1

PAL HandbookSupporting you in your role

Peer Assisted Learning

Welcome to the Peer Assisted Learning teamCongratulations on gaining a position as a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Leader at Manchester Met. We are happy to welcome you to the team – you are now part of an exciting programme, providing support to students for their academic work. Research indicates that you will develop your academic skills and course knowledge through running these sessions too, so everyone benefits.

The next few months will be a learning curve as you dive in to your new role and this handbook will support you in understanding all the aspects of being a PAL Leader. There is a lot of information and no one expects you to memorise it or know how to do everything straight away. It takes a while to master the role and different people find different aspects easier to grasp than others do. It is useful to have this handbook around whilst working in case you have any queries. You can also contact us at pal@mmu.ac.uk if you have any questions that you can’t find the answer to or feel like you need additional training or support.

In the spirit of Peer Assisted Learning, we are proud that PAL Leaders have collaborated with us to write the majority of this handbook.

We sincerely hope you enjoy your time as a PAL Leader. We look forward to working with you.

The PAL Team

5Contents

What is PAL? Why run the scheme?About the scheme 6Values, aims and strategy 6How your role contributes to the University 7The student experience 10

About planning sessionsEngaging with your course contacts 12How to plan sessions 13

About running sessionsPracticalities 15Key techniques (redirecting questions, wait time, checking understanding) 18Dealing with tricky situations 23

Expectations and supportExpectations of PAL Leaders 25Conduct (absence, lateness) 26GDPR 28Support for PAL Leaders and key contacts 29

When to referWhen is it appropriate to refer a student? 32What is the process? 33Details of internal services 34Details of external services 37

6 7About the programme Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) is an internationally recognised academic support service for students, supporting them in their journey through higher education. Similar schemes are called PASS (Peer Assisted Study Skills) and SI (Supplementary Instruction).

PAL is group learning where students reflect on course content and share knowledge and skills with each other through activities run by PAL leaders. The benefit of PAL is that the sessions are smaller than in seminars or lectures. This creates both an academic support network with new students and a learning community within courses.

Students who can attend PAL sessions have these scheduled on their timetable and although the sessions are not compulsory, it is highly recommended they attend these as PALs has been proven to aid academic performance. Research has also shown that PAL Leaders benefit academically from revisiting content from previous years of study.

Values, aims and strategyThe PAL programme values inclusive support for all students. Sessions are not remedial so all students should attend as activities work better when there are different levels of skills and knowledge. Sessions provide a safe space to practice key skills and PAL Leaders support students to build confidence and ask questions. The programme also values student’s contributions to the learning experience at the University with the view to supporting academic progression and attainment.

How your role contributes to the UniversityIn order for the University to provide an excellent student experience, many different teams perform different functions. It is important to remember how you influence the University through your work. As a PAL Leader, you contribute in the following ways…

Attendees at PAL session benefit from:

• Developing their academic skills • Learning at a modified pace • Being challenged beyond standard educational requirements• Engaging with further learning to expand their knowledge base • Social interaction with other students • Identifying learning needs to help equalise opportunities • Small group work; breaking down from 100 attendees to approximately 15 • Potentially increasing their grades

What is PAL?

The programme aims to bring together students from across their faculty to improve academic confidence. In addition, the programme aids the development of communication skills, which are key in any working role. Finally, the programme has already been shown to build communities within courses, reducing isolation of individuals.

This is achieved through a strategy that utilises partnership work between students, the Academic and Study Skills team (within Student Services) and faculty staff. All three teams work together to ensure that PAL sessions are accessible, relevant and supportive. Data collection and research is utilised to aid evaluation of the programme.

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How you fit into the wider teamAs a PAL Leader, you are part of a large team committed to the provision of Peer Assisted Learning across campus. This is a great opportunity to make professional contacts across the University. We hope that this part of the handbook will help you understand how you fit into the wider team.

You PAL Leaders are responsible for planning and running sessions. In addition, the team attend debrief sessions to provide the central PAL team with feedback from students and about the programme.

The central PAL TeamThis team are responsible for the day-to-day practical running of PALs, they create your rotas and can make changes to this where necessary, they also collect feedback from PAL Leaders and approve timesheets. The team organise and run the annual training programme and hold debriefs with the teams.

