AREA: Student Voice & Representation VICE-PRESIDENT WELFARE & COMMUNITY OPERATIONAL PLAN 2014/2015

Transcription

1 AREA: Student Voice & Representation VICE-PRESIDENT WELFARE & COMMUNITY OPERATIONAL PLAN 2014/2015 Our Vision: A Students Union where every Lincoln student has a great experience and is encouraged and assisted to fulfil their potential both at University and in life. We will ensure what we do is: Quality Nurturing Strong Honest Approachable Dynamic s from Strategy: 1 Support 2 Community 3 Representation 4 Social 5 Education 6 Employability Board of Trustees 22 nd September 2015 Doc: 13.4 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPI s) - (preferably no more than 6) 1. 90% of students responding Yes to the question I am aware of the Union s Advice Centre % of students to agree or strongly agree with the statement Our Union represents student s effectively on housing issues and is productive in improving the quality of Student Housing in Lincoln % awareness of the Mental Health Campaign in the A.M.S. 4. To successfully lobby to get the on the University Hardship Board 5. 60% awareness of the A Night to Remember Campaign in the A.M.S. 6. To have 600 attendees at the Community Fun Day on campus.

2 1, 3 Promotion of the Advice Centre an improvements of the advice we offer. Objective Points: - To provide and promote to all of our members, who need or want it, the support that they have told us they want us to provide. Focusing on academic, accommodation and wellbeing issues, and the actions to improve the 10% non-completion rate at the University of Lincoln. - To provide clear advice to students with financial issues through understanding the Hardship Fund process and lobbying for a student representative on the panel. To be measured by: - KPI 1 & KPI 4 - To have 55% of students Publicise: - Rebrand student buddies as student advisors, and promote recruitment (Aug). - Provide materials for publicising service through course leaders, social media, senior Tutors, central services, media (Aug). - Promote the service in Fresher s week through the fayre stalls and leaflet drops (Sep). - Successful launch event (25 th Sep). - Visit university accommodation once a week in the first 5 weeks of term 1 to promote support provision from the SU (Sep Oct). - School visits once a week to publicise the service (By May). - Stall at Refresher s Fayre to further promote the service (Jan)., RL Comms Team, RL, RL, FP, Student Advisors Exec, RL, FP, VPAA, FP, RL, FP, Student Advisors Material covered by Advice Centre Budget, Time, Reps, Time Initial team meeting (Aug): - First meeting with, RL, FP, JennyB and LC, mind mapping promotion techniques investigated ways on how the advertisement could work with the Mental Health Campaign and A Night To Remember Campaign.

3 respond in our A.M.S. that they would use our Advice Centre if they needed to. - For 80% of students who have used the Advice Centre, respond that they would recommend the advice service. - To recruit 12 student Advisors (Oct) and retain a minimum of 9 (May). - To visit all schools to promote the service a minimum of once by the end of the academic year (May). - For inducted as a member of the hardship panel. - Create Public Service Announcement films with our student media team to provide easily accessible advice, and promote our services (Oct May). - Videos and further information on revamped part of the website (Oct May). - Improve the information we provide to members on issues they regularly face with Housing (v) and Mental Health (Oct, Dec, Jan, April-March, May). - Review progress (April). Impact: - Regular meetings with the University to deepen understanding of hardship process - To utilise the Pound in your Pocket survey and lobby for to be inducted as a member of the Hardship Fund Panel. (By May) - Request retention rate (Dec) to find out what percentage the university is at to assess progress on retention targets Student Media Team,, RL, Comms, RL, Comms, BT, RL, Comms, LW, JCarey Student Voice, Exec, JB, AM, JCarey Media Equipment SUMS, Time Print costs Campaign Costs.

4 1,2,3 Accommodation and Accreditation Scheme Objective Points: - To ensure the new Accreditation Scheme is student focussed and will benefit our members. - To run a Ready to Rent campaign, advising members to hold back from signing a tenancy agreement until the Housing Fayre and understand fully on the agreement they are signing, whilst ensuring that they are not pressured to sign an accommodation they do not feel safe with. - To hold a successful Housing fayre with only accredited companies who are approved by the Union. To be measured by: - KPI 2. - Ensuring the Accreditation Accreditation Scheme: - Investigating a regulation or policy on agents who have scored less than 3 out of 5 on the ULSU housing survey (Oct). - To ensure an independent chair is implemented in the scheme (v). - Verify that a complaints procedure is implemented at launch and that it is easily accessible and understandable to our members who will be using it (Oct). - To ensure the scheme s guidelines are understandable, whilst clearly stating its definitions (i.e. what a high level of quality is) (Oct). - To investigate other schemes, and to only be partnered id the scheme isn t seen to be a risk to our members, student focused, or unable to raise the housing quality., RL, FP, Accommodation Services Time First Meeting (Aug): - Initial meeting with Accommodation Services regular meetings being set.

