Welfare Reps

WELFARE REPS GUIDE

 

Acknowledgements

This handbook was developed by previous Vice-Presidents for Welfare & Equal Opportunities (Alasdair Lennon, 2015-6 and Sandy Downs, 2016-7), the Student Advice Service, and some members of University sta , and Oxford SU extends our appreciation for all of their work.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is accurate at the time of going to press, Oxford SU cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies.

 

Quick Links

Getting Started

Lobbying as a Welfare Rep

Supporting Students

Event Ideas

Inclusive Practice for Events

Accessibility

Accommodating Student Parents/Carers and Spouses/Partners

How Oxford SU can Support you

Welfare Supplies

Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Testing

Resource Directory

 

Foreword

Congratulations on being elected as a Welfare Officer! You have gained an opportunity to have a tangible impact on the experience of students at your college/PPH. You also act as an invaluable part of the support structures at the University, and a political lobbyist to improve what services are available to members of your common room (CR). It can be an incredible (albeit sometimes demanding) role to undertake. Hopefully, this guide will give you some tips and tricks for the term ahead.

Most importantly, it should provide a list of available resources, which can be used for signposting purposes. Students will perceive you as a source of support and assistance, and may approach you with complex concerns and issues. It is important you try not go beyond what you are authorised (or trained), to do, for safeguarding reasons and to protect your own wellbeing. This may be di icult to do, but it is critical to compassionately refer students to the right people to enable them to receive tailored support.

As a final piece of information (brace yourselves for the first political notion in this booklet) – MAKE SURE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. This can be a very intensive part of your time at Oxford, so it’s vital that you feel that you can reach out for whatever help and support YOU may need, at any stage. It’s important that we are all working to reinforce a culture which treats asking for help as a mark of strength – and you are an important part in developing this!

Having said this, my role (as the VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities) is to help you, in whatever way I can! It can be a challenging time as a welfare o icer – so if you need a listening ear or help in finding more information, at any point, please get in touch via email, Facebook or phone!

Yours,

VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities

vpweo@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk
01865 288 461

 

Getting Started

Taking on the Welfare Rep role can be daunting, so there are a few steps to consider:

1. Get a good handover:

• Talk over existing projects, welfare supplies, key contacts at the college/SU and fulfilling your manifesto pledges.
• Make sure your predecessor adds you into the Welfare Rep Community (or message the VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities

2. Introductions to Key Contacts:

• Potentially with your predecessor, arrange to visit relevant people as soon as you take office. Be friendly: try to understand what they would like to see and whether this fits with your aims.

• For example: Deans/Junior Deans, Lodge sta , Nurse, Chaplains, Anti-Discrimination or Equality Officers and Harassment Advisors

3. Ensure students have a means of contacting you (& other key individuals)

4. Check your governing documents, as to the definition/limits of your role, before making plans for the next year.

5. Learn about the other health and welfare services available to members of CR, on a college, university and local level

6. Learn the emergency procedures, just in case:

• Keep your lodge’s/duty junior dean’s contact details in your phone, and provide these to anyone who may need these (e.g. freshers’ reps).

7. Get organized

• Make sure you know when important meetings take place (e.g. governing body), to help to plan structural changes.
• Make a timetable for the term to help you plan when things will be busy and remember to schedule some time out to relax.

8. To develop your campaigning strategies:

• Consider evidence from Oxford SU’s Welfare Survey (2016) that applies to your college/PPH.
• Look into any relevant policies at your college/PPH, and consider whether it may be worth developing or amending policies (e.g. harassment, equality, welfare support, suspension).

 

Lobbying as a Welfare Rep

As a welfare rep, it can be useful to use your position (alongside other committee reps, where relevant) to alleviate some structural concerns. It is important to focus on furthering the ambitions on, at least, 1 project, and ensure this is fully handed over. Areas you could cover:

Suspended Status Student Policy

Mental Health Care: this includes raising awareness, destigmatising individuals seeking support and improving your college’s provisions (e.g. better advertising of available services and referral systems)

‘Lad Culture’ and advocating for compulsory consent workshops

Tackling harassment (sexual and non-sexual) and discrimination; this may include using the university’s guidelines to improve your own college/PPH’s policies

Accessibility (in the broadest sense) for students with various needs, e.g. for disabilities, conditions, mental health concerns or religious observances.

Tutors for welfare, particularly in governing bodies, to help ensure that welfare plays a central role in decision-making, and your projects consider ticking over.

Encouraging inclusive practices, e.g.

     Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) workshops for ‘welfare teams’ (i.e. student-facing sta across the College)

     Race/LGBTQ+/Disabilities Workshops for freshers’ week

     Implicit bias and cultural awareness training for student-facing sta

Lobby for, and advertise, a hardship fund, to alleviate financial constraints.

Try to set up a fund for reimbursing medical costs (e.g. for medication). 1 Set up regular ‘Wellbeing’ activities, to encourage general mental wellbeing and healthier working habits

Review the training given to student-facing sta , who may need to handle welfare-related concerns (e.g. Junior Deans)

Develop a Taxi Scheme for Accident & Emergency (e.g. Lodge sta having a discretionary fund, to pay for a student to take this service)

Provide travel to a local Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), and lobby for out-of-hours duty sta to receive relevant training to assist (e.g. first responder)

Lobbying against Prevent – this is something you may need support from me or CRAE for, so get in touch with vpweo@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk. It’s an issue concerning student welfare and academic freedoms, so it may be an idea to work collectively with other committee members (especially your President), if you can!

 

When tackling any issue, it is important to develop a tailored strategy, which may include:

Common Room motions give you a ‘mandate’ to address certain issues, but make sure to be really clear in your wording of resolutions – there are examples of Oxford SU motions on our website, if you’d like some examples.

Writing and presenting papers help to get across a planned proposal in a formal, detailed manner. This may also include conducting a survey, to provide data to support your statements (e.g. proving a need for a tutor for welfare).

Petitions and Open Letters demonstrate a large base of support over an issue, and can be attractive to media outlets. It helps to clearly determine and state the ambitions of such actions (e.g. requiring an apology). This may also require you to collaborate with groups outside of your college/PPH.

Using ‘Charm’ in the Board Room – whilst these other strategies are important tools, your role can give you access to the people who can make changes in your college/PPH. It can be useful to start building the relevant networks early, and use them to further your plans, through private meetings. This means having a measured approach, where sta see you as a cooperative voice, but also feeling able to speak out when things are going wrong.

Pushing for student representation on important management committees, where possible

     If you are not on a committee (particularly one which you may need, in order to make a change), then ask your CR president to make a request for you, or write to the chair of a given committee and ask to attend.

Working with other college reps, established campaigns and the SU: this allows you to learn more about ‘good practice’ at other places, and contribute to university-wide discussions on a given issue.

 

REMEMBER: your biggest advantage is that you are best placed to represent the student view (as an elected rep), and so, if you play your cards right, can act to provide helpful resolutions to the senior management of your college/PPH.

 

Supporting Students

This is what most students will see of your role – Welfare Reps become a point of contact for students, who are upset or in need. It may be useful for you to undertake peer supporter training, provided by the University Counselling Service. If you haven’t, here are a few tips:

 

DO	DON'T
LISTEN Ask open-ended questions to allow students to talk freely to you	GIVE ADVICE Several university services exist, which are far better trained to advise students.
SIGNPOST Providing the names and contact details of available services can be the most important thing to do.	MAKE IT YOUR PROBLEM If the conversation becomes di icult for you, stop the conversation and recommend an alternative service.
MAINTAIN A BALANCE Being a welfare o icer is demanding, but you should make sure to take time out for your own welfare, and can look out for your fellow committee members as well.	GO BEYOND YOUR BOUNDARIES OR LIMITS Avoid late-night calls, and instead advertise on-duty sta (e.g. Lodge) If you don’t know how to help a student, then refer the student to Oxford SU’s Student Advice Services or to a GP, for medical support.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Seek professional support, if any aspect of your role threatens your physical/mental health. If you’re a peer supporter, use debrief sessions to highlight any concerns	GIVE ANY MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE Never give any such advice to a student – you may open yourself up to civil or criminal liability

REMEMBER before speaking to students, make it clear that you will keep the conversation confidential, UNLESS they are a risk to themselves or another person (at which point you may need to share details with a relevant advisor).

If the student then chooses to not speak to you, that’s fine – try recommending use of the Student Advice Service or the University Counselling Services.

 

Event Ideas

Inclusive Practice for Events

Oxford SU has an inclusive BOP policy and as such, it may be useful to think about the following points when helping to organize a bop. If you have an questions please email vpweo@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk. Please note: This advice does not seek to repress student self-expression through the clothing they choose to wear but is here to help everyone feel able to have a good time! Some useful things to consider could be:

Themes that involve drag should be handled carefully. Attendees shouldn’t seek to dress as another gender for the purposes of ridicule or to make light of the experiences of people of that gender. However, students should not be restricted from dressing in drag in a way which expresses themselves or to demonstrate admiration for individuals. If handled sensitively, themes that involve drag have the potential to be friendly and positive for all students.

