Job Description
**Director of Student Counselling and Student Support Services** Marino Institute of Education is seeking an experienced leader to develop and provide ongoing direction and coordination of student support services. **Job Description:** Marino Institute of Education (MIE) is a teaching, learning and research community committed to promoting inclusion and excellence in education. The Institute provides a range of in-house support services to its 1,500 students, including Access, Careers, Chaplaincy, Counselling, Student Engagement and Tutors. **Key Responsibilities:** * Develop and provide ongoing direction and coordination of student support services * Lead the development of student support services within the institution * Ensure the provision of quality, evidenced-based services to meet the needs of students * Develop and manage the Student Support Services Team * Coordinate and oversee the SLAs for Disability and Health * Support the negotiation of these SLAs * Report directly to the MIE Registrar and work with a range of key internal stakeholders **Essential Qualifications, Experience & Skills:** * Postgraduate masters/doctorate degree or professional clinical qualification in counselling/clinical psychology, psychotherapy or counselling * Accreditation/Registration as a clinical supervisor and counsellor or psychotherapist * At least 5 years experience as a staff member in a clinical and or counselling setting * Significant Leadership & Management experience * Experience in service delivery & development * Strategic Planning and policy development * Solid organisational, project management and change management skills * Capacity to manage cross-disciplinary projects and workloads * Excellent communication skills * Facilitation skills and experience * Knowledge of the relevant legislation & statutory obligations * Knowledge of National and International Frameworks and Reports relevant to this post **Desired Criteria:** * Demonstrate a commitment to best practice, quality service standards, professional development and research * Understand the importance of quality services and work with staff to pro-actively deliver this * Demonstrated commitment to diversity, multiculturalism and equality * Experienced in using social media to communicate with service users/stakeholders * Experienced in budget management * Personal Attributes: + Show commitment to an ethos of service to students and staff + Demonstrate enthusiasm, flexibility and adaptability + Proven track record in problem solving + Demonstrate Initiative + Able to work on their own as well as on a team **Reporting Relationship:** The appointee will be required to carry out the duties attached to the post, under the general direction of the MIE Registrar to whom she/he will report and to whom he/she will be responsible for the performance of these duties in the first instance. **Duties and Responsibilities:** * Assist the MIE Registrar and Leadership team with the strategic direction of the Student Support Services * Ensure all Student Support Services are aligned with, support, and contribute to future development of the MIE Strategic Plan * Lead, develop, manage and coordinate all teams within the area of responsibility * Work with all staff to provide a coherent and consistent approach to student wellbeing, student development & outreach programmes * Create a culture in which the team is student focussed and committed to providing quality services * Support Access, Careers, Counselling, Student Engagement Team * Establish an annual planning and review cycle for student services * Review and assist with the development of the administrative processes & procedures of services * Assist the team in the coordinated promotion of Student Support Services to students and all stakeholders in the MIE Community * Review and manage the SLA with suppliers of Health Services and the Disability Services to MIE students * Assist/Support the Team in developing and providing, coordinated mental health promotion programmes * Review the CPD needs of student support services staff annually * Support and facilitate essential and relevant training for the team and for individual staff within MIE Policies and available resources * Lead/coordinate the production of annual/other reports and quality and accreditation reviews as required * Establish evaluation procedures for all Student Support Services activities * Review Service Evaluations and student feedback and work with staff to implement any changes indicated * Conduct regular analysis of students needs * Evaluate Student Support Services to see if they are meeting needs and agree and implement developments required with the team * Keep up to date on relevant National Strategies, encourage all staff to do likewise and ensure Student Support Services activities are aligned to these * Stay abreast of relevant international and national research * Agree, oversee or delegate research being undertaken by Staff, Trainees and or Assistant Psychologists * Hold overall clinical responsibility for the Student Counselling Service * Maintain an average of 4-5 face-to-face clinical hours per week in consultation with the Registrar * Meet the Counsellor/s weekly for a clinical management meeting to review cases, risk and other clinical issues * Provide consultation and advice as requested/required to clinical staff * Organise and provide/participate in campus wide intervention and emergency response if required * Assist the Student counsellor in providing clinical supervision of staff including trainees, assistant psychologists and sessional counsellors if required * Participate in regular external clinical supervision and engage in continuing professional development, to keep up with new developments and best practice and maintain annual professional accreditation/registration * Network & Liaison Internal: + Provide consultation and advice to MIE Staff in relation to any their roles in supporting students and or concerns they may have about how to support/refer individual students/groups of students to Student Support Services + Participate in the following meetings /forums: - Head of Department meetings - Chair Meitheal Committee (typically 7 to 8 meetings per year) - Regular meetings with Student Support Services team - All Staff meetings - Other as requested by the Registrar or President + Liaise with other MIE staff including, the President, Heads of Departments, Assistant Registrar, Director of HR, Director of IT, Quality Office, Data Protection Officer, Head of Student Life, Chaplain, academics, tutors, administrators and Students Union, on matters relating to students + External: - Network and build relationships with providers in the Voluntary and Statutory sector - Membership of professional organisations is encouraged - Participate in Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education (PCHEI) Heads Groups - Participate in or delegate the PCHEI Reps group meeting - Encourage and support staff to participate in relevant National bodies and to meet Colleagues across the HEI sector in similar roles * Compliance with Health and Safety + Work to ensure that all Staff and Services under the remit of Student Support Services Adhere to MIE policies and procedures + Comply with all legal and statutory requirements, with reference to Children First and vulnerable adults, the Data Protection Acts 1988-2011, The Freedom of Information Acts 1999-2014, Health & Safety etc + Ensure anti-discriminatory practice and cultural competence at individual and service levels and promote a culture that values equality, diversity and respect + Keep up to date on and apply Health & Safety Policies, relevant legislation, regulations and standards + Are aware of and adhere to Best Practices and Ethical guidelines as they pertain to the work of the individual and or the service + Monitor the data collection, storage, usage within Student Support Services to ensure it is GDPR compliant * Other: + Report to the Registrar + Undertake other relevant duties as assigned by the Registrar