Professional Skills Instructor/Mentor in Nursing and Midwifery

College of Health, Psychology and Social Care

Our Professional Skills Instructor/Mentor will support the development of professional skills, practical technical, vocational, and associated learning for students and apprentices

Job details

Responsible to

Head of Discipline

Location

All Derby sites and St Helena's Campus in Chesterfield

Closing date

Thursday 6 February 2025

Salary

£31,814 to £35,750 per annum pro rata (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £41,113 per annum).

Job grade

ATOS 6

Reference

0523-24

Contract type

Permanent

Post type

Part-time

Adaptive working type

Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

The School of Nursing and Midwifery is part of the College of Health, Psychology, and Social Care at the University of Derby. The School consists of four discipline areas: Adult Nursing, Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing, Midwifery, Children's Nursing and Professional Practice, and Associate and Enhanced Healthcare Practice.

Our vision is clear - to create a vibrant, inclusive, and future-facing School that cultivates the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care. The School of Nursing and Midwifery has a long-standing reputation for excellence. Our remit is to prepare the next generation of nurses, midwives, and nursing associates who can respond effectively to the evolving needs of the population, contribute to the advancement of their professions, and lead within their spheres of influence.

We have ambitious strategies in place to deliver an outstanding student experience, a culture of internationally important research and scholarship, and transformational partnerships with our collaborators across the health and care systems of Derbyshire and beyond.

This role is a central part of this strategy. Our Professional Skills Instructor/Mentor will support the development of professional skills, practical technical, vocational, and associated learning for students and apprentices and, where necessary, support their individual learning needs and progress monitoring both in the workplace, on placement, at alternative venues, on College/University premises or online.  This will include the provision of work and learning mentoring and coaching and the recording of formal and informal records of progress in on and off-the-job training.

Your role will be to work with our academic teams to support our students develop to their full potential. 

We would welcome applications for both full time and part time, to be discussed at interview.

We're looking for Registered Nurses, Midwives, or Nursing Associates who have an interest in education and supporting students to achieve highly. This role is suitable for anyone at any stage of their professional career for example early-career professionals or those considering a change from clinical work. We value all of your knowledge and skills, from whichever field of practice you are in. 

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate a proven ability to engage effectively with learners, fostering supportive educational environments that promote high-quality learning outcomes. You will be equipped with highly developed communication skills, ensuring clarity in conveying complex concepts and facilitating productive discussions. You should also be committed to the principle of widening participation, actively working to remove barriers and create inclusive learning opportunities for all individuals, regardless of background or experience.

If you're interested in the field of Adult Nursing or Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing, this could be the role for you.

  1. To plan and deliver professional, practical, technical, vocational and associated theoretical learning activities for students and apprentices including training, support for learning and assessment using a variety of methods both on and off the job.
  2. Prepare suitable learning materials for a range of activities to develop the student’s knowledge, skills and behaviours linked to relevant apprenticeship standards or regulatory body frameworks.
  3. Demonstrate tasks and processes to individuals and groups.
  4. Provide instruction to the specified standards and provide feedback to students on progress through written and online methods, coaching for high expectations of progress and attainment.
  5. Provide support and mentoring for students and apprentices in the setting of goals and objectives pertaining to their professional skill development needs.
  6. To deliver advice and support, based on an in-depth knowledge and understanding of your discipline area e.g: develop an understanding of course structures, learning outcomes, and PSRB requirements, undertake reviews with students, mentors, external partners and Personal Academic Tutors, review training needs and conduct action planning that support the development of knowledge skills and behaviours in relation to all practice learning opportunities e.g. Virtual, Clinical, Leadership and Management, Education, Research, provide guidance and support to students around setting objectives ahead of practice learning and identifying gaps/areas for further focus.
  7. Provide individual and group mentoring for students and apprentices to ensure that apprenticeship candidates are selected appropriately and are matched to the needs of the employer.
  8. Supervise groups of apprentices undertaking knowledge and skill acquisition through scheduled off-the-job learning activities, project work or while on work placement.
  9. Assess knowledge and skills acquisition using a variety of assessment methods including individual coaching techniques to accelerate the learning of knowledge, skills, and behaviours.
  10. Provide specific learning support and coaching to students and apprentices as required and ensure that learning support records are kept up to date.
  11. Work with groups of students, apprentices, or individuals to prepare them for external qualification and end-point assessment according to the requirements of the relevant apprenticeship.
  12. Complete all associated internal, employer and external documentation and track the student’s progress, including recording student and apprentice data on attendance and achievement using prescribed records systems, both manual and online.
  13. Ensure that any assessment carried out is completed to the standards laid down by the awarding body and the College Quality Assurance systems.
  14. Integrate the development of English and Mathematics skills, including their integration into broader learning activities linked to both on and off-the-job activities.
  15. Monitor attendance of students and apprentices at prescribed off-the-job learning activities, ensuring that records systems are updated as required and employers are kept informed.
  16. Ensure that students and apprentices are coached to always behave in a professional manner to a high standard of safety in the workplace and during off-the-job activities.
  17. Work with liaison and business development teams and independently to develop new business opportunities and placements to increase employer engagement and apprentice uptake and progression.
  18. To undertake any other duties which may, from time to time, reasonably be required within the general level of responsibility.