The team can help with:

• Rota related issues• Absences • Training • Materials for your PAL sessions• Printing

Your academic department benefit through:

• Their students increasing their study skills • Increased interaction between students • Identifying areas of their course which need adaptation if students are struggling • Identifying strengths of the programme• Increased attendance

The University benefits by:

• Knowing additional support is being provided to students• Supporting academic staff through the potential for more time to support students on a one-to-one basis• Having a source of student feedback to academic departments

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First Year of StudyPAL sessions provide a safe environment to self-learn through the aid of peers. It is a great revision too. It promotes social

interactions as well as teaches skills like leadership, confidence, organisation, communication.

Welcome WeekThe first couple of weeks can be daunting for first years,

especially if they have not come to university with any friends from home. PAL Leaders offers students a space to meet other

students in a more relaxed environment than lectures or seminars, which may be content heavy.

TransitionMost students do not complete any study between finishing college/sixth form and starting university. In addition, some

students may take a year out prior to returning to education. Some students may take a course over the summer period if

English is not their first language, or they have a specific area they need additional support with.

Pre-transitionDuring college or sixth form, teachers tend to know their

students individually and their level of academic competence. This makes it easier for students to approach their

teachers for help or support.

Faculty PAL leads and course contactsThese members of staff are based within faculties and are responsible for leading their colleagues to achieve the PAL aims and objectives. This includes timetabling of sessions, liaising with PAL Leaders and staff and updating within the faculty about the progress of the programme. Your course contact will be able to advise you on the course structure for first years and deal with any academic queries. Your course contact can help with:

• Understanding course content and structure• Going into lectures to promote sessions

Jobs4StudentsThis team are responsible for student employment on campus. They process student contracts to work, process wage payments and ensure that employment legislation and guidance is adhered to.

The student experienceAs a PAL Leader, you have been recruited as a student who has already completed at least one year of study. We are sure you remember the feeling you had when preparing to start your first year, your first exams or assignment, and completing your first year. PALs looks to support students in their transition to university study, and it is important to remember that ever student’s journey will be different.

We have broken down the student experience according to Burnett’s (2007) student experience model,with a focus on the first year experience:

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Planning sessions

Engaging with your course contacts As a PAL Leader, you may have academic queries, which the central PAL team cannot answer. Each faculty has a member of staff who is responsible for the running of PALs, and you have a course contact, who has been allocated time to support PAL Leaders on your course. If you are unsure who your course contact is, please contact the central PAL team for their details.

Below are our top tips for interacting with your course contact:

Do...

• Discuss the practicalities of contacting each other at the start of the year. Both you and your contact will have other commitments, so make sure you understand when you can contact them, and how quick to expect and answer.

• If you want to understand the key units’ students may be studying each term, it may be best to get an overview of this at the start of each term, rather than on a weekly basis. This also gives you longer to plan your sessions.

• Provide the contact with feedback, where appropriate, about how the sessions are going. You can talk about what students are finding difficult and what they are enjoying. Keep any feedback factual, rather than based on opinion.

• You can show your contact a copy of your session plan if you are unsure of something. They can make your plan more appropriate to the course material. Remember though that this may take time, as you may need to leave the plan with your contact for them to look through it and get back to you.

Do not...

• Send session plans for checking last minute – this will not help you, and will not create a professional image of PAL Leaders.

• Teach new content, or re-teach content, as this is not the purpose of PAL and will concern academic staff.

• Offer to mark assignments, or show students your assignments as a reference – this is not appropriate and will concern academic staff.

• Not communicate with your course contact. PALs is beneficial to staff as well as students; if you can pass student concerns to the contact, they will be grateful for the feedback.

• Be critical of your course contact or any of your lecturers during a PALs session. As an employee of the University, you have signed a code of conduct and we expect you to act professionally. The central team will follow up any reports of this happening in accordance with disciplinary procedures.

How to plan sessionsWe want students who attend PAL sessions to receive a great service that is informative, useful and engaging. Planning is key to ensuring this – you need to start your sessions with a clear plan, and feeling confident in how you will achieve any aims and objectives set. Sessions should last 50 minutes, and include:

• An icebreaker – keep this relevant to the course/area of study, but something that is energising and helps people to get to know new people.

14 15• Setting the agenda – this may be the agenda you have created, or if something urgent has come up for students, this may be prioritised.

• The main section – this is your main activities based on the topic. Use your strategy cards to identify one or two of these for students to complete. Try change these, week on week, but also use ones that achieve the aim in the best way.

