Nightline Officer Update
Since the Nightline committee’s last meeting three weeks ago:
- 40% more calls referred by Instant Messenger.
- ‘Friends and flatmate issues’ was the most frequently occurring issue.
Since the start of the academic year:
- ‘Loneliness’ remains the most frequently occurring issue.
- Over 300 calls have been received so far, totalling over 100 hours.
- 100% of shifts have gone ahead. Luke noted that this is largely due to a few very dedicated volunteers taking on 2 or 3 shifts a week.
Two Nightline representatives attended the Nightline Regional Conference. Based on their learning at the conference, Luke stated that he now wants to prioritise developing their volunteer training programme. They currently have over 100 volunteers, which Luke feels is potentially unsustainable, and would rather focus on having fewer, better trained volunteers. Luke stated that Nightline could consider making monthly developmental training sessions compulsory, introducing an assessment which all trainee volunteers must pass or introducing volunteer quotas.
Luke stated that Postgraduate Research student volunteers are stepping in to take more shifts during the undergraduate exam period in January.
Housing Officer Update
Louise is currently promoting the Don’t Rush campaign ahead of Housing Week, which will be taking place after Christmas. Louise has anecdotal evidence that first year students are already looking for houses for next year.
Louise met with the VP Welfare from Southampton Solent SU and a representative from SASSH last week. Louise feels that SUSU could improve on its liaison with external organisations such as SASSH and Southampton City Council, such as regarding HMOs, and that they could learn a lot from Southampton Solent SU in this area. She will be meeting with Southampton Solent SU and SASSH again next week.
Well-being Officer Update
Mark will be meeting with Halls of Residence staff next week in order to discuss running Peer Support drop-ins in Halls of Residence.
Peer Support drop-ins will be taking place during the January exam period.
VP Welfare Update
Sam informed the committee that he has sent letters to local letting agents regarding students being rushed into signing housing contracts and improving the conditions of student housing in Southampton. He has already received responses, many of them negative, to which he will be replying over the coming weeks.
Sam informed the committee that he is currently working on the Stress Less Fest project. This now been renamed the You Are More Than project in order to increase its accessibility and relevance to more student cohorts across the University. As part of this project, the mental health campaign elephant will be in the Hartley Library throughout January.
Interfaith Week took place last week. The Safer Students Forum also took place last week, with a focus on street drinking.
Sam is also currently working on a plan to hold an open discussion forum on the topics of consent and sexual harassment.