Inclusion Coordinator

Job Summary

Robert Gordon University (RGU) – Aberdeen’s university of choice for thousands of staff and students - has a well-established reputation as an innovative and modern workplace, with multiple awards and recognition of our courses and Schools.

You will provide high-quality advice and support to students by assessing and identifying their needs and recommending relevant and personalised reasonable adjustments that enable them to access their studies and remove barriers to their success.

You will hold a student caseload and provide a range of support and interventions, both through internal resources and by signposting to external agencies, to help remove potential disability related barriers to a student’s learning.

In carrying out this role, you will support students who are neurodiverse, and those who have specific learning differences, mental health conditions or physical disabilities. You will regularly support students who, for reasons related to their disability and/or barriers to inclusion, are struggling with their studies or other aspects of student life. You will also provide guidance to university staff who support and otherwise engage with disabled students.

You will be a dedicated professional with a related professional qualification in mental health or disability support. You will have significant experience supporting students with a wide range of mental and physical health conditions, neurodiversity, and SpLDs—ideally within a Higher Education environment. You will demonstrate confidence in providing clear, informed guidance to both academic and administrative staff, regardless of their familiarity with disability legislation. A strong commitment to professional boundaries and a proven ability to support students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds are essential.

In keeping with RGU's commitment to work/life balance you will have the opportunity to work from home for a portion of the working week (dependent on service requirements). You will also benefit from a generous pension scheme, 46 days annual leave (including statutory days) an onsite nursery and sports centre, as well as a range of voluntary health and travel benefits.

We are committed to attracting and engaging a diverse range of staff and fostering a culture where everyone feels welcome, comfortable to express their ideas, and can reach their full potential. For more information, please visit Our Diverse Workforce pages.

Job Description

RESPONSIBLE TO: Student Inclusion and Wellbeing Manager

RESPONSIBLE FOR: No supervisory responsibility

PURPOSE OF POST: You will work closely with the Inclusion and Wellbeing Manager, other Inclusion Coordinators and Administrators, Needs Assessors, Mentors, Counsellors and the Student Life Hub, to provide face to face and remote appointments for students. You will support students with a wide range of disabilities, including physical, medical, ADHD, ASD, mental health conditions, and specific learning differences. You will also liaise with colleagues across the wider Student Life team and the University, including lecturers, course leaders and professional services staff, to take a coordinated and multi-disciplinary approach to student support.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

• Provide tailored, needs-based support to students, either through one-off meetings or via regular on-going support
• Assess student needs and recommend reasonable adjustments; create individual Inclusion Plans in line with the Equality Act (2010)
• Coordinate appropriate referrals to Educational Psychology, mental health services, mentoring, and other specialist support
• Manage welfare concerns and provide support, including contacting trusted contacts, mental health services, and emergency services when required
• Guide students through the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) process, enabling access to assistive technology, software, and additional support
• Monitor levels of risk and escalate any students of concern without delay to a senior member of staff
• Participate in case conferences or meetings to support a Team Around A Student approach
• Write up and maintaining accurate records of student engagements
• Provide guidance and advice to university staff about the practical application of reasonable adjustments, and the interpretation of the Equality Act 2010
• Provide advice to senior managers in the Student Life team
• Participate in outreach events such as University Open Days and Welcome Events, to promote the service
• Participate in an on-call out of hours rota, by providing instruction and guidance regarding student welfare or urgent situations.

Person Specification

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

• A related professional qualification in mental health (such as mental health nursing, social work, counselling, or psychology).

Knowledge and Skills

• A thorough understanding of the practical application of the Equality Act 2010 in a university setting, and a strong working knowledge of the application of anticipatory and responsive reasonable adjustments.
• The ability to identify and manage risk, knowing when to act and when to escalate students of concern to the senior team or emergency services.
• Ability to work calmly under pressure and in response to students presenting in moments of crisis.
• Excellent administrative and record keeping skills.
• Demonstrable ability to use IT systems e.g. Student Records systems, and other software appropriate to the role.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Experience

• Significant experience of supporting students with a range of mental and physical health conditions, and/or neurodiversity/SpLDS, preferably in a Higher Education setting.
• Extensive experience of working with and supporting students with mental health conditions and students in crisis
• Demonstrable experience of engaging with and providing guidance and support clearly and with confidence to administrative and academic colleagues who have varied levels of understanding of disability legislation.
• Evident experience of working within clear professional boundaries and an understanding of the importance of this.
• Demonstrable experience of working with students with diverse needs and varied cultural backgrounds.

Behaviours

Behaviour 1: Communication - Ability to receive, understand and convey information requiring careful explanation and information of a complex or conceptual nature, in a clear and accurate manner

Behaviour 2: Pastoral Care and Welfare - Experience of calming and reassuring those with work/study related problems who may be experiencing distress, dealing with difficult welfare situations or confidential matters and providing support for those in considerable distress or requiring long-term complex support

Behaviour 3: Service Delivery - Experience of exploring and adapting a service to meet customers’ expectations and also identifying ways of improving standards

Behaviour 4: Team Work and Motivation - Experience of being a team leader, agreeing clear team objectives and organising and delegating tasks according to individual abilities