University of East London
Founded in 1898, we at the University of East London (UEL) are proud to change lives through education. Our goal is to advance industry 5.0 careers-first education and provide a clear path to the jobs and opportunities of the future. We’re committed to driving diversity in the 5.0 talent pipeline, working in partnership to promote talent wherever it is found and creating a balanced, inclusive, and green future.
But we can't achieve this goal alone. We need forward-thinking, innovative, and curious individuals like you to join our community and help us craft our future. As part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people who share your passion for creating positive change. We’re an inclusive and welcoming community that is constantly moving forward, never satisfied with the status quo.
About Us
We are Student Services and are responsible for nurturing wellness, supporting individual needs, helping students in crisis, improving retention, and enabling positive experiences through residential life and extra-curricular activities. Working in partnership across academic schools and professional services, our teams seek to provide a network of support throughout the student journey and aim to optimise student success.
The Student Services directorate is led by the Assistant Chief Operating Officer, Health Gain & Student Experience. Our department incorporates professional and support teams including Student HUB, Chaplaincy, Projects and Campaigns, Student Conduct, Academic Tutoring, Residential Life, Student Disability and Dyslexia, Student Life, Student Money Advice and Rights Team, Student Engagement, Retention and Success and Student Wellbeing.
About the Job
As part of UEL’s expansion of our social prescribing offer within Student Services, this role supports the ‘Beyond Talking’ project. This is an exciting time to join the team, as we have piloted a number of initiatives through an exercise referral scheme and within the Chaplaincy department, and are now looking for someone to join the team to expand the offer of social prescribing at UEL.
The Social Prescribing Link Worker will connect students to university and community-based activities and services that support their health and wellbeing. The initial focus will be on increasing engagement among male undergraduate and mature students. You will also support existing groups to be accessible and sustainable and work collaboratively with all local partners, such as SportsDock, University Men’s Shed, Chaplaincy, Students Union and Student Life teams. Additionally, you will develop new relationships both within the university and the local community to establish a map of potential activities and services that could be prescribed.
About You
Ideally you will have prior experience in social prescribing or a link worker role within an educational, health or community setting, and will come with creative ideas about how to develop our social prescribing provision. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and motivate people using a variety of approaches, such as motivational interviewing, coaching or goal setting. You will have successfully worked with people to increase their sense of belonging within a community and may have specific experience of offering successful interventions aimed to improve male mental health, reduce isolation in specific populations, or to increase overall health and wellbeing of participants who would not ordinarily access health and wellbeing services.
Essential Experience
- Degree Level qualification in a related field, or equivalent professional experience of working in a person-centred role
- Commitment to completing Level 3 qualification in Social Prescribing within 12 months if not already qualified to Level 3 minimum.
- Able to work from an asset-based approach, building on existing community and personal assets
- Proven ability to recognise and manage risk with knowledge and understanding of safeguarding
Benefits Package
Here at UEL we understand it’s about more than just a salary. It’s about the entire package on offer along with our outstanding work environment and inclusive culture. We know the market rates for this vacancy and will offer a genuinely competitive salary DOE.
We care deeply about your wellbeing and our benefits includes: 20% pension (4% from you, 16% from us), 25 days holiday (plus 3 days over Christmas) plus bank holidays, hybrid working for most positions, and we’re always open to consider flexible working arrangements. We have a subsidised gym membership, 3 times base salary life assurance, a cashback healthcare scheme and wide variety of other generous benefits including discounts on: Apple and Samsung products, holidays, clothing, fitness, lifestyle, dining out and weekly shopping.
Equal Opportunities
UEL is an inclusive equal opportunities employer and are proud of our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity achievements, We are members of Stonewall and are proud to have won Athena Swan awards. We expect all employees of UEL to accept our EDI policy and will not tolerate discrimination in any form.
So, if you’d like to take your career to the next level with us here at the University of East London and are inspired by our environment and committed to success, we want you to apply today!