Student support offered at university

Universities offer a variety of support services to provide confidential support and guidance to their students. These accessible support services allow students to study as independently as possible.

This article was provided by the student support team at the University of South Wales, for the Teachers' Guide to University brochure. It describes some of the support services that students receive at the University of South Wales as an example of what your students can expect when they start at their own universities.

The Wellbeing Service consists of the Health Service, Mental Health and Counselling Service, and Disability Service. Together, they help students with their physical and mental health, social welfare, and studying commitments. They offer free, impartial advice and support to students, and have a wide range of support and resources available.

The Disability Service provides information, advice and guidance, and co-ordinates disability-related support for students. This includes students with physical, sensory, mental health or unseen disabilities, autism, and specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia.

The Mental Wellbeing Service is made up of a number of teams who are available to support students with their mental health and wellbeing during their time at university. Each team has different specialisms and different approaches for each person.

Wellbeing Advisers are available to talk to students about their wellbeing and mental health. It is a confidential service, where the adviser can explore the student’s needs to help develop an understanding of what service or support may be most suitable. These could include workshops, short courses, activities, mental health support, and counselling.

The Health Service provides advice and support to form part of our healthcare provision alongside the GP, pharmacist, dentist, and the NHS.

The Student Development and Study Skills Service provides advice, information, and resources to help improve academic performance. It also helps students develop transferable skills for employment.

Student-to-student mentoring schemes include practical or pastoral support for new students, plus weekly sessions focusing on academic work.

The Progression Advice Team works with students to identify areas of academic concern, advice on their available options, and help with accessing the relevant tools and support to be a successful learner. The Progression Advice Team also produce a number of resources to support students through their academic journey.

The Student Money Advice Team provides support and advice to help students make informed decision about money.

The service helps students find out about funding opportunities, how to maximise funding resources while they’re at university, and offer help and advice on managing money. They also offer direct assistance, where possible, if students get into financial difficulty.

The Student Academic Support network is made up of course leaders, module tutors, and a personal academic coach, often known as a personal tutor. A personal tutor can help students plan their personal, academic, and professional development. They support a student’s overall progress, rather than focussing on individual assignments or modules.

Careers provides support with careers advice, employment, work placements, and much more to help students prepare for their future.

The Chaplaincy is an open and inclusive service to the whole community. It offers confidential and non-judgmental support to students, irrespective of faith, culture, gender, or sexual orientation.

The Students’ Union offers support and guidance on academic and welfare-related matters, extracurricular activities including clubs, teams and societies, and student representation. The Students’ Union is also responsible for administering the Course Representatives and Student Voice Representatives systems.

When your students are researching universities, it is important that they consider the usual criteria, such as courses, entry requirements, and location. However, it is also important that they consider the support services available at each university. It is these vital services that will support your students on their university journey.