To make all students feel a bit more comfortable, put a note on the door to the BOP and on any event Facebook page or email advert stating “Students should be able to express themselves through their clothing in a manner of their choosing without judgement. However, dress that is offensive and upsetting to fellow students and others should be avoided. If you have any questions or concerns please contact [insert nominated officer’s name and contact information]”

Accessibility

To ensure all students can participate in events, it is important to aim for your events are as accessible as possible. Accessibility remains an important priority, and you should work with your disabled students rep and/or Oxford SU’s Disabled Students’ Community (OSDC) to further the campaign.

 

Venue Checklist

1. IMPORTANT: have you provided a means by which students can submit their specific access requirements, in a potentially anonymous or non-judgmental way?

• Since no list can cover the broad spectrum of disabilities or conditions that may lead to an access requirement, it is critical to ensure each request is (at the very least) logged for potential future changes, if it cannot be achieved in the short term.

2. When advertising the event, are you providing information that you have on the accessibility of the venue?

• a. For events based in a university building: www.admin.ox.ac.uk/ access
• Questions to consider may be:

  • Is at least 1 entrance to the venue able to be kept open (or be push activated)?

  • Is there a hearing loop system? If not, can you provide alternatives?

    • E.g. if an event involves a video screening, ensure that the subtitles are turned on, or a transcript should be provided (where necessary).

• Are people able to reserve seats in a venue, e.g. if there is a need to be closer to a screen?

• Are people with physical access needs given a choice as to where to sit in the room?

• Is there a fully accessible (preferably gender neutral) bathroom, with no obstacles to entry and clear signage? Is the bathroom also completely stocked (from simple things like soap and toilet paper, to an alarm cord, where necessary)?

• Is any food clearly labelled with common allergens and dietary requirements? If refreshments are available, is there a flat surface put these down, and are any tables used easily reachable?

• For a longer event, timetable in ‘access breaks’ and try to keep to these.

• Are there chairs available for people to use, even if the event mostly involves standing up?

• Is there a quiet ‘time-out’ zone, for students to use whenever necessary?

3. Are you flexible with your event, e.g. could you alter the event (with reasonable notice) to accommodate for access requirements?

4. Is it possible for students to bring a carer/enabler, without any extra cost (if there are tickets)?

5. Have you conducted an informal risk assessment for the event, and determined the necessary emergency procedures (e.g. accessible escape routes)?

6. Does the venue have lifts (when the room is not on the ground floor) and have you confirmed that these are operational on the day of the event?

7. Is the venue well signposted, e.g. with clear signage (large letters, and should be easily visible from the background), student helpers or yellow strips?

 

Accommodating Student Parents/Carers and Spouses/Partners

One way to support student parents/carers is to develop a more inclusive approach, for example:

Lobby for your college/PPH to provide access to a cre`che or nursery, where children can be dropped o . This enables parents/carers to better access your events. www.resourcecentre.org.uk/information/organising-a-creche/

Lobby for family-friendly facilities (e.g. baby changing facilities, family accommodation), or at least a budget allocated to this, should the need arise

For parents with young children, it may be useful to not host events in the early evening, as this is nearer to dinner/bedtimes

Carers may have di iculty accessing events at certain times/days of the week, so listen to your student members and try to adapt to their needs.

Advertise the University New Comers’ Club, which welcomes partners of students and hosts child-friendly events. www.newcomers.ox.ac.uk/

Signpost useful services, for example:

     university services for student parents: www.admin.ox.ac.uk/childcare/

     services supporting carers: www.carersoxfordshire.org.uk/cms/

     for advice with children’s visas, international students can contact student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk

     Facebook groups for Oxford student parents and carers

Advertise Oxford SU’s Student Plus group, which advocates and provides socials for student parents/carers.

For more details, email:

VP Graduates vpgraduates@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk or
VP Women vpwomen@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk

 

How Oxford SU can support you

As a sabbatical o icer, I am eager to help and support you with any research, negotiations or lobbying strategies. Please feel free to send over an email to vpweo@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk, or message me – even just to chat through things!

There will also be a regular ‘Welf-Comm’ (Welfare O icer Community) which is a forum to share ideas, advice, be informed of the SU’s projects, and socialise! This will be advertised via the mailing list and Facebook group, so make sure you have access to these channels (contact me, if you haven’t!).

Oxford SU also o ers a set of training sessions and can arrange external training:

Welfare officer training 1 Public Speaking

Negotiation

Event Organisation

Suspended Status Campaigning

Introductions to Intersectionality and Bias 1 Active Listening/Coaching Sessions

 

Welfare Supplies

Oxford SU also provides cost-price welfare supplies to your CR, including: condoms, pregnancy tests, lubricant, and personal safety alarms. It is up to you how to distribute these appropriately.

