JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: One Stop Shop Assistant (Accommodation & Funding)Location: Mainly based at the Ealing Campus but will be expected to work at all of the University's campuses
Reporting to: Senior Advisor Accommodation & One Stop Shop / Post No:
Grade: 3
POSTS DIRECTLY SUPERVISED: None
DETAILS OF STAFF INDIRECTLY SUPERVISED: None
SUMMARY OF MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB
This job description sets out a range of duties that will be undertaken by the post holder. This appointment requires a flexible approach to working hours to provide administrative support to cover the duties of the One Stop Shop.
The main purpose of this role is to work within a team to provide an excellent customer service with the provision of information to students and staff regarding accommodation & student related funding and assists with hardship funds, disability and Immigration as and when required.
Whilst on a day to day basis the postholder may have certain duties allocated to him/her, he/she will be required in certain circumstances to undertake other duties to ensure a full administrative service is maintained in order to support the operation of the One Stop Shop.
Contribute towards the provision of an effective, efficient and professional quality administrative service within the One Stop Shop; working within the framework of the central Department and the university’s strategic plans.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Specific Tasks and Duties
· Provide an excellent customer service to students at all times; assisting with face-to-face queries at the One Stop Shop front desk; answering telephone calls and responding to all emails in a timely manner.
· Provide information to students regarding, accommodation, funding and immigration advice; referring to the advisers when required.
· Inform students about specialist drop-in sessions and make appropriate appointments for the advisers.
· Check and monitor accommodation applications for all University nominations agreement on the Student Record System (currently UNIT-e). To log and monitor accommodation records and produce reports in a timely manner.
· Maintain an accurate private accommodation list on ‘Student Pad’ by liaising with local letting agents, student accommodation bodies, hotels, hostels, landlords and homeowners and assist with all accommodation related matters.
· Handle enquiries regarding the application process for the Access to Learning Fund (Higher Education) and Discretionary Learning Support Fund (Further Education) and assist with the administration of university funds when required.
· Provide a customer focussed and informative service to potential students and parents during open days and at general recruitment and enrolment events.
· Create payments and award profiles for the university’s undergraduate bursary scheme via the Student Loan Company database (HEBBS); liaising with finance department to ensure that payments are accurate and timely and to produce reports for the management, planning and information department.
· Assist with the administration of the scholarships.
· Assist with the administration for the support, and assessment processes, for students with disabilities.
· Proactively assist the funding and immigration advisers with the writing and production of One Stop Shop publications; leaflets, guidance and application packs when required.
· Keep an up to date knowledge of all key student-facing issues, attending training and information days as required.
· Maintain accurate student records and files, supporting the line manager and other senior advisers, including inputting data and scanning on to the Student Records System (currently UNIT-e Case Records System).
· Proactively assist in the enrolment process for all students, including, scanning of student information in line with the UK Border Agency requirements and undertaking fee assessment and Identity checks.
· Undertake general administrative duties including; filing, responding to emails, dealing with the post and keeping all information display stands fully stocked on all sites.
· Contribute towards the provision of an effective, efficient and professional administrative service within the One Stop Shop, including working some weekday evenings and weekend cover as and when required.
Planning and Organising
· Planning and prioritising of own workload to ensure that all deadlines are met in line with the One Stop Shop tasks and the university annual calendar of activities.
· Take individual responsibility for own area of work and be able to work on own initiative as required.
· Maintain an awareness of key activities within the student lifecycle.
Internal and External Communication and Customer Interface
· Adopt a professional, flexible and customer-focussed approach in all communications and ensure that an effective and excellent standard of service is provided at all times to the student and the university community.
· Deal with written and telephone enquiries from the public sensitively and confidentially.
· Assist with maintaining good communications with the Student Community, for example, the social media account (Twitter), websites, emails, etc., when requested.
· Use effective communication skills, both oral and written, to deal tactfully, efficiently and effectively with people at all levels, including students, management, academic and administrative staff, and support staff across the university, especially the finance staff.
· Be an effective team member and participate relevant meetings, workshops, training events, etc. as requested by the head of the One Stop Shop.
· Maintain an awareness of external organisations, for example: UKCISA, SLC, NASMA, AMOSSHE, Paragon Housing Trust, collaborative partners, etc.
· Process all information received from internal and external bodies in a timely manner, and communicate information to colleagues appropriately.
Quality
· Ensuring that the standard of own work is always maintained at a high level, with strict attention to detail and accuracy at all times.
· Maintain accurate records and files in accordance with university policies and procedures.
· Ensure compliance with Health and Safety regulations and the Data Protection Act.
· Work within the bounds of the One Stop Shop’s confidentiality working guidelines.
· Participate in the university’s quality assurance process.
· Adhere to all of the university’s procedures and policies and financial regulations.
Specialist Knowledge
It is essential that the person appointed has, or is willing to work towards achieving and maintaining, the following knowledge:
· An in depth understanding of the student lifecycle and the University regulatory framework, including the student handbook and the undergraduate and postgraduate supplements.
· A good understanding of the requirements, and student-related operations of the following:
· Student Loans Company (including DSA, Maintenance and Grant eligibility)
· Statutory funding and benefits
· NHS student funding
· Skills Funding Agency
· University Bursaries and Scholarships
· UK Border Agency
· An understanding of the Student Record System (currently UNIT-e), and attending training sessions to maintain knowledge..
· Proficiency in Microsoft Office products
Any other duties assigned by the line manager to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the One Stop Shop.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
CRITERIA / ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLEQualifications: / Degree or relevant experience
Knowledge and Experience: / Experience of working in a customer facing ‘front line’ service
Experience of, working and/or studying, in Higher Education
Experience of working within a team in a changing environment and frequently under pressure
Experience of planning and prioritising work
Knowledge of Student Services provision
Basic understanding of statutory funding available to students including: Student Loans Company, NHS student funding and Skills Funding Agency
Understanding of student accommodation requirements
Understanding of cross-cultural awareness, working with a diverse community
Knowledge of Data Protection Act / Understanding of current issues on the Higher Education agenda
Knowledge of Further Education business processes
An understanding of UK Border Agency
Knowledge of the UNIT-e student record and tracking system
Specific Skills: / Excellent customer service skills with the proven ability to be helpful, patient and have empathy
Able to work methodically and follow set processes and procedures accurately
Good numeric skills
Good literacy skills
Good IT skills, especially MS Office applications and a understanding of computer systems, databases and email
Good understanding of data integrity and attention to detail regarding data quality
Ability to respond quick to changes in legislation and regulations / Report writing and presentation skills
Ability to understand data manipulation and retrieval
General Skills: / Ability to deal with queries and escalate issues appropriately
Ability to balance conflicting workloads and prioritise own workload effectively
Ability to adapt to change and willingness to learn new IT skills and attend training courses
Ability to respect a high level of confidentiality at all times
Ability to work as a flexible and effective member of a team and to work effectively within a team and contribute to the team’s development and assist team members when necessary
Ability to communicate with a wide range of people at all levels both inside and outside of the university
Strong cultural awareness with an understanding of, and commitment to, equal opportunities
Self motivated, with a flexible approach to work.
Problem solving ability and analytical skills
Able to use initiative
Commitment to providing customer focused service
Other: / A Standard DBS Certificate is required for this post (to be undertaken upon appointment).
Essential Criteria are those, without which, a candidate would not be able to do the job. Applicants who have not clearly demonstrated in their application that they possess the essential requirements will normally be rejected at the shortlisting stage.
Desirable Criteria are those that would be useful for the post holder to possess and will be considered when more than one applicant meets the essential requirements.