Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor

Job responsibilities

A. OUTLINE OF POST AND PRINCIPAL CONTRACT TERMS

Job Title: Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor

Contract: Fixed-term/sessional (term-time only)

Hours: 1 day per week in-person (Fridays, 6 hours paid plus unpaid 30 min or 1-hour lunch break), term time only (5th of September 2025 to 15th of May 2026, inclusive)

Location: Collective Acting Studio, Islington

Reports to: Clinical Director

B. JOB SUMMARY

Brandon Centre is seeking a compassionate, skilled and self motivated Student Counsellor and Wellbeing Advisor to deliver a part time mental health and wellbeing service for students at Collective Acting Studio, a dynamic acting school in Islington. The role is suitable for Clinical/Counselling Psychologists, Psychotherapists, or Counsellors, interested in working in a creative higher education setting. The role provides early intervention, short term counselling, and signposting support tailored to young adults preparing for careers in the performing arts. You will offer direct wellbeing advice and up to six counselling sessions per student, helping individuals manage stress, performance pressure, and personal challenges while promoting a positive and resilient student culture. You will be part of the wider Wellbeing Team at Collective Acting Studio and will attend their team meetings.

C. BRANDON CENTRE OVERVIEW

The principal objective of the Brandon Centre, since it was founded in 1969, has been to provide a professional, accessible, and flexible service which responds to the psychological and social needs of young people under the age of 25.

Services include:

• counselling and psychotherapy for young people
• systemic integrative treatment for families
• parenting programmes
• consultation and training for organisations working with young people

The Brandon Centre maintains excellent links with Clinical Psychology training courses (North London: UCL, UEL, and RHUL and Hertfordshire) and Psychotherapy training courses (Tavistock and Birkbeck), and regularly accepts trainees from those courses.

D. COLLECTIVE ACTING STUDIO OVERVIEW

Collective Acting Studio is a London-based, industry-focused actor training program that emphasises screen acting and creating original work. It offers a full-time BA (Hons) Acting degree, as well as part-time drama school options, a youth academy, and short courses for professional actors. The studio is known for its commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly for underrepresented groups in the performing arts.

E. PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities

• Participate in regular clinical supervision and contribute to service monitoring and evaluation.
• Manage and prioritise own caseload and timetable in relation to service needs.
• Promote mental health awareness and wellbeing practices within the student community.
• Offer timely signposting and referrals to internal and external support services (NHS, voluntary sector, etc.).
• Liaise with Collective Acting Studio staff (e.g., tutors, pastoral team) where appropriate and with consent.
• Maintain clear, confidential clinical records and adhere to safeguarding and GDPR requirements.
• Deliver up to six counselling sessions per student, using evidenceinformed therapeutic approaches.
• Provide onetoone wellbeing consultations, offering emotional support, advice, and practical coping strategies.
• Attend weekly Student Support meetings with the wider Collective Acting Studio Wellbeing Team.
• Proactively reaching out to identified students of concern.

General Responsibilities for all Brandon Centre Staff

All employees of the Brandon Centre are required to observe legislation, Brandon Centre Policies, standards and guidelines relating to confidentiality, information governance, risk management, safeguarding children, safeguarding adults, equal opportunities, data protection, freedom of information, health and safety, infection control, and the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Confidentiality and data protection

All Brandon Centre employees are required to ensure that personal data and personal information concerning service users and staff is protected at all times, to maintain confidentiality in accordance with the Brandon Centres policy on confidentiality and information governance, and data protection legislation.

Staff are required to obtain, process and use personal information in a fair and lawful way, to hold personal information only for the specific registered purpose, and to only share or disclose data to authorised persons or organisations following the strict guidelines and principles as outlined in Brandon Centre policies as instructed.

All Brandon Centre employees are expected to sign a confidentiality agreement on taking up their post at the Centre.

The post holder will be expected to liaise with staff at Collective Acting Studio regarding student wellbeing and support needs. This will be done with the students informed consent, unless there is a significant safeguarding concern where sharing information without consent is necessary to protect the student or others from harm, in line with Brandon Centres safeguarding and information governance policies.

Safeguarding of children and adults

All staff have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children and adults that they come into contact with during the course of their work at the Brandon Centre. The post holder will receive the appropriate level of training, both at induction and on an ongoing basis. They are responsible for ensuring that they are familiar with, understand and always work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

Health records, record keeping and record management

All staff have an obligation to ensure that patient records (both paper and electronic) are maintained in accordance with Brandon Centre policies, to facilitate clinical care and effective administration, and to ensure that confidentiality is protected at all times. All staff are advised to compile records on the assumption that they are accessible to patients in line with the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

Equality and Diversity

The Brandon Centre is committed to equality in employment and service delivery. Its Equal Opportunities Policy aims to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, race, colour, religion, marital status, sexuality, age or disability and is not placed at a disadvantage by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justified. All those working for Brandon Centre are expected to actively promote equality and diversity in all aspects of their work.

Health and Safety

Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), and to ensure that agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients and visitors.

Infection Control

The post holder will ensure compliance with the Brandon Centres Infection Prevention and Control policies and procedures, and the Health and Social Care Act 2008, ensuring that the risk of healthcare associated infection to service users and staff is minimised.

Waste disposal

All staff must ensure that waste produced within the Centre is disposed of in such ways that control risk to health or safety of staff and the public alike in accordance with relevant legislation and procedures contained within the policy.

Smoke free environment

There is a no smoking policy in operation in the Brandon Centre. In accordance with this policy smoking is positively discouraged and is not permitted on the premises.

To be noted: This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties in discussion with the manager. This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.

Experience

Essential

• Experience providing therapeutic support to young adults.
• Experience in conducting psychological assessments, taking a holistic biopsychosocial approach.
• Experience delivering brief, goalfocused therapeutic interventions.

Desirable

• Experience working in education or artsbased environments.
• Experience in service monitoring and evaluation.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to administer and interpret psychometric outcome measures and to use this information alongside other clinical information to inform formulation and intervention.
• Ability to conduct risk assessment with young people and develop risk management plans.
• Understanding of challenges faced by students in higher education and creative disciplines.
• Understanding and sensitivity to working in a multicultural community.
• Ability to work independently, manage time, and maintain professional boundaries.
• An awareness of relevant guidance and legislation (e.g. safeguarding) and its implications for clinical practice.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills.
• Basic IT skills (e.g. MS Office and Video Calling Software)
• Ability to be reliable, cooperative and consistent both as an independent clinician and in team settings.
• Ability to work well under pressure and/or in times of crisis.

Desirable

• Knowledge of referral pathways and local mental health services in North London.
• Group facilitation or psychoeducation experience.
• Skills in providing consultation/training to other professional and non-professional groups.

Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant qualification in counselling, psychotherapy, clinical or counselling psychology.
• Registration with a recognised professional body (e.g., BACP, UKCP, BPC, BABCP, HCPC).

Desirable

• Post-qualification training in an evidence-based psychological therapy (e.g. IPT, MBT, CBT).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).