Professional Skills Instructor/Mentor in Mental Health Nursing

Our Professional Skills Instructor/Mentors will support the development of professional skills, practical technical, vocational, and associated learning for students and apprentices and, where necessary, support their individual learning needs and progress monitoring both in the workplace, on placement, at alternative venues, on College/University premises or online. This will include supporting teaching, learning, and assessment, and the provision of work and learning mentoring and coaching. Your role will be to work with our academic teams to support our students develop to their full potential. You will be required to work across all Derby Sites as well as Chesterfield Campus.

Responsibilities include:
- Supporting teaching, learning, and assessment
- Mentoring and coaching to enhance learning and growth
- Monitoring progress and addressing individual learning needs
- Maintaining accurate records of both formal and informal training activities

Principal Accountabilities:
- Plan and deliver professional, practical, technical, vocational and associated theoretical learning activities for students and apprentices including training, support for learning and assessment using a variety of methods both on and off the job.
- Prepare suitable learning materials for a range of activities to develop the student's knowledge, skills and behaviours linked to relevant apprenticeship standards or regulatory body frameworks.
- Demonstrate tasks and processes to individuals and groups.
- Provide instruction to the specified standards and provide feedback to students on progress through written and online methods, coaching for high expectations of progress and attainment.
- Provide support and mentoring for students and apprentices in the setting of goals and objectives pertaining to their professional skill development needs.
- Deliver advice and support based on an in-depth knowledge and understanding of your discipline area; develop an understanding of course structures, learning outcomes, and PSRB requirements; undertake reviews with students, mentors, external partners and Personal Academic Tutors; review training needs and conduct action planning that support the development of knowledge skills and behaviours in relation to all practice learning opportunities.
- Provide individual and group mentoring for students and apprentices to ensure that apprenticeship candidates are selected appropriately and are matched to the needs of the employer.
- Supervise groups of apprentices undertaking knowledge and skill acquisition through scheduled off-the-job learning activities, project work or while on work placement.
- Assess knowledge and skills acquisition using a variety of assessment methods including individual coaching techniques to accelerate the learning of knowledge, skills, and behaviours.
- Provide specific learning support and coaching to students and apprentices as required and ensure that learning support records are kept up to date.
- Work with groups of students, apprentices, or individuals to prepare them for external qualification and end-point assessment according to the requirements of the relevant apprenticeship.
- Complete all associated internal, employer and external documentation and track the student's progress, including recording student and apprentice data on attendance and achievement using prescribed records systems, both manual and online.
- Ensure that any assessment carried out is completed to the standards laid down by the awarding body and the College Quality Assurance systems.
- Integrate the development of English and Mathematics skills, including their integration into broader learning activities linked to both on and off-the-job activities.
- Monitor attendance of students and apprentices at prescribed off-the-job learning activities, ensuring that records systems are updated as required and employers are kept informed.
- Ensure that students and apprentices are coached to always behave in a professional manner to a high standard of safety in the workplace and during off-the-job activities.
- Work with liaison and business development teams and independently to develop new business opportunities and placements to increase employer engagement and apprentice uptake and progression.

General Duties:
- Achieve personal and team targets for recruitment, progress, completion and achievement of apprentices within designated durations.
- Take an active role in the mentoring and progress of students and apprentices, providing a liaison between the student/apprentice, their employer and the off-the-job training provider.
- Take an active part in the College and University's Staff Development Programmes.
- Take an active role, when required, in all curriculum management activities, including open days, recruitment events and external moderation activities.
- Understand and comply with the University's Equality and Diversity Policy.
- Comply with copyright, software licensing legislation and related University procedures.
- Ensure that the College's quality assurance procedures are adhered to, and additional action is taken where necessary.
- Comply with the requirements of Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults, Health and Safety, Quality and other University policies including Risk Management.

Person Specification – Essential Criteria:

Qualifications:
- Good Honours Degree in a relevant subject or discipline.
- Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Mental Health Nurse; or if registered as a Nursing Associate, experience working in Mental Health.
- Hold or be willing to undertake a teaching qualification.
- Level 2 Qualifications (either in Functional Skills or GCSE A-C/4-9) in both English and maths or a willingness to achieve within an agreed timescale.

Experience:
- Experience within and/or knowledge of the health and/or care sectors; specifically Mental Health.
- Demonstrable evidence of ability to engage with learners to support high-quality learning outcomes.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
- Highly developed communication skills.
- Ability to use own initiative.
- Ability to work effectively on your own and with a small team.
- Well-developed administrative and organisational skills.
- Ability to work flexibly within a team.
- Good time management skills.

Business Requirements:
- A commitment to the principle of widening participation.
- A commitment to continued professional development.
- A commitment to College and University values and behaviours.
- Willingness and flexibility to travel and work between University and external sites in a cost effective and timely manner.
- Evidence of CPD in mentoring, coaching or demonstrating.

Person Specification – Desirable Criteria:

Qualifications:
- Postgraduate qualification(s) in a relevant subject area.
- Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
- Fellowship or Associate Fellowship of Advanced HE (HEA).

Experience:
- Experience or knowledge of higher education and ability to use a range of techniques to inspire and engage students.
- Experience of Internal and External verification and moderation processes.
- Practical experience of promoting equality and diversity.
- Practical experience of promoting behaviours and attitudes.
- Practical experience of promoting personal development.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
- An appropriate level of digital capability and aptitude with practical experience of applications which aid student learning.
- Ability to communicate complex and conceptual ideas to a range of groups.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills including networking and relationship building skills, both across the University and externally.
- Understanding of the current higher education environment and its implications for the student learning experience.

Business Requirements:
- Ability to work evenings, weekends and during holiday periods.
- Full UK driving licence.

Benefits:
- Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
- Discounted onsite gym
- Cycle to Work scheme
- A flexible working environment
- A commitment to personal and professional development