Wellbeing Wednesday: Postgraduate Support

We have lots of support on offer to postgraduate students to help you improve your wellbeing and make the most of your time at Kent.

Mental health support

Our team of mental health experts includes mental health advisers, counsellors and mentors, who can help you with issues such as stress, anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties.

We have a free and confidential counselling service where you can talk about whatever is troubling you or causing you emotional distress, even if it’s nothing to do with university.

Spectrum Life is available on weekdays from 20.00-8.00, weekends and bank holidays. They can work with you in getting initial support and help during your crisis and the University Student Support and Wellbeing teams will contact you on the next working day.

Kent students can access free, 24/7 online support for issues around mental health and wellbeing via Togetherall. They also have some great online workshops on topics such as assertiveness training, managing post traumatic stress disorder and managing OCD.

Postgraduate community

We have a strong postgraduate community at Kent. You can join the Postgraduate Network as a way to meet other postgrad students.

The Postgraduate Network also act as a voice for postgraduate students, working with the University and Kent Union to make positive change for students doing postgrad study.

Events for postgraduate students

We have lots wellbeing events which are open to all Kent students. Check out the Student Support and Wellbeing event calendar to browse events such as Student Mindfulness, University Community Choir and Wellbeing Café.

If you’re a PhD student, consider signing up for the Reflect, Recover and Empower workshop on Tuesday 1 March. This workshop allows you to reflect on your pandemic experiences with an expert trainer who can offer practical tools for recovery and enhancing your wellbeing in the future.

Kent Compassion meditation group is run by postgraduate students. They meet every Thursday at Canterbury campus at 17.00 for a guided meditation followed by refreshments. An online meditation also takes place at 19.00 and is available to all. Email Stephen at sgm34@kent.ac.uk for more information. The Kent Compassion sessions are supported by the Postgraduate Community Experience Awards.

The Graduate and Researcher College (GRC) and Postgraduate Network run regular postgraduate coffee mornings to help you connect with other postgrad students, meet the GRC team and your PG Network representatives.

Places to study

Having a good working environment can aid your wellbeing. At our Canterbury campus we have the Postgraduate Study Hub in Senate building which is open 24/7 for postgrad students. As well as study spaces and PCs, it offers day lockers, a lounge area and a kitchen with fridge and microwave.

You can also book a free study carrel in the Templeman Library for the day, or if you require one longer time you can rent one out on a monthly or quarterly basis. Find out more about postgraduate study areas.

Postgraduate Open Events

Interested in postgraduate study at Kent? Book onto our Postgraduate Open Events:

Wednesday 23 February (online and in person)
Saturday 2 April (online and in person)

Covid-19 Update: Changes to Covid Restrictions

From Martin Atkinson | Director of HR and Organisational Development

Last night the Prime Minister outlined the Government’s ‘living with Covid’ plan, including an announcement that all legal Covid restrictions in England will end this Thursday. Further changes to testing provision will also follow from 1 April.

This will have a number of implications for us at Kent, with keeping our campuses safe still our key focus as it has been throughout our response to Covid. While we work through the Higher Education-specific guidance, for now all of our current recommendations remain in place – including testing regularly, isolating if you have Covid symptoms, and wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces.

I will be in touch with a further update shortly once we are clear on any changes we need to make in the weeks and months ahead.

With all good wishes,

Martin

Martin Atkinson | Director of HR & Organisational Development

Covid-19 Update: Changes to Covid restrictions

From Professor Richard Reece | DVC Education and Student Experience

We are currently working through what this will mean for us at Kent, with keeping students, staff and visitors safe still our key priority. In the meantime, all of our current recommendations remain in place – including testing regularly, isolating if you have Covid symptoms, and wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces.

My thanks to all of you for your continued support in our response to Covid, which has been a big part of keeping infections as low as possible throughout. I will be in touch with a further update shortly once we are clear on any changes we need to make in the weeks and months ahead.

With all good wishes,

Professor Richard Reece | DVC Education and Student Experience

Loretta Finch wins the Apprenticeship Champion for Covid-19 award

National Apprenticeships Week 2022 (NAW) took place between the 7 – 13 February 2022, the 15th annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships.

Bringing businesses and apprentices together

The week brought together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses, and the wider economy.

