental Health)

We are seeking a Student Support Practitioner (Mental Health) to join our Student Support Team at Falmouth Exeter Plus. Our friendly team supports a diverse community of staff and over 7,000 students across Falmouth University and the University of Exeter in Cornwall. Our mission to provide outstanding welfare and wellbeing support which enables students to learn and progress successfully at university. To enable this, we offer a range of assessment-based interventions, including advice and guidance on student life issues, mental health and psychological support, individual action plans, online resources and referral/ liaison – always keeping the whole student community at the heart of what we do.

This key role will primarily be working with students presenting with a range of severe and enduring mental health conditions to provide assessments and short-term solution focussed interventions. To help them overcome and manage challenges, to recover, support themselves and participate fully in student life. The key responsibilities for the role include providing an immediate response to mental health crisis and concern; facilitating referrals and ongoing liaison with university departments, external and statutory services including the local Primary Care Network, Community Mental Health/ Home Treatment/ Early intervention teams and GP surgeries to ensure a supportive and joined up approach to student support and mental health.

You will also contribute to proactive interventions as part of the Student Support multi-disciplinary team. This includes advice and training for staff on mental health in a university environment; facilitating group sessions; contributing to the ongoing development of self-help resources; as well as university partnership initiatives.

• Substantial experience of completing mental health biopsychosocial assessments, care planning and coordinating, assessing and managing risk, and responding to immediate crisis.
• Experience of active contributions to service development initiatives
• Ability to adapt to a role in a university setting, flexibly supporting the multi-disciplinary team approach to enable students to academically progress
• Experience of, and commitment to, working collaboratively and positively in a team
• Ability to remain calm and deal sensitively and effectively with difficult situations in a high demand environment.