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Birmingham International Academy

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £29,762 to £32,411 with potential progression once in post to £36,333

Grade 6

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 28th August 2023

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The Birmingham International Academy (BIA) is a designated teaching unit within the University of Birmingham. The BIA is responsible for delivering Foundation, Presessional and Insessional English programmes for international students looking to secure a place on an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. All BIA courses cater for a broad international student community with some students being under the age of 18 when they enrol on their course. The BIA is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

Role Summary

At the University of Birmingham, students are at the heart of all we do. The BIA Student Wellbeing Officer will provide pastoral and educational support to students, to ensure that a professional and proactive wellbeing support service is provided to all in need. Their principal responsibility will be to manage a portfolio of wellbeing casework, reporting and escalating as necessary to the BIA Student Wellbeing & Experience Manager and/or Student Services. The post-holder will work with the International Student Support Coordinator in supporting students under the age of 18 registered on our teaching programmes. They will work closely with staff in the Vale Village in supporting students under the age of 18 who are accommodated in University managed housing. This is a student facing role and therefore the post-holder will be expected to be on campus, although occasional home working will be possible. The University will request a DBS check as part of the recruitment process for this post. These checks are processed by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Main Duties

• Provide helpful, accurate and expert wellbeing advice to international students on a wide range of issues, tailoring the support service and wellbeing journey for each student to ensure it meets their needs. This includes following up with individuals and their use of services, to ensure a professional end-to-end wellbeing service is delivered.
• Operate daily office hours to meet with students on an appointment or drop-in basis.
• Implement the BIA safeguarding guidelines from inducting students under the age of 18, conducting wellbeing checks, coordinating escalations and supporting their transition into the Colleges.
• Assist the BIA Student Wellbeing & Experience Manager in updating relevant safeguarding and wellbeing policies, procedures, and webpages.
• Deliver wellbeing and safeguarding training to staff.
• Liaise with, and refer students to, the wider support services and specialist services in the University as appropriate, for example Student Support, Disability Services, or study skills services. The role will be a key contact and link between the BIA and other support services.
• Develop and deliver a range of communications to all students, prospective students and staff around student wellbeing and support, and regularly review and improve the effectiveness of these.
• Maintain casework notes to ensure that they are kept up-to-date and accurate.
• Complete all reporting activities in a timely manner to inform and support the BIA in identifying potential risk and proactive activities.
• As the BIA’s primary contact for implementing reasonable adjustments, ensure that the appropriate academic and professional service staff are made aware of all reasonable adjustments to the assessment process.
• Inform appropriate academic and professional services staff regarding changes and updates in practice and policy relating to student wellbeing.
• Acting as the Extenuating Circumstances Officer, submit requests, evidence, and advise students in the collation of relevant information to support the Extenuating Circumstances Panel’s decision making process.
• Working with the Operations Team in the monitoring of student attendance and in following up attendance or engagement concerns.
• Provide support to colleagues and students at induction and welcome week and, as appropriate to other relevant student engagement activities.
• Promote equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to degree level. Where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role will be required.
• Understanding of the wellbeing needs of international students in higher education.
• Understanding of child protection and safeguarding best practice.
• Experience of supporting students, preferably in a wellbeing role.
• Significant understanding of the student experience issues, and the student lifecycle.
• Knowledge and experience of managing confidential and sensitive situations with discretion and integrity.
• Experience of working with confidential data and information, with a working knowledge of data protection policies.
• Ability to collate and analyse data.
• Ability to form positive working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Planning and Organising

The post-holder will plan and tailor the wellbeing support for international students, which necessarily requires being responsive to students as well as a high level of co-ordination and planning with other services and colleagues within the University. They will need to plan activity according to the academic lifecycle of the BIA, and as such need to be forward looking. The post-holder will need to be self-motivated and manage their workload autonomously, whilst also keeping an awareness of the activities of the wider team.

Problem Solving and decision-making

Within the codes of practice and policies relating to student wellbeing, the role will have the requirement to shape and develop the BIA Wellbeing Service in conjunction with BIA academic staff, Operations and Administrative team and partners in the wider Student Services. They will need to develop and improve ways of working to provide the best and most efficient service.

The role will manage a case load of student wellbeing issues, which will include difficult and complex issues. They will need to make decisions in relation to specific student cases and the support offered, with the ability to refer cases to other specialist and expert services as required. They will be supported in this by the BIA Student Wellbeing & Experience Officer.

Internal and External relationships

This role is a crucial interface between students, academic and professional services staff and colleagues in wider Student Services and specialist support services. The post-holder will also work closely with staff at the Vale Village in supporting students under the age of 18 who are accommodated there. The role will involve regular communication between a variety of stakeholders and the development of successful working relationships to ensure effective management of student cases.

DBS required

Pre-employment DBS

The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory DBS clearance prior to appointment.

Informal enquires to Ricky Joseph, email: [email protected]

View our staff values and behaviours here

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working .