Employers legally have to consider the mental and physical wellbeing of their employees and apply 'reasonable adjustments' to ensure that they are able work in a way that is healthy and safe for them. These same conditions apply on a university placement or on an apprenticeship.
Some examples of reasonable adjustments at work:
Flexibility in work hours to attend medical appointments
Providing accesible documents
Changing distribution of work breaks
Providing extra or adjusted equipment, such as chairs
You can read the NHS employer guidance on reasonable adjustments to understand more about the support that may be available to you.
Every university offers support for disabled students, students with mental health conditions, long-term medical conditions and students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties (SpLD). Have a look at the UWE website to see the kind of support that is available.
It is helpful when students disclose on their UCAS application if they have a disability or learning difficulty as it allows support services at university to pro-actively contact applicants and new students about any help available.
Examples of support include help with applications for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), Reasonable Adjustments to assessment arrangements such as extra time in exams, acquisition of specialist equipment or software, provision of non-medical support workers and specialist study skills support. This is by no means an exhaustive list. The support available can vary between universities based on factors like their size and course offer.
UWE offers an extensive range of services to support the mental health and wellbeing of students. Support services will differ between univesities, but this is the kind of help you can expect:
Face-to-face
Pretty much all universities offer face-to-face support on campus. This can range from campus security officers and resident wardens in student halls to mental health practitioners and counsellors. Some support, such as counselling appointments, may have a waiting list.
Most university support services are available during office hours only, although there often is some provision for 24-hour support, for example during term time.
Group support
This might be therapeutic sessions led by a trained counsellor or they might be workshops led by other students. The sessions usually have a theme so that everyone who attends can share and learn from each other.
The time leading up to exams can be a difficult time for anyone. Below are some resources on managing exam stress and looking after your wellbeing around exam time.
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