Vacancy ID: 003012
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract – January 2023 to June 27ᵗʰ 2025 (30 months)
Location: Multiple Locations however predominantly based in Limerick.
This post will be a multi campus role across the Limerick, Clare and Tipperary campuses
Reporting to: Academic Administration and Student Affairs Manager or such other person as they may delegate
Expected Start Date: January 2023
Competition Type: Open Competition.
A panel maybe created from this competition.
Introduction: Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) is Ireland’s third technological university and home to 14,000 students and a staff complement of approximately 2,000, full-time and part-time, across six campuses in Athlone, Limerick, Thurles, Clonmel, and Ennis.
Established on October 1, 2021, TUS has a strong regional focus and will be a key driver of development and investment across the Midlands and Midwest. The new networked university, linked by the river Shannon, borders on almost half of Ireland's 26 counties and will provide unprecedented levels of access to higher education.
We are committed to developing a contemporary and vibrant technological university - a higher education institute that reflects the educational and economic needs of our region and communities we serve. The new technological university will connect knowledge creation with industry partnerships to grow and support collaboration. The technological university will be the home of academic leaders, knowledge creators and cutting-edge researchers who will positively affect people's lives now and in the future.
The Role: Attached to the office of the Vice President Student Education and Experience and reporting to the Academic Administration and Student Affairs Manager, the Student Counselling Service provides on-going mental health and wellbeing support for students as they progress through their academic programmes.
The Head of Student Counselling plays a crucial role in managing all aspects of clinical service delivery. The Student Counselling Service is a very busy service where students present with a full range of psychological and emotional difficulties. The role works as part of a dynamic team of professionals providing a range of counselling responses and initiatives. The post holder will oversee the implementation of clinical policies and procedures in delivering a safe, high quality, and effective clinical service as well as identifying and monitoring risk in relation to the service. The post holder will be key in the provision of clinical governance and support.
The Head of Student Counselling will lead a team, currently consisting of a cohort of full-time and part – time Counsellors, an Assistant Psychologist together with some additional services from a number of trainee and intern Psychotherapists.
Qualifications/Experience:
Candidates must:
- Hold a minimum of a postgraduate degree or professional qualification (master’s or equivalent) in Counselling or clinical psychology, counselling/psychotherapy or equivalent as recognised by a relevant professional body such PSI, IACP or IAHIP
- Significant leadership and management experience
- Five years plus relevant experience in student counselling/clinical service delivery or equivalent (e.g. CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service))
- Be an accredited counsellor or chartered psychologist by a recognised counselling professional body
Desirable:
- Be experienced in the assessment of emotional and psychological distress
- Five years plus relevant experience in teamwork, leading, directing and training
- Demonstrable evidence of leadership in equality and diversity.
- Experience of providing Clinical Supervision with practitioners both on an individual and group basis
Competencies Required:
- Expected to have the highest level of professional competence and integrity as well as a commitment to continued personal and professional development.
- Required to be flexible, have a high level of IT skills, be an excellent team leader and member, have excellent communication skills, research skills, creativity and resourcefulness.
Principal duties and responsibilities:
The Head of Student Counselling will:
- Provide clinical leadership and direction to the Student Counselling Service across the TUS campuses in Limerick, Tipperary and Clare
- Administer and coordinate the workload, resources and activities of the Service
- Be responsible for the day to day operational management of the Counselling Service and the quality of services provided by all counselling personnel, ensuring that a professional, efficient and effective service is provided to TUS students
- Coordinate, recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate professional and administrative support staff, including planning and facilitating team meetings
- Guide, manage, direct and support the Counselling Team in order to maintain and contribute to a collegial environment
- Monitor and assess, along with other counsellors, students presenting to the service on a daily and weekly basis, to identify their needs and make appropriate allocations to counselling personnel.
- Carry an active caseload (5 – 10 clients weekly) throughout the year, including those who present with complex needs, so as to remain engaged in direct professional practice and maintaining a first-hand sense of the current issues presented by students.
