Job Purpose:

The Head of Advice and Wellbeing provides leadership and management to the GSU Advice and Wellbeing and Retention teams. The postholder will be responsible for developing an excellent Advice and Wellbeing Service to support and advise students on issues they may face during their time at university.

This role will manage GSU’s flagship Retention and Insights project as well as provide support on development of effective insights and support campaigns for students, across our three campuses at Greenwich, Avery Hill and Medway.

This role will enhance work with the diverse student population of the University of Greenwich and lead a dynamic team to ensure students have consistent and accessible services that contribute to a positive student experience.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

This postholder will be part of the GSU Senior Leadership Team and will be expected to contribute to department and organisation wide strategic development.

The post holder will:

• Have working knowledge in areas relating to Advice policies and legislation relating to such activity
• Provide line management support to staff so that the team have up to date, specialist advice skills, knowledge and understanding of University regulations, policies and procedures that may affect the work of the Advice service and oversee engagement across Greenwich’s 3 campuses
• ·Undertake casework and provide expert advice for the team on all aspects of Advice; extenuating circumstances, academic appeals, complaints and misconduct amongst other areas
• Lead on the management of any wellbeing and health promotion campaigns and initiatives throughout the year.
• Oversee and provide strategic direction for the Retention Project
• Lead on insights work relating to retention, wellbeing and support
• Lead on responses to external consultation and enquiry responses, including but not limited to OfS, Department for Education, OIA and Universities UK
• Ensure the Advice service has the skills and is equipped to support the diverse needs of students at Greenwich and Kent at Medway.
• Provide regular insights and reports on the GSU Membership to inform our strategy and service provision
• Ensure GSU Advice has an effective triage system, utilising the Front of House function to support this.

Key Areas

• Be an engaged and active member of the Senior Leadership team, contributing regularly and working collaboratively with peers
• Provide leadership, strategic direction and day to day operational management to the Advice and Wellbeing: recruiting and inducting members of staff, motivating, supporting and developing team members to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge for their roles as well as manage performance
• Develop a proactive results driven culture within the team, ensuring agreed objectives and targets are delivered, whilst promoting a collaborative approach to working with internal departments.
• Develop succession plans and identify training and development opportunities within the team
• Be accountable for the quality of outputs of the team
• Provide support to the Officer team helping and equipping them, particularly in their roles as representatives and providing pastoral support and guidance.
• Ensure the whole organisation is aware of and understands the work of the Advice and Wellbeing Team and its contribution to our strategic objectives
• To maintain expert and up-to-date knowledge on sector policies and regulations relating to advice, retention and student success, providing relevant guidance to officers and staff as required.
• Develop and promote a culture of continuous improvement across the team to ensure we can adapt to changing students’ needs and priorities, as well as building on successes and preparing for the future.

Strategic Development

• Contribute to the strategic objectives of GSU, with a particular focus on advice, support and wellbeing in relation to the student experience
• Develop and oversee a new and innovative approach to proactive health and wellbeing campaigns that empower students to look after themselves and each other, as well as seeking support
• Lead on Access and Participation Plan Engagement, acting as the key contact on this area with the University.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with relevant senior UoG staff and departments including Student Academic Services, Faculties and our partners at Kent Union
• Develop and oversee the Advice service to support advocacy initiatives at multiple levels within the University, ensuring both students and University stakeholders view GSU as a credible and reliable source of information on the needs of students

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Develop and oversee a structured approach to gathering, analysing and reporting on data relating to engagement of students with our services and to student views on key issues relating to retention and success
• Develop and oversee processes of collecting quantitative and qualitative data from casework to analyse trends and inform feedback for the SU and university
• Ensure evaluation mechanisms are embedded in the teams working practises and that findings are shared and used to implement learnings with the goal of improving services
• Be responsible for the implementation of service standards for the Advice and Wellbeing Team and to monitor and report on adherence to these standards

Budget and Financial Management

• Manage a budget relating to Advice and Wellbeing including any restricted funds.
• Be responsible for the teams resources, ensuring these are effectively allocated, managed and controlled
• Review and provide narrative for scrutiny at monthly management meetings with the Finance Team

Stakeholder management

• Collaborate with GSU colleagues, particularly the Student Voice and Engagement Teams to ensure we have a consistent approach to how we work with and support students
• Work with students through our representative structures and forums to ensure we shape services students want and need, taking into consideration the varying campus priorities
• Maintain strong relationships with key university staff to develop, deliver and evaluate collaborative projects and interventions supporting advice and retention
• Attend meetings relating to Advice, Wellbeing and Retention as well as associated areas at both GSU, the University and externally, included, but not limited to regional networks
• Identify opportunities to share best practice and represent the work of GSU and your team to the wider HE community, through conferences and publication.

General Responsibilities

• Represent and be an ambassador for GSU.
• Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop, or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.
• Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
• Support and promote liberation, diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
• Treat with confidentiality any personal, private, or sensitive information about individual organisations and or clients or staff and Project data.
• Actively seek better ways to assist GSU in its effort to become a more sustainable workplace.
• ·Any other duties commensurate with the accountabilities of the post.

Personal Specification

Essential Experience

• Line management experience
• Relevant experience working in the youth, education, students’ union or other membership or advisory organisation
• Experience of leading a multi-functional team
• Experience of mentoring coaching staff/elected officers
• Experience of developing operational policies and procedures
• Experience of budget management, project management, and operational management
• Experience of working with a range of stakeholders and partnership working or strategic networking

Essential Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work with and lead a high performing team
• Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations, and deal with them calmly, efficiently and effectively
• Ability to produce confident, clear written reports and be able to write succinct documents on complex areas
• IT skills at a level that supports membership CRM systems, Advice Pro and other platforms
• Excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to manage others to reach deadlines, within agreed budgets and to a consistently high standard
• Ability to write strategies and be able to effectively communicate vision and mission
• Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face on changing priorities
• Track record of successfully developing and implementing projects and operational change
• Able to draft policies and procures with an eye for detail and accuracy

Essential Knowledge

• Awareness of current issues within the higher education sector
• Knowledge of relevant external bodies and organisations including Advice UK, NUS, Citizens Advice, OIA, Ofs, Student Minds
• Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation
• Knowledge of Safeguarding, advice legislation, risk assessments and GDPR
• Knowledge of providing 121 support

Education/Training

• No one specific qualification is required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development in a professional area relevant to the post is required. For example: ILM, City &Guilds etc

Personal Attributes and other requirements

• Able to travel within the Borough and Region.
• Able to work some evenings and weekends and stay overnight where necessary.
• Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work
• Be eligible for a DBS check if needed
• A commitment to the principles and practices of equality and diversity
• An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
• Commitment to the values and ethos of GSU.

Desirable other requirements

• Visionary, creative, and innovative strategist
• A positive, solution focused leader – able to make ‘tough’ decisions; determined and resilient in order to cope with the demands of the role
• Empowering, authentic leader with high levels of emotional intelligence

Department/Service

This role sits within the wider Membership Services department, together with other key areas consisting of; Activities, Sport, Academic Communities, Representation and Democracy, we provide a high-quality service for students, that they can shape, steer and be at the heart of.

Reports to:

Deputy Chief Executive

Responsible for:

Direct reports

x1 Advice Manager (Greenwich/Avery)

x1 Advice Manager (Medway)

x1 Retention and Insights Manager

Indirect reports

x3 Advisors

x1 Project Coordinator – Retention

Circa 15. Student staff