Company Summary:
A Space To Thrive Ltd is a specialist provider of Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) support, delivering high-quality one-to-one services to university students across the South, South West and South East of England.
Founded by a practitioner with over 15 years' experience in higher education and student support, we understand the importance of providing personalised, student-centred support that promotes confidence, independence and academic success.
We work with experienced Specialist Mentors and Study Skills Tutors who share our commitment to professionalism, compassion and excellence. Our aim is to create positive, lasting outcomes for students while building a supportive organisation where tutors and mentors feel valued, respected and empowered to do their best work.
Student hours are allocated through the DSA/SFE, so work depends on availability and allocations. We operate a fair system for student allocation among our tutors and mentors and will match you with students so that each of you can shine. We will do our best to ensure that you receive the hours.
We are looking for tutors and mentors to work in various universities across regions, including Bristol and UWE, Bath Spa, Exeter, Brighton, Chichester, Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, and across London. See below for a list of universities.*
Job Overview:
The study skills role is on a self-employed basis, supporting those entitled to the Disabled Students' Allowance through the SFE.
This is a flexible role offering the opportunity to work with university students on a one-to-one basis, either remotely or on a university campus.
Tutors and Mentors are responsible for their own tax and national insurance and must have a UTR number or be willing to register as self-employed.
Responsibilities include (Study Skills):
- Delivering individual study skills support that is tailored to each student's needs.
- Helping students develop practical strategies for planning, organisation, time management and independent study.
- Supporting students with academic reading, note-taking, essay planning, report writing and research techniques.
- Assisting students to improve memory, attention, information processing and executive functioning skills where appropriate.
- Working collaboratively with students to create realistic goals and review progress throughout the academic year.
- Encouraging confidence, independence and self-advocacy within higher education.
- Creating strategies with students around organisation, managing deadlines and workload, while helping to implement action plans to stay on track with studies
- Arranging and managing your own appointments with allocated students.
- Delivering support online or on campus (at another agreed location with the student - this might include home for students who are distance learning).
- Completing session records (timesheets) and administrative tasks accurately and within required timescales.
- Always maintaining professional standards, including safeguarding, confidentiality, health and safety, lone working and professional boundaries.
Desirable Skills:
- Experience supporting disabled adults or students in education or related settings.
- Experience of working with students and/or people with specific learning difficulties or autism
- An understanding of the challenges disabled students may experience within higher education.
- The ability to build positive, trusting and professional relationships.
- Experience assessing individual learning needs and developing effective support strategies.
- Knowledge of study skills, academic writing and learning strategies appropriate for higher education.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage your own workload effectively.
- Confidence using online systems and digital technology.
- A commitment to maintaining your Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
- An understanding of when to refer or signpost students to other university or external support services where appropriate.
- Experience of Assistive Technology (such as mind mapping software, text-to-speech or speech-to-text software) would be advantageous but is not essential.
Qualifications:
SpLD Study Skills:
Essential Qualifications and Training: You will be educated to degree level with a teaching qualification and must have current professional membership of one of the following organisations:
- PATOSS (full or associate membership)
- BDA (full professional membership)
- ADSHE (professional membership)
- Dyslexia Guild (member, associate or fellow membership)
ASC Study Skills:
An undergraduate degree and a recognised teaching qualification with evidence of appropriate autism training, such as:
- The National Autistic Society (NAS) Core Autism training modules: Understanding Autism; Autism and Communication; Autism and Sensory Experience; Autism, Stress and Anxiety; Autism: Supporting families (non-medical helper package)
OR
- Have completed an NAS tutor-led course ‘Understanding Autism’ or ‘Introduction to Autism and the SPELL Framework’
OR
- The Optimum Training Course: Autism and ADHD in Higher Education: Recognising and addressing the barriers through Non-Medical Helper (NMH) Mentoring and Study Skills Strategies
OR
- Hold a Post-Graduate Certificate in Autism / Post-Graduate Certificate in Asperger’s AND a teaching qualification (minimum Level 4).
As these are specialist roles, you must have the required qualifications and training. Applicants must meet the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) mandatory qualification requirements.
https://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/media/1987/final-nmh-qualifications-matrix-july2023.pdf
*South West:
- Bristol
- UWE Bristol
- Bath
- University of Exeter
South East
- University of Brighton
- University of Chichester
- University of Sussex
- University of Southampton
- Solent University
- University of Portsmouth
- University of Bournemouth
Greater London
- University College London(UCL)
- King’s College London (KCL)
- Queen Mary University of London
Pay: £38.00-£43.00 per hour
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Brighton and Hove