For full accountabilities please see the attached job description.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

  • Good Honours Degree in a relevant subject or discipline.
  • Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (for example Registered Nurse, Midwife, Nursing Associate)
  • Hold or be willing to undertake a teaching qualification.
  • Level 2 Qualifications (either in Functional Skills or GCSE A-C/4-9) in both English and maths or a willingness to achieve within an agreed timescale.

Experience

  • Experience within and/or knowledge of the health and/or care sectors.
  • Demonstrable evidence of ability to engage with learners to support high quality learning outcomes.

Skills, knowledge and abilities

  • Highly developed communication skills
  • Ability to use own initiative.
  • Ability to work effectively on your own and with a small team.
  • Well-developed administrative and organisational skills
  • Ability to work flexibly within a team.
  • Good time management skills.
  • A commitment to the principle of widening participation
  • A commitment to College and University values and behaviours.

Business requirements

  • A commitment to continued professional development, particularly in mentoring, coaching or demonstrating
  • Willingness and flexibility to travel and work between University and external sites in a cost effective and timely manner.

 

Desirable Criteria

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate qualification(s) in a relevant subject area
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
  • Fellowship or Associate Fellowship of Advanced HE (HEA)

Experience

  • Experience or knowledge of higher education and ability to use a range of techniques to inspire and engage students.
  • Experience of Internal and External verification and moderation processes
  • Practical experience of promoting equality and diversity.
  • Practical experience of promoting Behaviours and attitudes
  • Practical experience of promoting Personal development

Skills, knowledge and abilities

  • An appropriate level of digital capability and aptitude with practical experience of applications which aid student learning.
  • Ability to communicate complex and conceptual ideas to a range of groups.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills including networking and relationship building skills, both across the University and externally.
  • Understanding of the current higher education environment and its implications for the student learning experience.

Business requirements

  • Ability to work evenings, weekends and during holiday periods.
  • Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
  • Local Government Pension Scheme
  • Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
  • Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
  • Discounted onsite gym
  • Discounted access to Devonshire Spa
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • A flexible working environment
  • A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Michelle Brown, Head of Adult Nursing via M.Brown4@derby.ac.uk or Victoria Sweetmore, Head of Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing via V.Sweetmore@derby.ac.uk

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Please visit Applying from Overseas for more information.

 

DBS check

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and is therefore subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and only used when considering your suitability for the post.

To enable us to process your DBS check please ensure you are able to supply the documentation listed on the DBS website at interview stage.

 

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.

We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.

Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.

When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.

The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.

However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.

 

A university that celebrates you

Environmental Sustainability

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2040.

 

Environment and sustainability

Don’t wait to leave your mark, apply now to inspire the next generation.

How to apply

You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.

If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy.

 

Further details

Download Professional Skills Instructor/Mentor in Nursing and Midwifery job descriptionDownload Professional Skills Instructor/Mentor in Nursing and Midwifery job description

The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern.

Please find our Safeguarding pages including our Safeguarding Policy here.