5 Scheme implements; An independent Chair (Dec 1). An agreed process for students to complain about accommodation issues with appeals process. A rating system based on student feedback and complaints. A minimum requirement for landlords / agents to achieve at least 3/5 on the union s accommodation survey. - To advertise the Accreditation scheme, if going ahead, through the fayre, booklets and other housing campaigns. Ready to Rent Campaign: - Review content of Love Living in Lincoln (or alternate name) housing guide and Tenancy Passport (Sep). - Submit all content for new Housing Booklet design (23 rd Sep) - Approve new copy and design ready to print. - Distribute booklets (31 st Oct) - reminders to 1 st and 2 nd years., RL, FP, Accommodation Services, Comms., RL, LC, JennyB, LW (AKA: Housing Campaign Team) (Housing Campaign Team) (Housing Campaign Team), C.Reps, Comms Time, Design, Print Cost As above. Time, Reps Time, SUMS First Campaign Meeting (Aug): - Talked through what needs to be asked at first meeting with Accommodation. - Started to investigate other accreditation schemes. - Currently reviewing the two booklets. - Accreditation Scheme has 50% awareness in A.M.S. - Housing Fayre has 1700 attendees. - Have 1100 respondents to the Accommodation Survey with; 200 responses from Carholme Ward. Housing Fayre (1 st or 2 st Dec): - Use evidence from scheme and survey to decide who is allowed to housing fayre (Oct-v). - Joint invite from ULSU & UoL to providers to housing fayre (v). - Arrange meetings with providers who need to do, RL, Comms, Accommodation Services Time, Reps, SUMS

6 100 responses from Abby Ward. 100 responses from Park Ward. things to get up to scratch (Investigate by Oct) - Agree actions for improvements & how to monitor (v). - Publicise housing fayre linking to accreditation scheme. - Review fayre (Dec). (Housing Campaign Team), Comms Social Media Housing Survey: - Discuss with BG Uni & Scheme to see if survey questions can be standardised across the city for student accommodation. (Jan). - Create online questionnaire on accommodation providers for students to fill out. Max 10 questions (Jan). - Approve questions being asked. - Get a list of number of properties each. Accommodation provider has in the scheme. - To investigate the best way and times to run the survey. (Jan) - Run the survey from the, BG Uni, Comms, AB (Housing Campaign Team) Comms, Time SUMS, Time, Social Media, s As Above

7 1,5 Mental Health Campaign above solution. - Visit Courts, Pavilions and Junxions to promote survey. - Visit Danesgate, Brayford Quay, Brayford Court to promote surve. - Analyse responses when survey has closed. - Produce report for university accommodation, and separate report to private letting agents. - Host a meeting with letting agents to show results & discuss how the evidence will be used. - Report to Community Zone and SU council. - Publicise results to students. CPWC (Housing Campaign Team), RL, FP, JennyB, Comms Time Time Time Meeting Space Website, Social Media Objective Points: - To hold 5 key events throughout the year, with a main focus on stress, the awareness that a member may be suffering, and their points of contact to seek help. - To have at least one event focused on unengaged October: - Working with Disabled liberation group on hidden disabilities through Make the invisible, visible. - Using the theme of Halloween and an invisible man as the hidden disabilities or mental health issues. - Using film posters to create, RL, FP, LC, LW, JB (AKA: Mental Health Team) Disabled Students Group (AKA: DSG) Campaign costs, Time, Volunteers, social media, posters, Media Equipment. Initial Meeting (AUG): - First meeting with team mind mapped potential ideas (Working with Advice Centre Promotion Ideas) outlined the next 3 months with a meeting set for early September to fully outline October, then the next meeting to outline December (and so on) every 3 weeks.

8 students (International, Post-Graduates, and Nursing Students). - For an event to celebrate the completion of exams / work, creating a stronger community and directly targeting the anxiety that can occur after a stressful situation; such as exams or a dissertation. - For a strong media / viral campaign to be designed, with informative videos to be available to our members. To be measured by: - KPI 3. - To hold a public event, with at least 20 volunteers getting involved. - To have readily available and easily accessible information online for our members to find at all attractive awareness pieces. - Physical sets on campus using optical illusions to show that not everything can be seen - Will work to bring awareness of these issues to students, and if they have any issues to visit the Student s Union s Advice Centre. - Primary focus on Anxiety, Depression, Isolation etc. December: - Aimed within the first week, the focus will be on taking a time out from busy work to not get stressed. - Focused on retention rates of students with mental health issues. - Primary focus on stress January: - Focused on healthy eating, and loving yourself. - Primary focus on eating disorders and issues of selfidentity / body image March / April: - To bring back the successful dog petting event that Team) (DSG) Comms, Reps, Volunteers, Comms, Student Media Team Team) VPA Team) Team)