Check out https://www.oxfordsu.org/wellbeing/welfareorders/ for orders!

Students can get condoms and morning-after pills for free at:

GUM Clinic, at Churchill Hospital and Rectory Road

Your GP or college doctor

 

Challenges accessing services

There have been a number of incidents reported, which suggest that certain groups of students may not feel comfortable accessing services (e.g. trans students, students of faith). It is important, however, that this does not dissuade individuals from making use of these services, where possible. Please keep signposting students to services, you could, organise for a ‘buddy’ system for attending a session (preferably with a relevantly trained sta member, who is appreciative of the concerns) if needed.

If something goes wrong you can:

file a complaint – email advice@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk to be given specific support, a service exclusive to Oxford students, or Student Welfare and Support Services.

if any emotional support is required – Peer Supporters (including Rainbow Peers and Peers of Colour, where relevant) and the Counselling Services.

 

Resource Directory

EMERGENCY SERVICES
NHS Services	Our local Accident & Emergency is the John Radcli e (JR) Hospital, for which you should have a taxi scheme. Each college/PPH should have a designated General Practitioner (GP). Registration forms for new students should be provided prior to their arrival. It is important to make sure that international students are aware of how to register to a GP. For dental care, ‘Studental’ is available on the Oxford Brookes University campus. www.studental.co.uk/
Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) Upton Hospital Church Street, Slough, SL1 2BJ Tel: 0300 130 3036	The nearest SARC is the Solace Centre, Slough. This is for sexual assault survivors (of any gender), to receive appropriate medical care and have forensic evidence collected, without filing it with the police. This is available 24/7, though it is best to call ahead outside of 9am – 5pm o ice hours.
Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre (OSARCC) www.oxfordrapecrisis.net/	This is a collective of women, who aim to support survivors, through face-to-face (and other forms of) emotional support
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Seek professional support, if any aspect of your role threatens your physical/mental health. If you’re a peer supporter, use debrief sessions to highlight any concerns	GIVE ANY MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE Never give any such advice to a student – you may open yourself up to civil or criminal liability
NON-EMERGENCY REQUESTS (University and SU Services)
University Counselling Services 3 Worcester Street Oxford www.ox.ac.uk/students/ welfare/counselling	The University’s Counselling Services helps students through a series of methods, including group and individual counselling, workshops, as well as online resources and podcasts. It is important to ensure that the information for this service is sensitively signposted. Whilst it is not an emergency service, urgent appointments can be booked, where necessary (through referral and/or completion of the online booking form). The Peer Supporter Programme (established in 1997) also falls under this remit. You may wish to lobby for certain reps to receive this training, e.g. welfare, liberation or equality and diversity reps). This is a really valuable service, and you should encourage your college/ PPH to participate in it. It involves students undertaking training and participating in subsequent fortnightly sessions, to ensure that they are able to respect boundaries and know how to encourage referral to professional support services.
Disability Advisory Services	The University o ers support to those with disabilities/conditions, to ensure that all students can be fully involved in their studies. The DAS provides information and advice for students with mental health conditions, specific learning di iculties, sensory impairments, physical impairments, chronic illnesses, those without diagnosis and others. They can also assist with the application for the Disabled Students Allowance.
University’s Student Welfare and Support Services 2 Worcester Street, Oxford www.admin.ox.ac.uk/aad/ swss/	Student Welfare and Support Services works collaboratively on student health and welfare issues with colleagues in colleges, academic and administrative departments, Oxford SU, and key statutory services and other partners outside of the University. This is the umbrella organization for the counselling services and disability advice services. They also house the new Sexual Violence and Harassment Service. An independent sexual violence advisor works within this service to deal with cases of sexual harassment and violence. This is a service that will be key to signpost to members of your common room. Subscribe to the mailing list: aad_student_ welfare-subscribe@maillist.admin.ox.ac.uk
Oxford SU: Student Advice 4 Worcester Street Oxford OX1 2BX advice@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk 01865 288466	This is a free, independent and confidential information and advice service, exclusively to University of Oxford students. It boasts a number of accreditations. The Student Advice Service has 3 well-qualified advisors, skilled in a number of issues, including (but not limited to): harassment/discrimination, visa issues, housing, relationship abuse, and academic concerns (e.g. suspension, migrating colleges). The Student Advice Service can assist in preparing and accompanying students through an o icial hearing or tribunal in the university or college.
Harassment Advisor Network	There are approximately 370 Harassment Advisors in the university’s departments, faculties, colleges and PPHs. These individuals are able to provide a listening ear, and may assist you in referring instances of harassment through procedures, where appropriate.
STUDENT-LED INITIATIVES (non-emergency)
University-wide Peer Supporter Programmes Peers of Colour www.facebook.com/oxunipoc/ Rainbow Peers www.facebook.com/rainbowpeers/	There are 2 current initiatives: these are led by, and run for, students who identify with particular characteristics. It is important to also advertise these services widely, alongside your college’s peer support programme, in case these services are relevant. Peers of Colour (for BME students or students of colour) Rainbow Peers (for LGBTQ+ students)
STUDENT-LED INITIATIVES (Lobbying groups)
National Union of Students (NUS) www.nus.org.uk	This is a union (with sabbatical o icers) of students, both in further and higher education. It can contribute to national conversations, through research, campaigns and working with other political groups. The Oxford SU is currently affiliated to this organisation, so make the most of the resources we have access to (including an NUS extra discount card)!
Oxford SU’s campaigns	There are a number of campaigns under the Oxford SU banner, which receive funding and support from relevant sabbatical officers.
EXTERNAL PROVISIONS
Citizens Advice Bureau 08444 111444 www.caox.org.uk	Legal advice services.
Samaritans 01865 722122 jo@samaritans.org	This charity o ers a safe place for students to talk any time you like, in their own way – about whatever issue.
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Testing	Sexual Health Clinics at Churchill Hospital Old Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LE 01865 231231 Drop in clinics: 0900 – 1430 most days with appointments in the afternoons Rectory Road Rectory Road, Oxford, OX4 1BU 01865 226969 Drop in clinics: 0930 – 1830 most days For more information, please check: www.sexualhealthoxfordshire.nhs.uk/
Mental Health charities: Student Minds www.studentminds.org.uk Rethink Mental Illness https://www.rethink.org/ Oxfordshire Mind ww.oxfordshire-mind.org.uk	These are mental health charities, and o ers services to students, including support groups and advice for seeking further professional support.
B-eat Eating Disorders www.b-eat.co.uk	This provides support for students with any form of eating disorder, through online support groups and information on how to refer to professional support.
Terrence Higgins Trust 0808 802 1221 www.tht.org.uk/	The largest voluntary-sector provider of HIV and sexual health services in the UK, running services out of local centres. Unfortunately, the Oxford centre closed down in April 2017, so the nearest one is in London (near King’s Cross St Pancras). However, students can still seek support via phone or online
Support with Addiction: FRANK Drugs Advice www.talktofrank.com Alcoholics Anonymous www.alcoholics-anonyous. org.uk Drug Science www.drugscience.org.uk The Oxford SU website also has a section on drug harm reduction https://www.oxfordsu.org/resourcehub/	These organisations offer advice for when drugs have been administered and how to seek support with addiction.

