"2 x Mental Health Practitioner"

Fixed term – 2 years.

This post requires a criminal records check through the Disclosure and Barring Service - Adult & Child Workforce

The University of Hull is committed to ensuring successful outcomes for all students while delivering an inclusive, high‑quality student experience grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe every individual, regardless of background or ability, should have equal opportunities to thrive in higher education. Our commitment to social justice drives us to create an environment in which all students can reach their full potential.

Our diverse student community includes individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, some of whom face challenging circumstances. To meet these needs, Academic Services brings together specialist teams focused on user‑centred service design, collaborative working, and providing a seamless, supportive experience from application through to graduation. Within this, our Student Wellbeing & Success service delivers holistic, person‑centred support for psychological, social, and financial wellbeing, as well as targeted interventions to enhance engagement and academic success. The team works closely with academic and professional services colleagues to ensure integrated support for students.

The Mental Health Practitioner role is central to our whole‑university approach to student wellbeing and safety. Working within the Wellbeing & Success service, practitioners deliver triage, assessment, and case management for students experiencing mental‑health‑related challenges. They take the lead on risk management, safeguarding, sexual violence concerns, and critical incident responses, and provide expert advice and consultation to colleagues across the institution.

Practitioners work as part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary duty team, responding proactively and confidently to a wide range of presenting needs. They also manage a caseload of students, offering advice, guidance, and tailored interventions aimed at supporting academic engagement and progression.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Mental Health Practitioners operate in a fast‑paced environment involving mental health and safeguarding assessments, risk management, and delivery of evidence‑based one‑to‑one interventions. They use internal and external support pathways and help the University meet its statutory responsibilities, including safeguarding and the Equality Act.

The role involves supporting students with diagnosed mental health conditions, students in acute distress, and those experiencing significant life events, including domestic or sexual violence. Practitioners must be agile, organised, and able to prioritise within an ever‑changing workload. A core element of the role is participating in the wellbeing & success duty team, which manages incoming referrals and concerns. This requires confidence in using IT systems, the ability to work at pace, and effective multidisciplinary collaboration.

Practitioners contribute to planning and delivering solution‑focused interventions, following established policy and practice. They work directly with students, providing short‑term interventions, case management, assessments, risk and safety planning, triage, and context‑specific guidance. Strong communication skills and experience providing one‑to‑one therapeutic or supportive work with adults experiencing mental health needs are essential.

The role also provides opportunities to contribute to wider institutional activities, including recruitment, staff training, strategic projects, and policy development. Practitioners are expected to build strong working relationships with internal and external partners and to understand the context of supporting students in higher education.

As a specialist role, a relevant professional qualification and/or registration—such as social work or mental health nursing—is required. Up‑to‑date knowledge of consent, confidentiality, and defensible documentation is essential.