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College support staff aren't there when you need them funnily enough (Rant)
Former Member
Posts: 9 Confirmed not a robot
In short I'm doing a 1 year college course and have sessions with pastoral support for some health related issues I have that affect me at college and daily. I haven't had one of these sessions for around 2 weeks due to the person having a holiday for around a week. I had a quick chat with her in the morning before my lesson and she arranged our next session for after the half term. Later in the week I messaged her about how I was feeling (on that day) but she didn't reply which was alright but I realised I was having one of my bad days and decided to go to the student support hub which is basically an open space area where you can talk to support staff about your mental health and wellbeing etc. To my surprise no one was there, later on while in lesson, I asked my teacher if I could leave to see if anyone was there but it was still empty and basically shut up.
Fast forward to the next day when I was feeling much better, I messaged my achievement tutor and told her that I had a bad day previous. Then she asked me if I had gone to student support and I told her what the situation was, then she asked about my pastoral support who hadn't even read my message at that point. It was nice to see that staff were at the hub the next day so people who needed support weren't left feeling like me the day prior. I know they could have been busy or maybe on lunch but at least expected one person to be there but oh well.
Fast forward to the next day when I was feeling much better, I messaged my achievement tutor and told her that I had a bad day previous. Then she asked me if I had gone to student support and I told her what the situation was, then she asked about my pastoral support who hadn't even read my message at that point. It was nice to see that staff were at the hub the next day so people who needed support weren't left feeling like me the day prior. I know they could have been busy or maybe on lunch but at least expected one person to be there but oh well.
Post edited by JustV on
3
Comments
Of course staff will have time off, but it sounds like it would've been better if there had been other staff available e.g. when you went to message pastoral support and she didn't respond and also when you went to the student support hub.
I'm glad you were able to check in with your achievement tutor and told her about the lack of support you had on a bad day. Perhaps you could talk to your pastoral support when she is back from holiday, as well as the staff at the hub so that they can either a) plan in advance what to do when staff aren't there e.g. could they get other staff who are free to man the support hub? or b) let students know in advance when they won't be able to provide support due to lack of staff and suggest alternatives instead.
Good to know that the support staff where there the next day though! Hope it doesn't happen to you, or anyone else, again though