AddressJob Advert
Study Support Tutor (AS & SpLD) and Autism Mentor
dBs Institute Plymouth
£35 per hour
Freelance, up to 3 hours per week
We are looking for a keen and dynamic new member of the team to provide Disabled Students Allowances Non-Medical Help (NMH) Specialist One-to-One Study Skills (AS) and Specialist Mentoring (AS).
About The Role
The candidate will be required to address the issues which some students might have in acquiring, recalling and retaining information in written and spoken language as well as the range of memory, organisational, attention and other difficulties that students with ASD often face when working in an HE context.
You will develop and assess the effectiveness of strategies that enable the participation of students in their studies and university experience and management of their individual difficulties. These difficulties may have been identified already but they may only become evident when a student faces the academic challenges of HE work.
Your support should aim to develop students’ skills for autonomy in the learning environment. It should be tailored to a student’s individual needs and you will use your professionalism and experience to deliver support where clear goals and timescales are of paramount importance.
Specialist mentoring (AS)
You will provide highly specialist, specifically tailored, one-to-one support which helps students address the barriers to learning created by a particular impairment, in this case, autistic spectrum disorder. This could include a range of issues, for example, coping with anxiety and stress situations, how to deal with concentration difficulties, time management, prioritising workload and creating a suitable work-life balance.
You should not act as advocates or counsellors. Your role is to help students recognise the barriers to learning created by their impairment and support them in developing strategies to address these barriers, particularly at times of transition, e.g. when starting at university
or when planning to move on from it. For some students, this support will need to be ongoing while for others it might be gradually phased out or only be required at certain points of their course.
The role is freelance and hours will be dictated by student needs. This role could work alongside a similar role elsewhere that an applicant may already be working in.
About you
Essential experience:
Experienced and qualified as a DSA-funded Non-Medical Helper for Specific Learning Difficulties (SS-SpLD), Autistic Spectrum Condition Mentor and Autism Study Skills (SM-ASC and SS-ASC) (DSA mandatory criteria 2023, Pages 9-12)
Planning, implementing and monitoring the efficacy of sessions for individualised learning needs
Confident in providing the pastoral care that comes with the above roles
Working with assistive tech to assist with learning
Excellent communication skills
Excellent administration and record-keeping skills
Highly proactive
Able to advocate for students clearly and confidently
Knowledge of how and when to signpost to others
Good working knowledge of adult and child safeguarding
GDPR aware
Desirable experience:
The teaching of group study skills in HE
Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
Experience working with students on creative courses
If you are interested in the role, please apply with your CV and cover letter ensuring that you state your qualifications to provide DSA NMH mentoring.
Applications are to reach us by Thursday 14th March 2024.
dBs Institute is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) clearance.
