Student Link Mentor

Link Mentor
Red Balloon of the Air

Location: Red Balloon of the Air, Cambridge

Hours: 40 Hours, Term Time only

Salary: £27,800 Per Annum FTE

Start Date: 6th January 2025

Summary of role

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for an individual who is passionate about the growth and development of young people and who has the drive and positive attitude to support RBAir students reach and realise their full potential. Link Mentors are key for students to engage with education, their peer group and the community with the goal to progress onto further education or work.

A Link Mentor works in collaboration with all departments to support our young people’s journey. It involves working with all RBAir staff to establish and maintain strong therapeutic relationships with a core group of students, and supportive relationships with their families and the professionals supporting them to ensure the student has a positive experience in all areas of their provision. Most students have weekly sessions with their Link Mentor that may take place in their home, in their local community, within one of the RB centres/local hubs or online.

Our population of young people covers a wide spectrum of conditions and presentations and we are looking to appoint someone to this new Link Mentor role with experience of and interest in working with learners with additional needs. This may include those with a neurodivergent profile and communication difficulties such as selective/ situational mutism.
You will be expected to spend a percentage of your time at Willow Lodge in Milton with visits out into the community and options to work from home at other times.

Some key responsibilities of the role include

  • Develop a professional mentoring relationship with our young people and their families to ensure they are supported during their time with Red Balloon of the Air;
  • Encourage and deliver face-to-face support to students and families;
  • Collaborate with our young people to identify their personal goals and aspirations and negotiate plans to make progress towards them;
  • When required, give input to personal plans with each student you are mentoring;
  • Record progress through RBAir processes, systems and other agreed on assessment and tracking tools in order to effectively monitor progress
  • Participate in outings and trips with the RB community
  • Complete Risk Assessments for visits and trips when required;
  • Communicate and collaborate with colleagues across the organisation to ensure students receive high-quality support and input to facilitate individual progression.

For full details of the role, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification

To be considered for this role as a minimum you will need:

  • Experience in supporting young people and their families, preferably those with additional needs
  • Professional qualifications, training or experience in supporting young people regarding their wellbeing or education
  • Exceptional IT and Administration skills
  • Own transport and clean driving licence
  • Educated to Level 3/Level 5 – desirable

You can view a link to our application form and Red Balloon of the Air policies below. These include our policies on Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding and Child Protection:

RBAir Statutory Information and Policies for Red Balloon of the Air – Red Balloon Learner Centres

How to Apply

In line with safer recruitment practices, we are only able to accept applications via our application forms, which can be accessed by following the application link above. You can save your application at any point and come back to it at a later stage.

For more details about our recruitment and interview process, please see the links provided above to our job description and person specification.

Further details regarding the process and dates are below

Closing date:

  • The deadline for applications is Sunday 24th November.
  • Shortlisting will be carried out on Monday 25th November.
  • Interviews will be held on Thursday 28th November.
  • All applicants will be contacted to advise if they have been shortlisted for an interview

 

Red Balloon Educational Trust is a Disability Confident employer.

If you would like to apply for this role, though require a different format of application, such as large print or the opportunity to submit a video application or an application via an alternative method, please contact our HR Officer via hr@rbair.org.uk or telephone 07878 837902 and we shall be happy to arrange this.

Red Balloon Educational Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and requires the successful candidate to commit to this. The person appointed will be subjected to an enhanced DBS check.

Red Balloon Educational Trust is an equal opportunities employer. Applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, marital status.