Paid opportunity – Lead Tackling the Blues Mentor (arts and mental health strand)

Tackling the Blues (TtB) is an arts, sport, physical activity and education-based mental health literacy (MHL) programme. It supports children and young people aged 6-16 in schools throughout West Lancashire and Merseyside, who are experiencing, or are at risk of developing, mental illness. TtB is delivered in partnership between the Faculty of Education and the Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University (EHU), Everton in the Community (EitC) and Tate Liverpool. To date, TtB has engaged over 3,000 children and young people through weekly sessions in primary schools, secondary schools and community groups.

TtB offers a range of interactive and engaging activities to work with children and young people who, once engaged, participate in tailored educational and peer-led activities to tackle experiences of conditions associated with mental illness. The art strand of the programme also introduces creative art practices and uses access to Tate’s extensive national collection of British art and contemporary and modern art to engage children and young people in discussion and activity around mental health literacy.

What does the role entail?

As a Tackling the Blues Lead Mentor, your main responsibilities are:

To design and deliver tailored mental health literacy and art sessions in schools following the TtB curriculum.
To work with your TtB coordinator and colleagues to ensure a high quality of content and delivery of the TtB programme.
To develop positive relationships with children and young people in your sessions to ensure that they are gaining a full understanding of the programme’s learning outcomes.
To work with your TtB coordinator to select, access and use appropriate resources for the delivery of arts and mental health based sessions.
To complete all evaluation and recording activities from sessions in an accurate and timely manner.
To attend and participate in all relevant training activities.
To ensure adherence to all relevant safeguarding policies and procedures.

You will also have the opportunity to undertake the following responsibilities:

Engage in all agreed programme research activities as requested including dedicated research both with participants and as a participant in line with existing ethical protocols.
Attending TtB induction and training programme, including certified mental health training.

Help to develop the arts education programme and tailor it depending on your interests and studies.
Develop relationships with schools and community groups/wider children’s workforce through attending meetings and liaising with staff.
Support with the recruitment of new schools, community groups and stakeholders.
Support the design and delivery of TtB events and activities throughout the year, including events aimed at students at Edge Hill University.

What would be expected of you?

Work with Tate Liverpool, Everton in the Community and Edge Hill University to deliver a programme of arts and education-based sessions to children and young people.
To reliably attend all scheduled sessions in schools. It is expected that you will be available for at least one full day and up to 15 hours per week during term time.
Be able to plan and deliver sessions, using relevant arts and mental health resources.
Be able to work independently and as part of a team to design and deliver mental health-based classroom and arts activity-based sessions.
To tailor and adapt sessions specific to the group you are working with including primary school and secondary school-aged children and those attending special educational needs units/schools.
To comply with all aspects of safeguarding policy for Tate Liverpool, Everton in the Community and Edge Hill University and any partner school in which you may be working.
To engage in relevant training opportunities as required.
To work professionally at all times and to represent the University, Tate Liverpool and Everton in the Community in line with agreed expectations.
Students are also expected to hold a valid Enhanced DBS certificate or be willing to go through a DBS clearance process.
Business insurance is essential if you are travelling to partner schools in your own vehicle.

Further details

This paid opportunity is for Edge Hill University students.

Title of opportunity	Tackling the Blues Lead Mentor (arts and mental health)
Available to students studying (Faculty and programme)	This opportunity is for Edge Hill University students looking to gain experience of working with children and young people and developing skills, including creative and participatory practices, within an educational context from: – Faculty of Education – Department of Creative Arts programmes – Department of Sport and Physical Activity – Faculty of Health, Social Care & Medicine on the following programmes only: MSc Psychotherapy and Counselling – Contemporary Creative Approaches, MSc/BSc (Hons) Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing, BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies, BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies and Criminology – Department of Psychology on the following programmes only: BSc (Hons) Educational Psychology, BSc (Hons) Sports & Exercise Psychology
Employer and payment	Tackling the Blues Lead Mentors are employed by Edge Hill University as casual staff on grade 3, at an hourly rate of £11.24. Positions are available for at least one full day and up to 15 hours per week.
Collaborating organisations	Tate Liverpool and Everton in the Community
Short description of opportunity	Working as Edge Hill University casual staff with Tate Liverpool and Everton in the Community, you will have the opportunity to work on Edge Hill University’s award-winning mental health literacy programme. Tackling the Blues (TtB) is an arts, sport, physical activity and education-based mental health literacy (MHL) programme. It supports children and young people aged 6-16 in schools throughout West Lancashire and Merseyside, who are experiencing, or are at risk of developing, mental illness. TtB is delivered in partnership between the Faculty of Education and the Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University (EHU), Everton in the Community (EitC) and Tate Liverpool.
Expected duties (including travel requirements)	You will be responsible for: – Committing to the role for the whole academic year. – Absence for course placements can be negotiated but please inform us of these at application stage. – Engage in all agreed programme research activities as requested – Attending a TtB induction and training programme – Attending certified mental health training Planning and preparing session materials – Delivery of classroom based mental health and art sessions around the TtB Curriculum. – Development of activities for children and young people to include the use of arts based approaches and supporting access to Tate’s national collection of British, modern and contemporary art (training and support are available around these aspects of the programme). – Taking part in regular review meetings with programme Coordinators and Research Assistants, fellow mentors, CPD opportunities and update meetings as required Updating monitoring systems – To lead a team of volunteer support mentors in the classroom (where applicable) Assisting with the planning and delivery of events – Establishing and building rapport and trust with the children and young people on the programme – Be a positive role model for the children and young people Report welfare or safeguarding concerns about children and young people to educational professionals and programme Coordinators – Travelling to schools which are situated across the Liverpool City region and West Lancashire. Business insurance is necessary if travelling by own car.
Requirement	Hold a valid DBS certificate obtained through Edge Hill University or be willing to go through a DBS clearance process. Must be eligible to work in the UK and produce evidence of required visas if necessary.
Start and end date	From October 2022 – July 2023
Agreed work pattern (days and hours)	To be negotiated but at least one full day and up to 15hrs (2 days) per week. Timetabling of hours will be agreed with individuals but it is expected that the TtB programme will run 5 days a week throughout term time so it is essential that mentors are able to commit to attending all scheduled sessions. We will endeavour to work around university commitments, including any placement requirements.
Time expected to commit to the project	Upto 15hrs per week.
Maximum expenses payable (as per Faculty policy)	Lead Mentors, as Edge Hill University staff, are required to register with the Selenity electronic expense system. Car users will receive 45p per mile for miles above and beyond journeys from/to Edge Hill University. It is the car user’s responsibility to have business insurance cover in place prior to any journeys made. Users of public transport will be reimbursed in full with proof of receipts/tickets. All mentors will need to follow institutional processes to be paid for expenses.
Contact for further discussions	Phil McClure [email protected] 07768454029
Application deadline	Thursday 20 October no later than 12 noon.
Notified of application outcome	TBC
Interview date (if applicable)	TBC

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How do I apply?

Please fill in the application form below.

If you are able to, please submit a talking personal statement (minimum of 5 minutes) outlining the following (please note, this is not essential):

Why you are interested in becoming a Tackling the Blues mentor?
Why you believe a mental health literacy programme like Tackling the Blues is useful for children and young people?
Your interest in arts and creative practices?

Submitting a video is not essential, but if you’d like to we recommend using WeTransfer.

You should upload your talking personal statement with the application form below no later than 12 noon on Thursday 20 October 2022.