Southampton Solent University’s student-centric slogan is, “The Solent I see, sees me” – an ethos that’s particularly relevant when it comes to the way the university champions its student community.
With gold-rated teaching, a hands-on approach to learning and a campus in the heart of a culture-crammed coastal city, there’s plenty to attract students to Solent. But it’s the university’s holistic stance when it comes to wellbeing that makes it an exceptional choice for the 9,650 students who study there.
Part of the University Mental Health Charter programme, Solent adopts a whole-institution approach towards mental health, at the heart of which is the Student Hub, where an expert team of advisers is dedicated to making university life a positive experience for all.
“Our student body is very diverse, with many of our students being the first in their family to ever go to university, a number coming from care backgrounds and 17% having a declared disability,” says Southampton Solent’s deputy head of student success (wellbeing), Daniel Inns.
“Our aim within student services is to create an inclusive support network for everyone, where we can respond to any challenge that affects our students, and provide them with the tools they need to make the most of their university experience.”
The student village in the Spark building is equipped with a multifaith room, a sensory space kitted out with giant cushions and stress-relieving fidget toys, and areas designed for socialising – where, during any given month, you might find mental health advisers running a wellbeing cafe, or students with disabilities connecting at a Simply Social event.
Meanwhile, the Student Hub team is always on hand to offer tailored support for students. “The student hub is almost like the centre of a wheel, whose spokes extend to various areas of support,” says Inns. “Whatever the problem, if a student approaches us, we can get in touch with the relevant team and offer the appropriate help.
“For example, if someone is struggling with anxiety, we can make a referral to the mental health and wellbeing team. In turn, they might offer a block of counselling, single-session therapy or social prescribing, depending on the issue.”
The student services directorate is focused on all areas of student support, including finances and funding, disability advice, spirituality and reflection (a team of volunteer faith advisers), safeguarding, campus jobs, careers advice, startup support and its own freelance agency, Solent Creatives.
“While we maintain confidentiality, our services are joined up to help us achieve a holistic approach to support students,” says Inns. “Our driving ethos is to prepare students for graduating, getting a job and going out into the world.”
As well as the all-important wellbeing support, there’s practical support in abundance: financial bursaries are available to give a helping hand to students who are parents or carers, and those who have left care or are estranged from their parents receive regular one-to-one check-ins.
The disability advice team helps to remove barriers to learning, and if a student misses a deadline or has problems with attendance, the student achievement team will reach out and ask if they need support.
Solent also has a dedicated safeguarding manager in place, who plays a key role when it comes to student safety. “If a student has experienced bullying, harassment, sexual violence, crime or abuse, they can report this either anonymously or with their details and receive specialist support,” says Inns.
“Our safeguarding manager also works closely with other departments to ensure the support on offer is truly inclusive.”
Key to the success of student support, says Inns, is the focus on proactivity. Steps designed to support robust mental health include a peer-mentoring scheme, workshops on topics such as resilience and sleep health, and the university has also started providing “social prescriptions”, such as gym memberships and referrals to volunteering opportunities.
“We’re trying to provide students with the kind of support that enables better mental health before they reach a crisis point,” says Inns. “We aim to be timely and responsive, but also to identify what might affect students in advance. It’s all about encouraging better mental health from the beginning of their time at Solent.”
The university has a new access and participation plan, part of which supports students from minority ethnic and deprived backgrounds, to ensure both groups succeed throughout their student journey. An expanded partnership with the charity Grit delivers a new bespoke development programme for these students before they join Solent, then during each year of their studies.
“I attend our graduation ceremonies every year, and it’s great to see students who have benefited from our services receiving their degree,” says Inns. “Those moments are very special to me – and they’re what makes what we do here feel so rewarding.”
Find out more about Southampton Solent University’s industry-focused courses – and how to apply
