Tackling the Blues is recruiting student mentors to the programme

• Invaluable experience with Tate Liverpool and Everton in the Community
• Paid opportunities throughout semester
• Potential for additional paid work during holiday periods
• Accredited training mental health opportunities
• CV enhancement in the areas of education, the arts, sports, health & wellbeing

To get involved you must:

• Hold a current DBS check with EHU
• Be available for 1+ hour a week delivery and session planning

Interviews and training:

• Tuesday 15 March 2022
• Optional training for holiday work: Wednesday 16th March 2022

Expressions of interest by


• Friday 11 March 2022

What does the role entail?

As a Tackling the Blues Student Mentor, your main responsibility is leading and organising a team of Support Mentors, to design, develop and deliver mental health-based educational workshop sessions and arts activity sessions.

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.
  • Design and deliver peer mentoring sessions.
  • 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.
  • Management and support of Tackling the Blues recruitment, promotion and research dissemination events.

What would be expected?

  • 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.
  • 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.

Further details

This paid opportunity is for Edge Hill University students. Third year students and postgraduate student will be prioritised:

Title of opportunityTackling the Blues Student 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 paymentTackling the Blues Student Mentors are employed by Edge Hill University as casual staff on grade 2, scale point 11, at an hourly rate of £10.40.
Student Mentors will be paid for delivery hours and a limited number of planning hours.
Collaborating organisationsTate Liverpool and Everton in the Community
Short description of opportunityWorking 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. The programme is currently funded by the Office for Students (OfS) and Research England with support from the Premier League Charitable Fund.
Expected duties (including travel requirements)You will be responsible for:
• committing to the role for the whole academic year, before and after any placement you have as part of your University programme
• engaging 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
• supporting the delivery of TtB sessions. This may include working with at risk children and young people, or with small groups of children and young people
• contributing to the delivery of session activities in classroom or practical settings
• taking part in regular review meetings with programme Coordinators and Research Assistants, fellow mentors, CPD opportunities and update meetings as required
• updating monitoring systems
• assisting with the planning and delivery of events
• establishing and building rapport and trust with the children and young people on the programme
• being a positive role model for the children and young people
• reporting welfare or safeguarding concerns about about children and young people to educational professionals and programme Coordinators
• travelling to school sites, as directed and agreed, with the programme coordinators.
Agreed work pattern (days and hours)To be negotiated with successful applicants, but not at times when timetabled teaching is scheduled.
Time expected to commit to the projectApproximately 10+ hours per month.
Maximum expenses payable (as per Faculty policy)Student 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 discussionsEmma Curd, Tate Liverpool,
Tackling the Blues Coordinator
[email protected]

Before you submit your application

Before submitting your application, you are invited to complete a survey about mental health literacy and you employability skills.

Submitting your application

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