Freelance DSA Specialist Mentor

Assistive Solutions; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Assistive Solutions specialises in supporting individuals eligible for Disabled Students' Allowances within higher education. As a Specialist Mentor, you will provide one-on-one tailored mentoring for students facing mental health and/or autism-related challenges, helping them navigate emotional barriers and build practical study skills.

You will develop personalised learning plans, maintain confidential records, and deliver monthly summaries for invoicing.

Qualifications

• Experience providing 1:1 mentoring or support to individuals with mental health conditions and/or autism spectrum conditions.
• Strong understanding of confidentiality, professional boundaries, and safeguarding in an educational or clinical setting.
• Ability to build trust and establish a supportive, non-judgemental relationship with students.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and maintain accurate records.
• Reliable, flexible, and able to work independently as well as collaboratively with colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate personalised, one-on-one mentoring sessions with students, addressing emotional difficulties and practical support.
• Develop individualised learning plans and strategies to help students overcome challenges in their studies.
• Utilise the Assistive App to log sessions and maintain proper records, ensuring completed signatures from both student and tutor.
• Provide monthly session summaries, including attendance and progress, for invoicing purposes.

Skills

Mentoring

Empathy

Communication

Organisation

Record keeping

Education

DSA-approved professional body membership

Autism-specific training

Tools

Assistive App

Job description

Assistive Solutions specialises in supporting individuals eligible for Disabled Students' Allowances within higher education. We are a Social Enterprise that works with disabled people, providing specialist computer equipment, 1-1 teaching and have an in-house software development team. Assistive Solutions are a Disability Confident Employer.

About the role:

As a Specialist Mentor, you will provide one-on-one tailored mentoring support for students experiencing mental health and/or autism spectrum-related challenges. Your role will be to help students navigate emotional and practical barriers to their academic success. You will work closely with each student to understand their specific needs, offering support in emotional well-being, organisation, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Your sessions will be individualised, with a flexible approach to best support the student's.

Session Delivery:

• Facilitate personalised, one-on-one mentoring sessions with students, addressing both emotional difficulties (e.g., university stress, anxiety, mental health concerns) and practical support (e.g., organisation, study skills, work-life balance).
• Develop a supportive relationship with each student, starting with an initial session to identify their needs and goals. Create individualised learning plans and strategies to help students overcome challenges they face in their studies.

Administration and Communication:

• Utilise the Assistive App to log sessions and maintain proper records, ensuring completed signatures from both student and tutor.
• Provide monthly session summaries, including attendance and progress, for invoicing purposes that are in line with company guidelines.
• Monthly session summaries and invoicing to be submitted to our invoicing team by the last day of each month.
• Communicate when necessary, with the NMH admin for any queries or support needed.

Membership of a DSA-approved professional body (e.g., BACP, UKCP, NCS (Accredited Register), HCPC). (Please see DSA metrics to check)

Autism-Specific Training: Completion of specialist adult autism training, such as: (The 6 National Autistic Society (NAS) Non-Medical Helper (NMH) modules OR The Optimum Training Course: Autism and ADHD in Higher Education.)

• Experience providing 1:1 mentoring or support to individuals with mental health conditions and/or autism spectrum conditions.
• Strong understanding of confidentiality, professional boundaries, and safeguarding in an educational or clinical setting.
• Ability to build trust and establish a supportive, non-judgemental relationship with students.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and maintain accurate records.
• Reliable, flexible, and able to work independently as well as collaboratively with colleagues.

Beneficial Skills and Experience:

• Experience supporting students in higher education.
• Familiarity with Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) processes and NMH roles.
• Knowledge of assistive strategies and techniques to support organisation, stress management, and resilience.
• Experience working with neurodivergent students, including those with ADHD and autism.
• Training or experience in evidence-based approaches (e.g., ACT, CBT, solution-focused work).
• Awareness of inclusive practices and accessibility within education.