Fortnightly 2nd October 2017 Issue 316 Winner of Best Publication and Best Use of Digital Media 2017
University of Bristol’s Independent Student Newspaper
Uni invests £1 million into mental health services Freya Cox News Reporter
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The university have decided to implement brand new wellbeing advisors along with £1m in additional investments into student services. Following the wellbeing review – a two year long strategic assessment conducted by the university – four teams of wellbeing advisors are to be employed within the academic departments, with each team working with a cluster of schools. The advisors will be closely linked with the counselling service and will be students’ first port of call if they feel their mental health is suffering under the pressures of university life. This link with the student health service will provide students with a direct route to the help they may require. The review was conducted under the new Vice-Chancellor, Hugh Brady, and accelerated by the unfortunate student suicides of last year. 24 advisors are to be employed in total. Head of student services, Mark Ames, said in an interview that these advisors are not only to be used by students with long-term conditions, but also for students to have someone impartial to talk to in difficult times, or for friends of those suffering to discuss their worries. ‘From the beginning of this term, we hope that students will feel more supported,’ he said. The university will be introducing sessional counsellors, as well as those employed by the university, for periods of high demand at the counselling service. Students will also be able to book extended same-day mental health GP appointments with minimal delay. These proposals will be put in place gradually throughout the year, and within the next few months recruitment rounds will be taking place for the new roles. Mark Ames said that ‘it has been clear for some years that students’ needs are changing’ and that by recruiting more staff dedicated to the mental wellbeing of students ‘we can have more resilience, more diversity in the staff.’ Continued on page 3
A letter from Bristol
Dear Aunt Aggie: I found my
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vegan girlfriend’s secret stash of
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