• An opportunity to close the session – come back together for the end of the session to summarise any learning and to gain feedback (this will inform your next planning session).

You should use the session plan template (contact the Central PAL team if you do not have this), to note down your agenda items. You can also document how long to spend on each section, and what resources you may need. Take this to your sessions to ensure efficiency and confidence.

Top tips for planning your sessions:

• Students should inform PAL sessions. Get constant feedback from students about their studies, any concerns they have, and if you have a group who are not concerned about anything, something they would like to stretch themselves with academically.

• Regularly familiarise yourself with the units your students are studying (see Engaging with your course contacts page in this handbook).

• Choose your activity for the session wisely. Useful topics include referencing, academic reading and assignment workshops. When you plan these sessions, utilise the University website, library website and your experiences. For example, if you are doing a referencing session, provide journal articles and allow them to practice. (It might also be useful to go through sites that they should not be using.)

• Make it fun. Remember that you are not a tutor so be sure to engage with the students and make your sessions informal.

• Remember to share your experiences. They will be able to relate to you so make sure that you build a rapport with the students. Talk about your journey and share useful tips (i.e., how to get work experience).

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Running sessions

PracticalitiesPrior to the session...

• Make sure you having a plan and agenda for the session – you need to make sure both you and your PAL Partner know what the session will entail.

• Make sure you have the resources you need– please request this at least two working days prior to your session.

• If you need to check with your course contact about anything, make sure you do so with good time prior to the session– this prevents giving out false information.

• Email the central PAL team if you are unable to run your session by at least 8.45am on the day of your shift. You also need to email the PAL leader you were rostered to work with.

During the session...

• If possible, turn up to your room a few minutes early. If not, make sure to turn up on time so students know the session in running. Teaching time runs for 50minutes so if you are still waiting 5 minutes prior to the start, remind those in the room you have the room booked.

• If possible, arrange your room so attendees are sat in a circle/ around one table – this stops people breaking off into smaller groups (unless this is necessary for an activity).

• Greet everyone who arrives and interact with students as they are waiting for the session to begin, we want everyone to feel welcome and to interact with each other.

• Make sure you get feedback from the attendees at the end of the session – this is a good way to gain ideas of what to base your next session on.

After the session...

• Ensure you provide feedback to the central PAL team – this is important as it is a means of verifying your work and timesheets will not be approved unless this is provided. If you are unsure how to do this, contact the central PAL team.

• Submit your timesheet for the week – do this once all work is complete for the specific work and is done via the Jobs4Students portal.

18 19Phrases such as ‘you’, ‘anyone else’, and ‘someone’ are italicised to emphasize how the redirected question is used to focus the attention back on the student(s) and how they themselves can answer the question.

Key techniques (wait time)Wait time is the period of silence between a question being asked and a PAL Leader or students responding. Although this can feel awkward as the Leader, this encourages students to add information to an answer or question. It gives responsibility and respect to the student, as they will see you as an equal rather than you the PAL just taking at them. Extensive research has demonstrated that the quality and quantity of students’ verbal responses increases significantly if PAL Leader regularly utilise at least 15-20 seconds of wait-time.

There are two kinds of wait-time:

Wait-time 1: The time the PAL Leader waits after asking a question

Wait-time 2: The time the PAL Leader waits after a response is provided, regardless of the accuracy

Benefits for students:

1 More students answer2 Students listen to each other more3 More questions asked 4 Increase in use of logical consistency in responses

Key techniques (redirecting questions)To redirect a question is to respond to a students’ question with another question. It makes the student actively think of an answer, which may expand the discussion, or increase their own understanding, so they can explain ideas and concepts to someone else. It also provides other students with the opportunity to answer the question if the question is opened up to the group. If a PAL Leader is running a session for a subject they do not personally study, redirecting questions means that they do not need to know all the answers to facilitate the session.

Examples of questions that redirect a question...

• What is this question asking for?• Why are you thinking of it in that way?• Give an example of that.• Can you summarise the discussion up to this point?• Can anyone else think of another way to think about this?• How is your answer (point of view) different from ____?• Let’s rephrase it on the board and figure out what

information we will need to answer it. • Can you be more specific?• How does your response tie into ____?• Let’s look that up in the text.• Let’s write down everything we know about the topic/

problem/theory. • Can someone relate this to everyday life?• Okay, that’s the book definition, but how do we define that

(i.e. in your own words)?• So, how do you think you can redirect questions?