Build the future

The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2022 was ‘build the future’. This reflected on how apprenticeships can help individuals develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, whilst businesses develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills.

Loretta Finch wins the Apprenticeship Champion for Covid-19 award

Loretta Finch is the Employee Apprenticeship Manager and has built employee apprenticeships from nothing over the last 5 years. There is now a well defined process which is used to recruit new staff, provide development roles and aid in personal development for individuals. During NAW, Loretta supplied updates and information on what Kent does via the T&OD teams site and SharePoint to raise further awareness of the benefit of apprentices.

As part of NAW, creative and content agency Pillory Barn organised the East Kent Apprenticeship Awards (EKAA), in partnership with the EKC Group. These awards showcase what is being achieved across the sectors engaged with apprenticeships. It celebrates outstanding apprenticeships, employers and those who go above and beyond to champion these opportunities.

We are pleased to announce Loretta Finch won the Apprenticeship Champion for Covid-19 award! Loretta was recognised for the work she did in supporting breaks in learning, increased the number of apprentices, supported the recruitment and induction of a number of apprentices, refreshed the strategy and ensured the spend of the levy.

This award is well deserved and T&OD hopes you will join us in congratulating Loretta for her outstanding work.

If you would like more information on Apprenticeships please contact Loretta on L.Finch@Kent.ac.uk or take a look at the T&OD Apprenticeship SharePoint page

Training Opportunities: February – April 2022

The T&OD are happy to share a number of upcoming Training Opportunities, open to all staff, which will be running from February to April. A full overview on what’s on offer can be found in our latest SharePoint News Story – Training Opportunities: February – April 2022.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s on offer to you:

RPD Process and Preparation Training, Wednesday 24 February, 15.00 – 16.30

At the end of the session you will:

•Understand the purpose of appraisals (RPDs)
•Be aware of how the process for recording appraisals (RPDS) via Staff Connect
•Be able to prepare for and participate/ hold an effective, informed, transparent discussion, understanding your own needs and those of the organisation

Eligibility Checking Refresher Training, Monday 28 February, 14.00 – 15.00

This training is for staff who are current right to work signatories and who have attended the main session, but may not do right to work checks on a regular basis, or have not done a check recently and would like a refresher in the process. The training will ensure staff feel confident to continue undertaking right to work checks.

Menopause Awareness, Wednesday 2 March, 12.30 – 13.30

This Positive Pause’s empowering session is designed to help you feel more confident talking about & understanding menopause!

Myth busting Menopause – what everyone needs to know: the phases, stages and impact on personal & work life.
Recognising & understanding the symptoms of perimenopause & menopause.
Outlining options & strategies available for managing symptoms.
Signposting resources that may help.
How to have conversations about menopause, as a woman and/or as part of the line management process.

Complete the International Student Survey for the chance to win £200

As a valued member of our international student community, we’d like to invite you to complete a short survey on behalf of a UK organisation who would like to learn more about your decision to study in the UK.

Start the survey >

The survey will take around 15 minutes to complete, and as a thank you for your time you will have the opportunity to enter a prize draw for the chance to win a first prize of £200 or a runner-up prize of £50 – £100.

Your responses will contribute to understanding about international students’ priorities when thinking about where to study, helping the UK to deliver the best experience for students like you now and in the future. Your responses are anonymous.

The deadline for completing this survey is Thursday 31 March.

Prizes for Sustainability

We launched our first ever student prize for Sustainability during Climate Action Week in October 2021.

Students (individuals or groups) were able to compete for up to £500 by suggesting ways we can overcome our sustainability challenges and be supported by University staff to implement their proposal on our campuses.

The Sustainability Team were delighted to receive entries from students across the University with project proposals spanning Biodiversity, food waste, energy, heating and wellbeing. All of the entries were blind judged by a panel of staff from the Environmental Management team who were impressed by the standard of entries. In the end, three projects will be taken forward for implementation, with a further 4 receiving a highly commended award and a £10 Kent One Card top up.

Two projects were selected as runners up and will receive a £50 prize as well as a further £125 to implement the projects.

Plant-based loyalty card – Felicity Bennet (on behalf of the SAC Sustainability Working Group) To develop a loyalty card scheme to encourage students to chose plant-based meals in campus outlets. Felicity will be working with the Sustainability team and catering outlet staff to implement her project over the coming months.

