Specialist Autism Mentor 2024/2025

Reference
1084284

Branch
De Montfort University (Leicester)

Start date
23/10/2024

Duration
Other - See Job

Hours and days
See advert

Dress code
Not Applicable

Rate of pay
£18.06

Holiday rate
£2.82

Role

Unitemps is a University-owned temporary staffing agency that operates in various universities, including De Montfort University (DMU). There are several benefits to working with Unitemps at DMU:

Networking Opportunities: Through Unitemps, you may have the chance to work with various departments and individuals at the university. This can help you expand your network and establish connections that may be valuable for your future career.

Professional Development: Many positions available through Unitemps may offer opportunities for professional development and skill enhancement. You can learn new skills and gain valuable knowledge while on the job.

Career Progression: Some temporary positions may lead to permanent employment within the university, giving you a potential pathway for long-term career advancement.

Contribution to the University Community: By working with Unitemps at DMU, you become a part of the university community and can contribute to its success and growth.

More information on the DMU Branch can be found HERE.

The Autism Team at DMU have a vacancy for a Specialist Autism Mentor to provide 10 hours of 1:1, in person, mentoring for autistic students on our Leicester Campus. Specialist Autism Mentors must have a degree and comprehensive training in adult autism. This is not a hybrid or remote position. 

Start date: immediate until end of the academic year 2025.

Duties and responsibilities

• To offer individual support for students with Autism, who often present with multiple and complex challenges: assessing social and learning requirements, offering self-help strategies and information, assisting access to financial support and assisting the student in liaising with other DMU staff as necessary.

 

• To support students experiencing barriers to learning, developing strategies to address these barriers. This could include a focus on how to manage anxiety and stress situations, social communication and social interaction, concentration difficulties, time management, prioritising workload and creating a suitable work-life balance or it might be more practically focused on how to access digital lectures or online notes.

 

• To support students to access other teams within the university, such as Student Finance and Welfare or Careers and Employability and #Healthy DMU (our University wide approach to Health and Wellbeing).

 

• To maintain a strong awareness of the DSA framework and ensure DSA funding, support, equipment and reasonable adjustments are in place for students, including individual examination arrangements. Maintaining regular contact with Disability Officer (Autism); Lead Autism Mentor; and wider Disability Advice and Support team; and work in accordance with confidentiality and data protection policies in all cases.

 

• To deliver duties with minimal supervision, exercising initiative and developing solutions to problems, demonstrating an ability to utilise professional judgement to deal with non-routine and unpredictable work situations.

 

• To support the student’s motivation and morale to improve self-reliance and independent learning, contributing to the University’s retention and progression of disabled students, working in a way that empowers the student to become an independent learner and demonstrate their full potential.

 

• To maintain accurate case notes and documentation as required, observing relevant data protection and confidentiality.

 

 

• Communicate effectively by e-mail, telephone, SMS and face-to-face, as appropriate to the audience, subject and purpose whilst keeping up-to-date support records of communications on a customer relationships management system.

 

• Participation in staff-development and training (taught and self-directed), as required in order to develop knowledge expertise and skills and to meet the requirements of the DSA-NMH Matrix.

Skills and experience

Educated to Degree level

A willingness to complete the required comprehensive training in adult autism (as per DSA NMH Matrix requirements), which must be: In depth knowledge and experience of working with adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Ability to adapt mentoring style to suit individual needs and to support students to make use of their strengths and overcome barriers to learning;

Clear and demonstrable understanding of issues of confidentiality and data protection

Excellent organisational and time management skills

Commitment to the delivery of professional service

A proactive nature and committed team player with the ability to support colleagues and to contribute to team activities and objectives

Proactive in identifying concerns with academic performance or regarding overall wellbeing, being able to respond in a calm, assertive and practical way in order to identify appropriate support Sufficient IT skills to make effective use of e-mail, the internet and Word documents and university systems.

Location
De Montfort University

Additional information
An enhanced DBS check is required for this role

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