20 21When students do not respond:

PAL Leaders may worry about what to do if no one responds. After waiting 5-10 seconds with no responses, they may want to try one of the following:

• Rephrase the question (can you re-word it to make it easier to understand?)

• Ask a student to attempt to rephrase the question (this can aid them in reaching an understanding or the answer).

• Simplify the question (if you break it down or take out complicated terms, it can help people understand the basic concepts).

• Ask the group to break down the question into its component parts (the group can gain an understanding of the key concepts relating to the answer).

• Make the question more specific (vague questions can be hard to understand).

• Ask students what it is about the question they do not understand.

After each alternative, wait 5-10 seconds.

Key techniques (checking understanding)The learning strategies that PAL Leaders use in their sessions are designed to promote student-to-student interactions. We cannot automatically assume, however, that the students are gaining understanding from their interactions. Instead, we must check for understanding by asking the students to confirm that they have learned the content.

This helps PAL Leaders know that students understand the content being discussed, which techniques are helpful to the group, and can also create further discussion around a topic, or raise concerns.

Possible ways to check for understanding:

1 Maintain eye contact with the students during the session. By making eye contact, you will likely see when a student is confused.

2 Getting the students to summarise what has been said during the session.

3 Create a Kahoot quiz to check student knowledge.

4 Ask a volunteer to write the main points of the discussion on the board.

5 Ask a question that requires the student to understand in order to answer correctly.

6 Occasionally, intentionally make mistakes on the board. The students will catch you if they understand. If no one notices, probe the group about the content on the board until they discover the mistake. (Make sure you have clarified with the group by the end of the session what the right answer is. Word of caution: Frequent use of this strategy may confuse students.)

7 Ask the students to rephrase the question you asked originally or the summary another student gave.

8 Ask for real-life examples or applications of the concept.

9 Ask for a similar problem, metaphor, or analogy.

22 23Dealing with tricky situationsBelow are some scenarios that you may come across from time to time within the role. PAL Leaders have given advice about each scenario to help you out:

a. What do I do if the group are reluctant to participate?

• People can be quiet in different scenarios like groups, if they do not know each other – do an icebreaker for group to mingle.

• It is always better to ask the students what they want to cover. This allows them to take responsibility for their time and engage more in the session.

b. What do I do if one person is dominating the group?

• It might be a good idea to start asking people direct questions using their name. You can also do an activity and decide to go around the table and get everyone to share their ideas.

• Create boundaries- if they are interrupting someone whilst talking; make it clear to them that it is important to give everyone a chance to contribute.

c. What do I do if only a very small number of students turn up?

• Ask the students attending to encourage their peers to come too and explain the benefits of the sessions – PAL works best in groups so this will benefit them too.

• Speak to your course contact about attending seminars to promote PAL. You can use the opportunity to find out from students what they would like to cover in sessions.

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Expectations and support

Expectations Expectations of PAL Leaders:

• Attend all PAL training and debrief sessions

• Familiarise yourself with training materials

• Spend time planning sessions in advance (preferably in person with your PAL partner)

• Get to know your PAL partners

• Be on time to sessions

• Listen to student’s needs – plan accordingly

• Fill out the PAL session feedback form after every session run

• Actively check your student email and respond to emails in a timely manner

• Regularly check the rota to check for changes

• Report problems to the central PAL team

• Fill out time sheets each week

• Conduct yourself in an appropriate manner, according to the Student Code of Conduct

• PAL Leaders need to represent the University in a positive light and not express their negative opinions about the University or the course to students

What a PAL can expect:

• Training or briefing before starting sessions

• Termly debrief meetings with the central PAL team

• Observations from staff for support and feedback

d. The students do not want to focus on the session you have planned...

• Be flexible. It is best to remember that these are not formal seminars so adapt to what they want to cover.

• Change the session to a Q&A instead – there might be things they would rather know about such as services in the University.

e. A student tells you: “I got 90% on my last exam so I don’t need PALs anymore.”

• Remind them that it is best to keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date and PALs will help them to constantly revise their subject.

• Suggest that they can achieve higher still if they want and discuss how PAL may be helpful for them to do this.

f. You have created a handout that focuses on the reading that was required for the last seminar. No one has done the reading.

• You might have to adapt your session and allow time to do group reading together.