- Ensure comprehensive risk assessments and follow-up action plans are facilitated for highly vulnerable students
- Implement appropriate intake and outcome assessment tools
- Undertake regular evaluation and monitoring of all aspects of the counselling service and where appropriate make or recommend changes to enhance the performance of the Service
- Administer procedures that monitor the quality of all counselling and/or clinical work
- Identify and develop new services and/or digital platforms required to meet the changing needs of students
- Ensure best practice and professional standards are maintained in work practices, policies and procedures in the Counselling Service
- Have overall responsibility for ensuring case management supervision of counsellors
- Ensure all legal and statutory requirements are adhered to, with particular reference to Children First and Adults at Risk
- Design and develop psycho-educational programmes and classes for particular student groups as required
- Design and deliver staff and student training e.g. dealing with distressed students, how to make referrals and in cooperation and consultation with relevant stakeholders including para-counselling skills and learning to respond to distressed/anxious students
- Develop and maintain a confidential student record/electronic database system(s) and to ensure adherence to GDPR and relevant professional guidelines
- Maintain professional liaison with other relevant agencies, both internal and external, in order to develop links with services in the community such as Voluntary Agencies and Statutory Services
- Operate within budget constraints and to use service data to inform strategic decisions and/or business cases for the development of the service
- Liaise and consult Institute staff on an ongoing basis and advise (as necessary) in relation to individual student needs
- Engage in/contribute to the conceptual/research/counselling literature and/or engage with HEI Student Counselling at regional/national level, to further the advancement of such services
- Develop and update policies and procedures for the Service
- Attend meetings and act as a representative member on committees as required and considered appropriate by the Academic Administration and Student Affairs Manager or other Senior Officers of the Institute
- Represent the service in matters relating to mental health and wellbeing both within the Institute and externally.
- Contribute to the production of necessary annual reports and occasional reviews as required.
- Assist in the promotion of the service and positive student mental health and wellbeing
- Work closely with all other support services within Academic Administration and Student Affairs, also with HR, students union, academic, professional, management, support staff and other key stakeholders
- Keep abreast of new developments and best practice in in psychology and counselling/psychotherapy and continually update skills and knowledge
- Advise the Institute in relation to student mental health and wellbeing when required.
- Work within the ethical guidelines of a recognised professional body
- Perform such other relevant duties as may be assigned from time to time by TUS
Superannuation: This is a pensionable post. Specific details of the scheme will be dependent on the successful appointee’s individual status and therefore such details will be provided at the time of appointment.
Applicants should note that they will be required to complete a Pre-Employment Declaration to confirm whether they have previously availed of an Irish Public Service Scheme of incentivised early retirement or enhanced redundancy payment.
Applicants will also be required to declare any entitlements to a Public Service pension benefit (in payment or preserved) from any other Irish Public Service employment.
Garda Vetting: Following the commencement of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016, Garda Vetting may be required in advance of commencing this position.
Hours: 35 hours (net of rest breaks).
Annual Leave: 29 days per annum. CL 0009/2014 will apply.
Salary Scale: €87,667 - €103,046 (8 points)
The rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.
Contact Details:
The Human Resources Department
Technological University of the Shannon:
Midlands Midwest
Email: humanresources@lit.ie (Midwest)
TUS Midwest staff who wish to apply must apply via the ESS system.
Only on-line e-recruitment application forms will be accepted.
Additional Information: In addition to the minimum qualifications, it may be necessary to introduce further shortlisting criteria. Therefore, candidates may be shortlisted based on qualifications and suitable experience, based on details given on the application form.
We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, or membership of the traveller community.
TUS is an equal opportunities employer, working towards creating and sustaining an inclusive environment which promotes equality, embraces diversity and is committed to a work-life balance for all.
Canvassing will disqualify.
Personal Data: All personal data provided will be handled in accordance with the Data Protection Policy and Privacy Statements available from the TUS website.
To Apply: https://lit.ie/human-resources