Health and wellbeing - University of Staffordshire

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Health and wellbeing

Looking after your physical and mental health should be simple at home and at university, which is why we offer a range of services to support your wellbeing.

Disabled students’ support

University of Staffordshire are committed to the Social Model of Disability and recognise that the removal of the physical, emotional, social and attitudinal barriers that disable our students, staff and visitors is essential to progressing equality for disabled people.

We provide support for applicants to ensure individual needs are met before you start your course, throughout your time with us, and even after graduation. As soon as you have confirmed your place with us, we recommend getting in touch with the Student Inclusion Team to ensure your individual support plan can be put in place. For applicants who have been offered a conditional place on a course, this will be after you have received your results in August.

We can advise on accessibility issues and a wide range of support and adjustments to meet the individual needs of students. We also offer a diagnostic service for students who think they may have a specific learning difficulty, screening for dyslexia, support for mental wellbeing, assistive technology, financial advice and help with your career.

Disabled students are also eligible for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). This fund helps to pay for the extra costs you might have in order to attend a designated higher education course because of a disability or Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD). Your DSA application can be completed as part of your main funding application, or separately and at a different time. The sooner you apply the greater the chance of having everything in place when you start your course.

If you attend one of our open days, a member of our student support team will be available to give advice on all aspects of the disability support that we offer.

Mental wellbeing

As a student, you may well find yourself experiencing difficulties that affect your mental wellbeing. Any such difficulties might be related to issues and events whilst at university or they might be connected to previous experiences or issues in your personal life.

If you're finding it difficult to engage with your studies once you start your course with us, or are struggling to cope more generally with any of these types of issues, you can access support through our Student Wellbeing service. We have a range of options to help support you, including staff who can offer wellbeing and counselling support, as well as online resources.

Our team of practitioners are here to support any student experiencing mental wellbeing difficulties. All students who feel they may benefit from our service can use it. Students can book appointments both in and out of term time, and our team will be able to find the right support for your circumstances.

We can offer:

Psycho-education to support your learning and understanding of your own mental health and wellbeing.
Anxiety and stress response work
Cognitive behavioural interventions
Solution focussed therapy
Problem solving
Positive behaviour change & motivational interviewing
Safety planning
Help you to access external services by referral, providing information, advocacy and support.
Assist you to liaise with specialist agencies.
Provide a safe listening space to talk through anything concerning you.

If you are an applicant, and would like to speak to someone about the support we can put in place for you, please email student-wellbeing@staffs.ac.uk.

An introduction to Student Wellbeing Services at Staffordshire University

Video

Find out more about our Student Wellbeing services, including who they can help, how you access support and what you may be able to expect in terms of the support available.

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Peer Mentors

We have two types of peer mentors at University of Staffordshire, Peer Mentors and Wellbeing Peer Mentors.

Peer Mentors are students from second year and above who work with first year students to support them through the practical elements of university life. You Peer Mentor can:

Support new students in the summer transition period before their first year at university.
Help you to settle into university life and support you during any homesickness.
Signpost you to essential university services such as Academic Skills, or Career Connect.
Help you to make friends, get involved in university events, and build your confidence.

Wellbeing Peer Mentors are Mental Health First Aid trained, who offer support on a one-to-one basis, or to a small group of students to promote mental wellbeing. Wellbeing Peer Mentors can:

Listen to your concerns in a non-judgemental way.
Offer information from their own student experience on what can do to enhance your student experience.
Assist you to identify societies, groups or other activities related to your interests and hobbies.
Signpost to specialist services within the university such as the wellbeing team.

Anthony Fisher - Peer Mentor

Video

Peer Mentor Anthony talks about the benefits of the peer mentoring service.

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Fitness

Our campus is home to our fitness centre, the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre, which features a 70+ station gym equipped with the latest cardiovascular and resistance machines, plus sports hall and pitches for team sports.

Students get discounted memberships, and our friendly team can help you to get started with inductions and programmes. You might even want to join a sports team, which is a great way to make friends while looking after your physical and mental health. We have competitive and social teams available, depending on what you want to get involved with.

In some circumstances, students can be referred by their GP to the gym for free sessions and extra support from our team to help support their mental and physical wellbeing.

Registering with a GP

There are three GP practices local to the Stoke campus and we strongly recommend that you register with a local GP surgery.

If you are moving your healthcare to a local GP and take regular medication, ensure that you speak to your current GP to make sure you are still able to easily access your treatment while at university.