• Ask why... It may be that they found it difficult, so go through it together and analyse.

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Conduct, absence and latenessConductOnce you have signed your contract to be a PAL Leader, you are an employee of the University and ask such, we have expectations of your conduct. We expect you will:

• Attend all PAL training and debrief sessions

• Familiarise yourself with training materials

• Spend time planning sessions in advance (preferably in person with your PAL partner)

• Get to know your PAL partners

• Be on time to sessions

• Listen to student’s needs – plan accordingly

• Fill out the PAL session feedback form after every session run

• Actively check your student email and respond to emails in a timely manner

• Regularly check the rota to check for changes

• On-going support with any difficulties from staff involved in the scheme

• Access to materials for sessions e.g. flipchart paper, pens, post-it notes etc.

• Authorisation of timesheets

• Support from other PALs

• Support from academic staff if needed• Support from the University wellbeing and counselling teams

if needed

27• Report problems to the central PAL team

• Fill out time sheets each week

• Conduct yourself in an appropriate manner, according to the Student Code of Conduct

• PAL Leaders need to represent the University in a positive light and not express their negative opinions about the University or the course to students

AbsenceWe understand that PAL Leaders have lives outside the role and that things may get in the way of being able to work from time to time. Examples of this are illness, and child-care issues.

If you are aware in advance that you will be unable to attend rota’d activity (at least one week prior to the shift), please:

1 Contact other PAL Leaders from your course to let them know they need to arrange to merge sessions.

2 Email PAL@mmu.ac.uk to notify the team this is happening.If you are unable to attend a shift with short notice (for instance due to illness), please email PAL@mmu.ac.uk at least prior to 8.45am on the day of the shift to notify the team. Arrangements will then be made to ensure your session runs smoothly.

LatenessWe want attendees at PAL sessions to get the most out of their experience. Similarly, if PAL Leaders are meeting with staff members, we want them to have a positive impression of the team. Therefore, we expect that PAL Leaders will be punctual to all work undertaken.

28 29If you will be late to work, please:

1 Email any PAL Leaders this will affect – they will need to arrange to ensure and work runs smoothly.

2 Email PAL@mmu.ac.uk to notify the central team that you will be late to your shift.

3 Make sure your timesheet reflects any reduced hours worked.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Data ProtectionThe General Data Protection Regulation puts great responsibility on the University to protect the information we hold about students and staff. Under the legislation, the University can face legal and financial action if the data about students or staff is passed onto a third party without their consent. As a PAL Leader, you need to ensure you do the following things to adhere to GDPR:

• Ensure any written personal information about a student is stored securely and disposed appropriately once used. You are best to contact the pal team to arrange for paper-based documents to be destroyed confidentially.

• You must not share student details with anyone without their written permission to do so.

• Follow the procedure set out in the referrals section of this handbook if referring a student to a university service.

You can read the University’s current data protection policy atmmu.ac.uk/policy/pdf/policy_ref_data_protection_policy.pdf

ConfidentialityStudents sometimes want to speak to someone ‘in confidence’. It is important to remind them that there are limitations to what can be kept confidential – if you are concerned the student is at risk of harming them self or another person, you would need to break confidentiality and speak to the relevant parties. This may be university security, the Central PAL Team, or an external service such as the Police or Ambulance service.

As a PAL Leader, you may learn private information about students. This should not be the subject of gossip with other PAL Leaders and/or people outside the team. However, if you need to discuss something someone has told you, you can gain support via the methods on the Support for PAL Leaders page within this handbook.

Support for PAL LeadersWhilst having a part-time job at university can be rewarding and developmental, we appreciate that it is additional responsibility and that everyone has a personal life. Support is available to all PAL Leaders throughout the year.

Personal academic supportYou can contact your personal tutor or a tutor for a specific unit you have concerns about for guidance.

You can contact a member of the Study Skills team for specific support: mmu.ac.uk/student-life/study-success/study-skills

You could also contact the disability team if you feel this would be beneficial: mmu.ac.uk/student-life/wellbeing/disability

30 31Support for your wellbeing Our Wellbeing Advisers have a wealth of expertise and are here to listen and to help. They are located in each of our faculties and can provide you with advice and guidance through one-to-one meetings and in groups. The type of things Wellbeing Advisers can help you with include:

• If you are feeling anxious, worried, lonely or under pressure• If you feel you need somebody to talk to in confidence• If you would like advice to improve your wellbeing.

