Everyone needs support from time to time, particularly in the current climate. During our recent Staff Student Liaison Committee meeting, one of our Student Reps reported that some students didn’t know where they could find information on the support that the University offers. Therefore, we’ve created a list of places to find support for you below. If you need immediate support, please see the University’s Help in a Crisis page or text Shout to 85258 at any time of the day or night.

SALC Linked

SALC Linked is our weekly newsletter and it drops into your inbox on a Friday. As well as giving you important information about your studies, it is also full of details of the University’s support services, upcoming wellbeing events and opportunities to connect with other students from across the University. If you can’t find the latest edition in your inbox, we also publish it on the SALC Students blog, where you can also have a look at our previous editions.

Your Academic Advisor 

Your Academic Advisor is an academic from your subject area who has been assigned to support you this year. You should have already met with them to discuss any concerns or goals that you have for this year. If you haven’t spoken to them already, we really recommend that you do so. They’ll be really pleased to hear from you and to have a chat with you about how things are going. If you don’t know who your Academic Advisor is, you can find their details via My Manchester -and you can refer to our guide for more information. If you’ve checked My Manchester and you still can’t find your Advisor’s details, you can ask your programme administration team. Details of our undergraduate programme administration teams can be found on our Contact Us page whilst Postgraduate Taught students should contact salc-pgt@manchester.ac.uk.

 

Self Isolation & COVID-19

The university has produced a new COVID-19 awareness course to help you to understand more about the virus and how to keep yourself and others safe. If you are currently self-isolating, there is lots of support available to you, which is summarised on the University’s Self Isolation guidance page. There is also a dedicated self-isolation team ready to support you and you can contact them via coronavirus-isolation-support@manchester.ac.uk. Additionally, you can request for a ‘Check In and Chat’ volunteer to give you a call, just to talk about how you’re doing. To request a one-to-one call, please fill in your details on this online form. You can also contact the service on keepintouch@manchester.ac.uk.

If you are in Halls, the ResLife team are on hand to support you, including the Duty Advisor, who is available at weekends, bank holidays and outside of office hours (6pm-8am).

 

The Counselling Service

The Counselling and Mental Health Service offers a wide range of support including workshops and links to interactive online self-help resources such as Togetherall, Living Life to the Full, Moodgym and Students Against Depression. You can also talk to someone from the Counselling Service by completing their online questionnaire and then calling their appointment line (0161 275 2864) between 11.00-12.30, Monday-Friday, to arrange an appointment.

 

Mitigating Circumstances

If you have any coursework deadlines coming up and, due to mitigating circumstances, you don’t feel you can meet these deadlines or that there has been a significant adverse effect on your academic performance, you can apply to the Mitigating Circumstances process. If your application is successful, there are a variety of measures that can be put in place to support you, depending on the nature of your situation.  You can find further information on the process on our Mitigating Circumstances website, which includes an advice sheet and the online application form. Please do read the advice sheet before applying – it will help to ensure that you understand what types of circumstances are normally accepted and what information you will need to include in your application.

 

Disability Advisory Support Service (DASS)

DASS are a team of advisers who support students who have a disability to access the support that they need. This includes everyone, whether you’re an undergraduate, postgraduate, EU or International student. DASS is an entirely confidential service which help students access exam, study, travel, personal care and accommodation support, depending on their needs and circumstances. To find out if you’re eligible for support, check out the DASS website, email the team via dso@manchester.ac.uk or call 0161 275 7512. Our Student Support & Guidance team are also on hand to advise you about referring yourself to DASS and you can contact them via salc-studentsupport@manchester.ac.uk.

 

Interruptions & Withdrawals

We understand that, every year, for a variety of reasons, students decide that they can’t continue with their studies. If you feel like you might need to interrupt your studies until the start of the next academic year in September 2021 or that you might need to withdraw from your studies, please let us know so that we can advise you on the options available to you. The Student Support & Guidance team, via salc-changetostudy@manchester.ac.uk, will be able to talk you through the interruption and withdrawal process. These are big decisions that could have financial implications so we recommend that you talk to as many people as possible, including your Academic Advisor, before deciding if interruption or withdrawal from your studies is right for you.

 

Report & Support 

The University’s Report and Support service allows you to report acts of harassment, discrimination or hate. You can report something that has happened to you or something that has happened to someone you know and you can report anonymously or speak to an advisor.

 

Self-Care

Now, more than ever, self-care is vital way for our wellbeing. The University’s Student Support website is full of ideas that can help you to look after yourself. This includes, our Six Ways to Wellbeing programme, which has ideas for habits that can help you to feel, and stay, better, based on the following themes:  ConnectLearn and Discover, Give, Take Notice, Be Active, and Be Healthy,

 

The Library

The Library isn’t just a space to study or where you borrow books! The Library runs online drop-in sessions, where you can speak to a Library expert on topics as diverse as referencing, essay writing, literature reviews or IT issues. If you think that you may dyslexia or another specific learning difficulty, you can also attend their Do I have dyslexia? workshop for information on strategies and support.  The Library has a wealth of resources to help you with your studies, including its award-winning study skills programme, My Learning Essentials, which offers sets of resources to help you structure your work, present like a pro and revise effectively.

 

SU Buddy Scheme

The Students’ Union have set up a buddy scheme to help anyone struggling at the moment to connect with other students. As part of the scheme, students can be paired with a peer buddy for weekly phone or video calls, providing some social contact and the chance to make a new friend. The peer buddies aren’t trained counsellors but are students who may be studying on a similar course or have similar interests. They will be able to signpost you to to Students’ Union and University services should you need them. If you are feeling isolated or struggling at the moment, you can use the online form to request for a buddy to contact you. You can also sign up to be volunteer as a peer buddy.

 

SALC Essentials – Wellbeing & Diversity Module

Our online wellbeing module covers all the essential support services that you should know about to support your physical and mental health and wellbeing throughout your degree. the module can be accessed via Blackboard by both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

 

Student Support & Engagement Officers

Although we hope that this article will help you to find the support that’s most suited to your needs, sometimes it’s good to be able to talk things through with someone. SALC’s Student Support and Engagement Officers, Gareth and Emma, are here to talk through any issues that you might be having and to point you in the direction of the help that is most appropriate for you. To book a telephone or Zoom appointment, please email them at salcstudents@manchester.ac.uk.