Some Key Terms...

 

Cultural Appropriation	Adoption or use of the elements of one culture by members of another culture, in a way which trivialises or minimises the significance of the given element.
Disability	This includes physical, sensory, cognitive, mental and developmental disabilities, as well as encompassing chronic illnesses, mental health issues and specific learning difficulties.
GUM Clinics	A genitourinary medicine (or sexual health) clinic provides tests and treatments for many STIs.
Harassment	This may include any form of aggression, pressure or intimidation (both sexual and non-sexual), as well as instances of discrimination based on any protected characteristics.
Intersectionality	This term was coined by Kimberle´ Williams Crenshaw. It especially acknowledges systems of oppression can operate in tandem, to create a compounded impact. This particularly a ects certain identities, based on e.g. race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and class.
‘Lad Culture’	This is a term used to refer to a prevailing culture in various institutions, which involves elements of sexism, hyper-masculinity, homophobia and racism. There are certain environments where such cultures are being addressed, e.g. in sports teams, through the ‘Good Lad’ workshops and tailored consent workshops.
Liberation	Here, this refers to working to dismantle oppressive structure, which particularly marginalise certain groups of students (e.g. women, LGBTQ+ folks, people of colour, disabled students and working-class students).
People of Colour	This is a term coined by social justice activists, and acts as a means of solidarity between groups that face common experiences of the impact systemic racism. Individuals may elect not to identify with this term for several reasons, so BME may be more appropriate (Black and Minority Ethnic), in certain instances.
Sexual Violence	Term used to highlight that instances of sexual assaultare a violation of individual’s rights.
Trans-erasure	Tendency to ignore or minimize the existence of trans people.
Transgender	Someone who identifies with a gender different to the one assigned at birth.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read through the information in this guide.

Best of luck with the term ahead!