Use the Wellbeing drop-in Monday to Friday between 10:00am and 12 noon in your Student Hub. Alternatively call: 0161 247 2337 or email: wellbeing@mmu.ac.uk

You can also access support from the Counselling and Mental Health team who can offer confidential counselling, mental health and wellbeing mentoring and Health advice/information.

Call: 0161 247 3493 or email: counselling@mmu.ac.uk

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Managing student referralsWhen is it appropriate to refer a student? Whilst PAL Leaders are seen as extremely competent and well trained, it is important to acknowledge the boundaries of any professional role. Students may not be as aware of the specialisms within the University, and therefore may wish to tell anyone they build rapport with about a concern or issue.

It can sometimes be hard to know where your role starts and ends, and if you are unsure in a certain scenario, you are best to take details of a student’s concerns and request that you get back to them after seeking advice. Some things to listen for which may indicate the need to refer:

• A student requesting one-to-one support - PAL is a model of group learning and therefore it is not appropriate for you to support students in this way.

• Mentioning potential or known learning differences (for instance dyslexia); a referral would be beneficial as someone with a specialism could support this student.

• Concerns about physical or mental health; again, this student could receive support from someone with specialist knowledge and qualifications.

• If a student mentions needing to catch-up on work they have missed; PAL Leaders should not teach new content to students, or re-teach content. A student in this position should contact their tutor for support in catching up on missed lectures and/or seminars.

Remember; just because you are referring someone, does not mean they cannot still attend PAL sessions so you are not passing them off to someone else. You are, however, thinking of their needs and how they can be best helped in a scenario.

33What is the process for referring on?If a student talks to you about an issue that they have facing, you should actively listen to them and then signpost to the most appropriate support service at the University. If you are unsure which service to signpost to you should direct them to the student hub, which will have information of all support available to students.

You should treat the information in confidence as far as possible and respond in a non-judgemental way. Do not second-guess what the student is telling you and be sure to ask for clarification and use paraphrasing to ensure you have understood correctly.

All disclosures should normally be treated as confidential, with the exception of where there is immediate risk of harm to the student concerned or those around them. If you are concerned about someone’s safety please call University security on 0161 247 2222. Once you have dealt with the incident, email pal@mmu.ac.uk with the students name and course of study. The PALs Team will then talk to one of the University’s Mental Health Advisors. If someone discloses a mental health or emotional difficulty Unless you have immediate concerns about the student’s safety, you are best to advise the student about the two forms of support available to them via either the wellbeing team or the Counselling and Mental Health team. Their details are at the back of this handbook. If you have concerns, you can also ask the student if they consent to you providing their details to the central PAL team via pal@mmu.ac.uk. They can then pass the student’s concern to either of these teams.

34 35If a student discloses a disability or is unsure if they have a disabilityIf a student discloses that they have a disability to you refer them to the disability service (disability.service@mmu.ac.uk/0161 247 3491) so they can talk to a disability advisor. You must then email pal@mmu.ac.uk to let the team know that you have made a referral to the service however do not include the student’s name.

Remember we are not expecting you to solve everyone’s problems, this information is so you can quickly and confidently direct students to the advice and support they need, when they need it.

Details of internal services

Chaplaincymmu.ac.uk/student-life/wellbeing/chaplaincyThe Christian chaplaincy service is in St Peters house, and it provides pastoral support to students and guidance. They also offer volunteer opportunities. There is a multi-faith quiet space, open Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm.

The Muslim prayer room is in Cavendish North Building, ground floor offering pastoral support and guidance. Opening times are Monday to Friday 9am to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm.

Counselling Health and Wellbeing servicesmmu.ac.uk/student-life/wellbeing

Wellbeing Advisers have a wealth of expertise and are here to listen and to help. They are located in each faculty and can provide you with advice and guidance through one-to-one

meetings and in groups. The type of things Wellbeing Advisers can help you with include:

• If you are feeling anxious, worried, lonely or under pressure• If you feel you need somebody to talk to in confidence• If you would like advice to improve your wellbeing.

mmu.ac.uk/student-life/wellbeing/counselling-and-mental-healthCounsellors and Mental Health Advisers support your learning and help you make the most of your experience at university. They provide one-to-one counselling and mental health support, make referrals and liaise with other support services. Additionally, they offer a variety of practical, skills-based workshops and courses.

