Disability Adviser at University of Sheffield

Working Pattern:

Part-time – 80% full-time equivalent. Working pattern to be agreed

We are looking for a candidate with the experience and motivation to:

• Deliver excellent advice and support to prospective and current students at the University on disability access/support issues, funding, and other sources of support
• Work closely with colleagues within the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDSS) to continually improve the support we provide and the processes we use
• Work closely with colleagues (academic and otherwise) from across the University to effectively support individual students and further embed inclusive practice

Conversations with students and colleagues are at the centre of what we do, but to fulfil this role effectively you will also need the administrative skills to work efficiently across multiple University systems and prioritise/undertake actions to support many individual students in a timely manner. 

The focus of our service’s work is on achieving inclusion and equality for disabled students. We coordinate adjustments and support for disabled students, and they can access support from us from the point that they are considering whether to apply to study at the University right through to when they complete their studies. At present, we have over 4000 students who are actively accessing support from the service.

You will work with students with a wide range of different support requirements, studying on courses across the institution. A key focus of the role will be supporting neurodivergent students (autistic students in particular) and those with mental health difficulties. You will also manage a small caseload of students who are D/deaf or hearing impaired.

You will join a close-knit and supportive team of seven DDSS Advisers. You will report to the DDSS Senior Adviser.

We work hard to support disabled students and colleagues working with them in academic departments. Students value the support we offer – perhaps best exemplified by the 90% satisfaction rating we achieved in our most recent student survey. For more information on the students we work with and how we support them, see our website.

Staff also enjoy working in DDSS. In the most recent University staff survey, DDSS colleagues overwhelmingly recommended our organisation as a good place to work.

We are committed to enabling our employees to work in a hybrid model with flexibility over when, where and how to achieve the required outputs, in discussion with your manager.

We’re one of the best not-for-profit organisations to work for in the UK. The University’s Total Reward Package includes a competitive salary, a generous Pension Scheme and annual leave entitlement, as well as access to a range of learning and development courses to support your personal and professional development.

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.

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