Welcome to the Student Services induction. By the end of today's session we hope you have a better understanding of who we are as the team and the support we can offer, so let's start with "who are Student Services"?
We are a team of advisers and specialists who provide information and guidance on a range of topics. Our Student Services team is here to help you maximize your potential and support you with the challenges you may face while you study.
This is our Students Services team. You may see us around the campus; we're mainly based in South Tower on the second floor and you can find us in the Student Hub. We are a friendly, professional and approachable team, always happy to have a chat.
Here are some of the things we can help with in Student Services. Have a read of these and we'll go into more detail on the next slide.
Student Services is made up of the following four teams: the Student Life team, the Counselling and Mental Health Service, the Disability Service team and Student Support service. Within the Student Life team we can offer support such as one-to-one appointments or workshops to support with things such as settling into uni, sleep and stress management. You might not always need an appointment or workshop with us in which case we can signpost you to helpful self-help resources and external organizations. If you want to find out about student funding, budgeting
or if you need support with struggling with your money, you can speak speak to one of our Student Money Advisers.
Within the Counselling and Mental Health Service we have a trained team of mental health professionals who provide a confidential short-term service to discuss difficult situations and help you identify resolutions.
The Disability Team can help if you have a long-term diagnosed physical or mental health condition and we can help set up a support plan to ensure any barriers to learning are removed. You also may be eligible for funding support through the Disabled Students' Allowance. We can walk you through the process of how to apply for this. If you feel you may show indications of a learning difference such as dyslexia, we may be able to carry out an initial pre-screen, and if necessary walk you through the testing process for a full diagnosis.
And finally, the Student Support Service can help you receive funded support through DSA. They can assign you a specialist mentor, study skills tutor or non-medical helper. The Student Support Service will be on hand to provide support in setting this up.
How can you let us know that you need support? Don't worry if you didn't declare your support need when you applied to University. You can still let us know by contacting us directly by phone, email or in person.
Mental Health Support: it is important to look after your physical and mental health to get the most out of your time here at University of Derby. We can help with personalized resources and self-help guides, we provide Student Life workshops, wellness MOT appointments, appointments with mental health practitioners group, support sessions, referrals to our counselling service and we can also sign post to external agencies.
Student services work closely with other organizations to provide a comprehensive and coordinated mental health support offer. TalkCampus and SafeZone have mobile apps which you can download on your phone. You can access 24/7 mental health support through TalkCampus, or the
SafeZone app provides contact with our security team if you need urgent assistance or first aid.
Safeguarding: the University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of our staff, students, and children. At the University of Derby safeguarding is everybody's concern. How to report a safeguarding concern: you can do this using our cause for concern reporting form on the safeguarding pages of our website.
Student Services can provide sexual misconduct support. Our Sexual Violence and Misconduct Liaison Officers, or SVLOs, are trained to support students who have been directly or indirectly affected by recent or historical incidents of sexual misconduct. Our SVLOs are available to offer confidential one-to-one support to all members of the university and will listen empathetically and without judgment. To access the service either email us or give us a call on the details on the screen.
We have a dedicated team of disability advisers who aim to support students to fulfill their academic potential by removing barriers to
learning. This can include support with Disabled Students' Allowance or DSA, advice and guidance concerning the adjustments we can provide to you and help if you think you have a specific learning difference. We will go into detail on these on the following slides.
Dyslexia Testing: do you think you have dyslexia but haven't been assessed? The University of Derby offer opportunities to be assessed
via the quickscreen process. Following a positive outcome to the quickscreen test, the University of Derby can support you in obtaining a formal diagnosis. For more information you can visit our web page and contact Student Services and get yourself booked in.
Disabled Students' Allowance: this is designed to offer help required because of mental health problem, a long-term illness or any other disability. It can be accessed on its own or in addition to any other student finance you get. The type of help you get depends on your individual needs not your household income and you do not need to pay back DSA. The following links are useful for who can get DSA, what is offered and how to apply.
The Student Support team provides in-house provision of non-medical helpers that can support students through their university journey. The Disabled Students' Allowance is usually available from the students' funding body such as Student Finance England, who pay for the additional
support that a student needs at university. Students may be eligible for non-medical helper support such as a specialist mentor, study skills
tutor, or software, equipment, and help with printing cost through their DSA allowance.
Support Plans can be established for any student who has a diagnosed disability, a specific learning difference, students who are deaf or hearing impaired, severe or partially sighted, students with chronic long-term health conditions and students with diagnosed mental health difficulties. We promote inclusive teaching practices and as such aim to provide teaching environments that enable students to thrive and achieve.
Money Advice and Support: our Student Money Advisers can advise and support with the administration of the University bursary scheme. They can provide information advice and guidance around money budgeting and student funding. They'll also support with general or specific funding queries, for example issues with student funding. If you would like to get in touch with our Student Money Advisors you can do so by emailing smart@derby.ac.uk, clicking the QR code below or visiting us in the Student Hub at the bottom of South Tower.
So, how can you contact Student Services? You can visit us at the Student Hub which is based at the bottom of South Tower on Kedleston Road or visit one of our Student Hub Express sites. We have an email address studentsservices@derby.ac.uk, a telephone number or you can complete our online contact request form. Alternatively visit our web pages and click the QR code to complete our contact form.
We want Student Services to be the best it can be for you. We value your feedback in order for us to understand what we do well and where we can improve. You will see our feedback posters dotted around the University on TV screens, leaflets and notice boards. Just scan the QR code and complete our super quick questionnaire to have your say. We want to hear from you.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions that we get asked in Student Services. So firstly what support is available for
international students? The vast majority of our support is offered to both home and international students, however some things such as the bursary scheme and DSA are only available to home students. Please get in touch with us if you're not sure.
How can I apply for DSA? Please click on the link here which will take you to our web page for more information on the application process.
Does a student have to disclose their disability? We encourage students to disclose their disability or mental health condition which may affect their study so we can advise on any academic adjustments that may be required.
Is it too late to tell you about my support need? Don't worry if you haven't told us about your support need yet, you can still contact us through the Student Hub, email us at studentsservices@derby.ac.uk or by calling us on 01332 593000.
How can I access my support plan? You can access your support plan via your Udo tile under "documentation". The most current support plan will show here.
We hope from today you have a better understanding of the support available to you from Student Services and we wish you the very best with your studies. Thank you for your time and for listening.
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