What is peer wellbeing support?
Peer Support in a university content is a proactive and preventative type of support that only another student can offer. Peer Support is the act of students sharing their lived or living experience of student life to provide guidance and support to each other. Peer Support can be offered on a one-to-one basis, group setting or in a community format.
As a socially progressive, people orientated university we aim to provide our students with useful learning experiences that complement their degree qualifications and provide an outstanding student experience while also developing graduate employability skills.
Volunteering as a peer supporter is a great way to get involved in your university community, meet new people, as well as learning and developing new skills across a wide range of areas.
We have a range of peer support provisions running each academic year. The type of peer support provisions can vary depending on student uptake and department staff involvement.
We are currently offering peer mentoring support, group peer support and we regularly collaborate with the wider university to support community peer support events.
Why participate in peer wellbeing support?
- after the initial compulsory training you choose the time commit therefore it is an opportunity that is flexible enough to fit around your studies at any point of the year
- peer support provides opportunities to develop or improve your graduate employability skills
- peer support can be utilised as a placement opportunity
- peer support can often contribute to the community aspect of your postgraduate certificate
One to one peer support
Peer mentoring is a one-to-one service offered by the same student to another student on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis.
How to apply
All students are eligible to apply. However, we have a limited number of spaces within each faculty and not all departments are currently participating in the peer mentoring support programme. Those eligible to become a peer mentor will be notified and offered a peer mentee.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do I need to commit to the peer support programme?
Peer mentors usually commit 1 or 2 hours per week to their mentee, however involvement in peer support groups may only require 1-3 hours per semester. There is a range of options to get involved and the most important thing is that the time commitment offered works for you as the volunteer.
How soon will l be matched with my peer mentee?
We aim to match you as quickly as possible, but this is dependent on the Disclosure process and can often be affected by the time of year that someone signs up i.e. if you sign up towards the end of the semester then student focus is usually on exams so response rates to emails are slower.
What support do I have to provide my mentee with the most appropriate support?
You will be provided with training to provide an overview of the role of a peer mentor and the different support services within the university as well as external support services. Peer mentors will also have regular check ins with the peer support coordinators and group peer support sessions with their fellow peer mentors.
What if I decide peer mentoring is not for me?
Ideally, we would like peer mentors to remain matched for at least an academic year but there is no contract that mentors sign up to therefore if you decide you no longer want to be a mentor for any reason then all we ask is that you notify us and we will rematch your mentee.
For further queries regarding participating in one of our peer support schemes, introducing peer support within your department or to discuss any general ideas for peer support then please contact us at peerwellbeing-project@strath.ac.uk