Located in the Business School, 1.03, from 8.45am to 4.30 Monday to Friday, and they run a drop-in throughout the working week.

Study Support

Librarylibrary.mmu.ac.uk

The library offers a wide range of support, including study skills, librarians on hand to locate resources, library workshops; MMU Harvard referencing, endnote, research skills and employability skills which can be booked via the library website. The library website also has a helpful referencing guide.

Study Skillsmmu.ac.uk/student-life/study-success/study-skills

Academic and Study Skills Tutors, Specific Learning Difficulties Tutors and Writing Tutors offer a wealth of advice and guidance on academic writing, study skills and technology to support

36 37learning. You can choose to access support through one-to-one appointments, group sessions or online resources.

The Writing Projectmmu.ac.uk/student-life/study-success/study-skills/writing-courses

The writing courses to help with your academic writing skills. Courses can be found on the University website.

Support for SpLDsmmu.ac.uk/student-life/study-success/study-skills/1-2-1

If you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), such as dyslexia, our SpLD tutors provide specialist advice about the support available to you to help you succeed, including technology to support your learning. Call in to Pod 1.01C, first floor, Business School between 12 noon and 2:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Sportsmmu.ac.uk/sport

Sports at MMU offers a wide range of sporting activities where students can play for fun or represent the University by playing against other teams. Accessed through the MMU website.

Student Uniontheunionmmu.org

The union offers an extensive range of services including social events, advice and support, cafe and shop. There is support on academic issues, students with children, debt and money, funding and health issues.

Careers and Employabilitymmu.ac.uk/careers

You will find the Careers service at the Student Hub in the Business School. Their web page has various tools to help you build a CV and fill out applications, prepare for interviews and covering letters. Workshops are run for CV and Cover letters. Their web page has various tools to help you build a CV and fill out applications, prepare for interviews and covering letters. Advice on gaining employment or voluntary experience is also available. Find all their information on My MMU.

Student Accommodationmmu.ac.uk/accommodation

The student accommodation service, supports students who have any enquires regarding accommodation, including guidance on how to apply and further information on what is included in your room package. Email address: accommodation@mmu.ac.uk

Student Financial Supportmmu.ac.uk/student-life/finance/support

They offer support via one-to-one drop-in sessions; one-to one appointments if required; Student Financial Support Helpline; administration and awarding of various Student Support Funds. They provide extra support to Care Leavers, Estranged Students, Carers and Lone Parents.

Details of external services

FinanceStudent Finance Companies gov.uk/student-finance

38 39Save the Student - Student bursary and scholarship sources. savethestudent.org

The Scholarship Hub - Educational grants for students from trusts and charities. thescholarshiphub.org.uk Physical and Mental HealthThe Well Woman Centre - Providing a quality ‘needs led’ service promoting positive health care for women. wellwomencentre.co.uk

Talk to Frank - Everything you need to know about drugs, their effects and the law. talktofrank.com

Change Grow Live - A national health and social care charity. We can help you with challenges including drugs and alcohol, housing, justice, health and wellbeing.changegrowlive.org

Student Minds - UK’s student mental health charity, empowering students and members of the University community to look after their own mental health, support others and create change.studentminds.org.uk

NHS Mental Health Services - Local NHS services. Students can self-refer. gmmh.nhs.uk

Self-help services - Provide a range of support, services and opportunities, across the North West of England, for people living with mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, phobias and panic attacks. selfhelpservices.org.uk

African and Caribbean mental health services - Free and confidential support, based in Moss Side, Manchester. 0161 226 9562

Manchester Mind - Supporting better mental health for 30 years. manchestermind.org

Shout - The UK’s first 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. It is a place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help.giveusashout.org

Careers AdviceProspects - For graduate jobs, postgraduate study, advice about work experience, internship opportunities and graduate careers. prospects.ac.uk

Jobcentregov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus

Student Job - Website to find part time jobs, temporary jobs for students and internships throughout the year across the UK.studentjob.co.uk

Target Jobs - Graduate jobs and schemes, Internships and placements. targetjobs.co.uk

Accommodation Citizens Advice citizensadvice.org.uk/housing

Shelter - Charity that campaigns to end homelessness and bad housing in England and Scotland. england.shelter.org.uk

Refuge - Supports women, children and men experiencing domestic violence.refuge.org.uk

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mmu.ac.uk/palpal@mmu.ac.uk

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