Welfare is often an overlooked and stigmatised issue, causing many students to suffer in silence if they need support. I am running for the position of Welfare Officer in order to change this and re-establish welfare as the core motivation of the Guild; supporting all University of Birmingham students.
Poor mental health is having a significant impact on the student population. There has been a rise in the number of students accessing university provided support services and I firmly believe the Guild can do more to help students access much needed support on demand.
I pledge to increase support for students by creating a specialist Mental Health Drop-in Office based in the heart of the Guild, where all students- regardless of year, degree or age- can access help and support. This office would be staffed by student volunteers from a plurality of age groups who would all receive comprehensive training. This office will allow students to go and talk to a non-judgmental volunteer, who is also a student of a similar age, in a confidential environment with the option of short or long term support.
Furthermore, I would like to setup support groups for students that are purely Guild-ran. These groups would be coordinated from the office for a whole range of issues but will primarily begin with groups for victims of sexual assault/harassment, integrating the ‘Not On’ campaign. I would have separate groups for self- defining men, self-defining women and non-binary students in order to make sure a safe space to talk can be created for all.
Secondly, I pledge that each school will have a trained, dedicated welfare tutor who will be able to offer them correct information and support. For too long welfare tutors have been inadequate in their support of students; this needs to change.
I would also introduce a #loveyourself week which would be based around the promotion of self-care whilst at university. This would occur once every semester and each would have a specific theme. Semester one would be based around settling in to a new environment; whether that be in halls, Selly Oak or university in general. Semester two would focus on dealing with stress and anxiety in regards to work and home, whilst Semester 3 would incorporate Destress-tival and focus on exam issues. #loveyourself week would also be open to being linked with liberation groups as a tool for self-acceptance and awareness if they so wished.
Finally, I would also place increased focus on support for students with dependents as there is little provision for this group within the Guild at present. I would do this by creating a liberation group for students who have a dependent, whether that be a child or a parent or guardian they care for. I will also push for the creation of a part-time officer role within the Guild democratic system so their voices can be heard.