9 times. - To run physical surveys between the events to investigate if students are more aware of mental health issues and the routes to help, and for the survey s results to improve (more to be aware) by the end of the campaign. happened last year. - To have a session focused on liberation groups / unengaged groups (Post Graduates, Nursing) May: - Primarily focused on issues of anxiety and depression, and retention rates after exams. - TO celebrate completing the exams / work. Team) Team) 1,3,4, 5 A Night to Remember Campaign Website / Print: - To work with the Advice Centre and Coms on information leaflets / booklets with advice on mental health issues. Team) Comms, AB, BT. Time, design, SUMS, Website. Objective Points: - To work with liberation groups, community reps and student advisors (Partners) on ensuring student safety whilst at night. - To build a more unified network internally and Planning: - To have an initial session with the Partners during the 1 st and 2 nd September training session to gather their ideas. - To develop these ideas with regular catch ups, with the design complete following the first zone meetings (Oct). - To have the Inter-KPI s, JK, LW, JennyB, RL, FP, LC, Liberation Groups, Community Reps, Student Advisors, Comms, Campaign Costs, Time, Design, SUMS, Volunteer Numbers. Training Initial Session - Initial views show all liberation groups are interested in the project. - Particular focus coming from Women s (Tackling Lad Culture), LGBT (Up to date zero tolerance policies at venues), Gender and Sexuality (Isolation and Bullying), Disability (up to date disabled

10 between Liberation groups and Community reps, bringing them to work together more on their own campaigns, creating a bigger impact and raising awareness of their roles. - To build a campaign where the Partners all have a partnership to the project, helping to set the objectives and assess the campaign as it runs. To be measured by: - KPI 5. - For at least 7 of Partners to be satisfied with the campaign. - To have at least 3 key focus points of the campaign. - To hold a meeting of all Partners in the project at least once every 4 weeks. - To complete all Inter-KPI s set by the Partners that are approved by the Executive planned with the Partners ratified by the Executive. (Oct). Results: - To use a physical or online survey to assess the impact of the campaign. (April) facilities, i.e. UV strips on staircases) and Carholme Community Rep (Streetlights and ensuring students are safe traveling home). - There was a general interest in ensuring students are getting home safely. - There was a slight interest in the alcohol regulations of the venues.

11 by the end of the Academic year. - To write a full report on the project by the end of the academic year and to present it to the executive and for it to be distributed to the last student council. 1,3 Liberation Standing Committees Objective Points: - We will work to meet the needs of our diverse membership in creating a community on campus. To be measured by: - All chair positions filled in the February 2015 election. - All committee positions filled in the March 2015 Election. Training and Support: - Set SMART objectives with each committee Minimum 1 campaign plus fundraising target. (1 st -2 nd Sep) - Monitor progress through Zone meetings - Arrange regular catch-ups with officers individually, to offer support, discuss any issues and campaigns - Send each officer or a delegate, to a relevant NUS Conference/Event, LW SUMS Elections: - Work with existing to support potential candidates for the

12 Community main SU elections (Dec/Jan) - Support the candidates through the election process (Feb/Mar 15) - Conduct elections within each Standing Committee to form a committee according to the Standing Order, before end of March Pre Summer Training: - Arrange Training, inductions, committee elections, SMART objectives, etc for the new elects (April/May 15) Objective Points: - We will inform students so they can play an active part of the local community improving cohesion between permanent and student residents. We will measure this by: - KPI 6. - Community Reps will attend 100% of community meetings including apologies. Community Representatives - Identify issues to work on in the community (SU Induction) - publicise the strong volunteering students do in the community through local ward leaflets (Abbey ward), local press, radio - elect community reps in (Feb) elections - Training before the summer - zone training - council training, JK, JK, Comms Time Initial meeting with WEWG (Aug): - First meeting decided on dates for Meet the Street. - WERA have booked St Faith location for 23 rd. - and CoLC getting in contact with local groups to ascertain other locations and book.

13 - Three Meet the Street events across the academic year. One in each ward with a community rep elected. - Electing 3 student community reps (Feb) - Identify one safety concern in each ward and campaign successfully to improve it Meet the Street (Oct-v) - To work with local community working groups and bring them to assist in the projects through match funding. - To spread the Meet the street events into the other wards: Carholme: 23 rd October and 3 rd vember Abby and Park: 27 th and 29 th October. - review events and impact, JK, Comms, External Residents Working Groups, CoLC Time, Printing Costs, Food costs (co-funding with local resident groups minimal costs) Community Fun Day (9th April?) - Discuss at zone meeting to gather ideas and shape plan (v) - Meet with University, council staff, residents, councillors, etc to pitch idea, get advice (v) - Contact schools and community groups for additional activities & performances at event (Dec), JK, Comms, BT, Volunteers, CoLC Costs, Design, Space, Safety Procedures, Volunteer Numbers.