Climate cafés – A group of students; Isabella Sabin-Dawson, Hannah-Maria Hunig, Katie Hargrave-Smith, Georgia Davidson and Lois Mitchell – on behalf of the Sustainability Working Group (SWG) Wellbeing Subgroup have proposed running a series of climate cafes to allow students to get together and talk about their fears about the climate crisis. The group will be working with the Sustainability Team and taking advice from student support and wellbeing to develop this idea.

Our overall winner was Faye Whiley on behalf of the Conservation Society for their project aimed at measuring and improving biodiversity on campus. Faye will be working closely with the Sustainability and the Landscape & Grounds teams to carry out surveys, plant trees and install wildlife boxes. Faye will receive a £100 prize and £250 to implement her project across campus.

To find out more about sustainability projects across campus contact the sustainability team at sustainability@kent.ac.uk or visit our webpages www.kent.ac.uk/sustainability

Storm Eunice: Campus Update

From Lucy Foley | Director of Student Services

Thank you for your cooperation today following the closure of our campuses due to the impact of Storm Eunice. I hope that you have all managed to stay safe. While an Amber warning remains in place until 9pm, the Met Office’s ‘Red’ warning for the South East has now passed and at this stage the impact on our campuses has been largely contained.

With the forecast improving, our intention is that our Canterbury and Medway campuses will be open as normal from tomorrow. The Drill Hall Library is due to reopen at 09.00 on Sunday, with the Templeman Library re-opening at 08:00 tomorrow and any other planned activity over the weekend will continue as scheduled.

Travel and catering this evening

A number of our outlets are running a reduced service, so please check Kent Union’s website and our Catering pages for latest updates. All meals this evening for those on catered contracts will be provided as planned.

Please do continue to take care and limit any unnecessary travel into this evening while the storm continues to pass through. Transport across the county remains disrupted, with the Campus Shuttle suspended for the rest of today. Please check @CampusShuttle for updates tomorrow and plan your journey before your travel.

Thank you once again for your patience today and, for those of you who do need to travel this evening, I hope you have a smooth and safe journey.

Lucy

Lucy Foley | Director of Student Services

Storm Eunice: Campus Update

From Nikki Hyde | Deputy Director HR and Organisational Development

Thank you to everyone involved for the prompt response to today’s campus closure following the impact of Storm Eunice. Whilst an Amber warning remains in place until 21.00, the Met Office’s ‘Red’ warning for the South East has now passed and at this stage the impact on our campuses has been largely contained.

With the forecast improving, our assumption is that our Canterbury and Medway campuses will return to being open as normal tomorrow. Any planned activity can therefore continue as scheduled over the weekend.

Please do continue to take care and limit any unnecessary travel into this evening while the storm continues to pass through. There are also a number of road closures and other transport disruption affecting Kent and Medway so please check ahead before you travel.

Thanks again and safe journeys home to all of our essential workers on campus.

Nikki

Nikki Hyde | Deputy Director HR and Organisational Development

Care first fortnightly webinars

Our official Employee Assistance Programme provider, Care first offers a numbers of services and provide useful advice and support.

Due to the stabilisting situation of Covid, they’ll be doing a side-range of webinar topics. Here’s the schedule for the next two weeks:

Week commencing 21 February 2022

Monday 21 February – ‘Your counselling call to Care first’ – This webinar provides an overview of what you can expect when making a call to the counselling help line.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Wednesday 23 February – ‘How Care first can support you’ – A webinar for awareness and how to access the EAP service provided by Care first.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Friday 25 February – ‘Supporting care givers – In line with ‘You can care week’– This session looks at the role of care givers and how compassion fatigue and burnout can impact mental health.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Week commencing 28 February 2022

Monday 28 February – ‘Practical information and advice through Care first’ – The webinar provides detail about our Information Specialists and their role as part of your EAP service.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Wednesday 2 March – ‘How Care first can support you’ – A webinar for awareness and how to access the EAP service provided by Care first.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Friday 4 March – ‘Regaining confidence in social interaction’ – A webinar providing tips and encouraging discussion on how to reintroduce social interaction after a difficult two years
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up