Advice and Representation Manager

The Advice and Representation team plays a vital role in championing student voices and ensuring they receive the support they need throughout their university experience. The team provides independent academic and welfare advice, supports democratic processes, and facilitates student representation across the institution. By working closely with elected officers, Student Voice Leaders, and key stakeholders, the team ensures students are empowered to influence policies, shape their education, and access essential guidance when facing challenges. The team also works to create inclusive representation structures that represent the diverse needs of all student communities.

Role

The role ensures students receive high-quality, independent support and have a strong voice in shaping their university experience. The role oversees both the advice service and student representation structures, managing a team that delivers casework support, representation initiatives, and democratic engagement. This includes supporting elected officers, overseeing student feedback mechanisms, running democratic processes, and ensuring effective student advocacy within the university.

Main Responsibilities

·       Ensure that all the teams’ activities are aligned, preventing overlaps and ensuring a cohesive approach to the Union's goals. This includes integrating officer priorities, team-specific projects, and broader Union objectives into a single, unified plan.

·       Ensure the delivery of independent, student-centered advice services on academic and welfare issues, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and confidentiality standards. This includes the post holder providing advice and advocacy services.

·       Track and analyse advice and representation trends, feeding insights to inform wider SU and University strategies.

·       Deliver proactive academic advice, including running proactive advice stalls and supporting student leaders to deliver peer support.

·       Oversee the delivery of wellbeing initiatives across a range of issues, including mental health, food poverty, period poverty, and drugs/alcohol, in collaboration with relevant departments as appropriate.

·       Maintain and develop the BSU Essentials food bank, ensuring a smooth operation, food safety monitoring, collecting data on usage, encouraging donations, and providing additional support information to students.

·       Support the design and run the implementation of the Student Voice Leaders (SVL) programme, ensuring they have appropriate training, support and guidance.

·       Attend School Education and Student Experience Committees to support Student Voice Leaders in their duties.

·       Develop and implement representation structures for Postgraduate Taught (PGT) and Postgraduate Research (PGR) students, ensuring their concerns and needs are appropriately represented at all levels of the Union.

·       Coordinate student voice initiatives for key student groups with unique challenges, ensuring their voices are included and represented in key decision-making processes. This may include commuting students, matures students, students with disabilities.

·       Support elected officers by providing relevant student feedback, training, and guidance to help them represent students effectively within the University and beyond.

·       Support the Communities Officer and Representation Projects Coordinator in ensuring termly forums for student groups, ensuring representation and inclusion for those groups needing most support.

·       Contribute to the development of the SU’s Big Plan, overseeing the delivery of relevant projects and ensuring the team plays an active role in its implementation.

·       Ensure effective and inclusive student engagement with advice services and representation, focusing on underrepresented and diverse student communities.

Communication

·       Regular detailed communication e.g. explaining complex information, handling highly confidential data

·       Establish and maintain strong partnerships with relevant University departments and external partners. 

Decision Making

·       Decision maker for department.

Budget Management

·       Responsible for departmental income and expenditure.

Staff Management

·       Responsible for the recruitment, induction and ongoing training of all team members, in close liaison with the HR Department. 

·       Carry out team member’s formal and informal performance reviews. 

·       Ensure any HR issues relating to staff members are dealt with promptly and reported to the HR department, seeking guidance when appropriate. 

·       Be an active member of the Management team and provide constructive input into activities which fall outside of the remit of the role. 

·       Be a leader and positive role model to staff and students. 

·       Act as a representative for BSU within the University community.   

General Duties

·       Conduct yourself in a manner which adheres to the values of BSU at all times, displaying high standards of professionalism and service.

·       Adhere to all BSU policies and procedures.

·       Fully participate in your induction, personal and team development opportunities.

·       Assist in key events and activities throughout the year e.g. open days, Freshers’ and Elections as required, some of which might fall outside of usual working hours.

·       Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be expected given the qualifications and experience required for the role.