University Wellbeing Report

Date Published: 01/12/2023

This Student Insight Report explored the University’s Wellbeing Department and the services it offers to students at Royal Holloway. The Students’ Union conducted a survey to understand student views of the current offering and to understand what is needed for the department to improve.

Download the Report

Wellbeing Review Infographics

Report Recommendations

Below is the summary of the recommendations from the report and the progress made so far.

wellbeing strategy

Recommendation	Progress
1.1 The University should consider including a permanent staff member from the Students’ Union in the future working group for the creation of a new Wellbeing Department strategy.	In Progress
1.2 The University should consider including a Sabbatical Officer within the same working group as a representative for student voice when drafting the new Wellbeing Department strategy.	Not Started
1.3 The University Wellbeing Department should continue to offer both online and in-person appointments for both drop-in services and 1-2-1 appointments.	In Progress

mandatory training

Recommendation	Progress
2.1 The University should consider implementing Mental Health First Aid training for all staff in the Wellbeing Department who have a student-facing role.	Not Started
2.2 The University should consider implementing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training for all staff in the Wellbeing Department who have a student-facing role.	Not Started

inclusive department

Recommendation	Progress
3.1 The University should consider more inclusive hiring metrics within the Wellbeing Department, with an aim to increase the percentage of minority employees in student-facing roles across the various Wellbeing teams by a set target date.	Not Started

increased group sessions and activities

Recommendation	Progress
4.1 The Wellbeing Department should consider creating in-person group sessions or workshops for students who would like to discuss an issue with the department, but they would prefer to do so in a group setting because they are uncomfortable with 1-2-1 support or would prefer a peer setting in general.	In Progress
4.2 The Wellbeing Department should consider running more informal, in-person events more regularly throughout the academic year in a similar vein to the activities they run during the University’s Mental Health week.	In Progress
4.3 The Wellbeing Department should consider the way they advertise their current Wellbeing on Weekdays events to increase student awareness and participation.	Not Started
4.4 The Wellbeing Department and the Students’ Union should consider collaborating more regularly with in-person events and activities at least once a term.	Not Started

the university wellbeing department's website

Recommendation	Progress
5.1 The University should provide more detailed information about each Wellbeing team on the Royal Holloway Student Intranet, the main Royal Holloway website and the Royal Holloway App.	In Progress
5.2 The University should include a short FAQ section about the Wellbeing Department and the Counselling service on the Royal Holloway Student Intranet, the main Royal Holloway website and the Royal Holloway App.	Not Started
5.3 The University should provide more information about the Wellbeing Department’s various team members in student-facing roles on the Royal Holloway Student Intranet, the main Royal Holloway website and the Royal Holloway App.	Not Started
5.4 The University should be more transparent about the ways the Wellbeing Department can help students on the Royal Holloway Student Intranet, the main Royal Holloway website and the Royal Holloway App.	In Progress
5.5 The University Wellbeing Department should consider revising the booking system process, wherein students can provide less information than what is currently required when submitting a request for an appointment.	Not Started
5.6 The University Wellbeing Department should consider utilising a calendar booking system in a similar vein to the University Careers Service where students can see which dates or types of appointments are available for booking in-person or online 1-2-1 appointments with the relevant Team in the Wellbeing Department.	Not Started

communication

Recommendation	Progress
6.1 The University Wellbeing Department should consider more informal, student-friendly ways they could communicate information about the service on their social media channels.	Not Started
6.2 The Students’ Union should collaborate more regularly with the University Wellbeing Department in their communications to students about the different services offered by the Students’ Union Advice Centre and the University Wellbeing Department.	In Progress
6.3 The Wellbeing Department should consider producing a signposting guide which could be handed out to other members of University staff, like Personal Tutors, and Student Leaders so these groups know the correct protocol when signposting students seeking mental health and wellbeing support.	In Progress
6.4 The University and the Wellbeing Department should consider including the Wellbeing Department in more Welcome Week events for undergraduates and postgraduates with an aim to increase awareness about the department to incoming students.	In Progress
6.5 In line with the PWC recommendation around feedback, the Wellbeing Department should consider other ways of gathering student feedback about their experience with the department and various teams.	Not Started

accountability

Recommendation	Progress
7.1 The Students’ Union will create a working group to assign Students’ Union recommendations to relevant permanent staff members and to track the progress of the University’s implementation of their separate recommendations for the Wellbeing Department.	Not Started
7.2 The Students’ Union will upload the final list of recommendations to the Students’ Union Recommendation Tracker on the Students’ Union website so students can follow the progress of these recommendations as they are actioned by both the University and the Students’ Union.	Complete

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