One in four people experience some sort of mental health difficulty in their life, particularly during stressful times such as starting university or moving away from home. So universities have been leading the way in making sure young adults have the support they need.

At Bedfordshire, if your child experiences mental health problems or has a formal diagnosis, then our Mental Health Service can help them. The team offers:

• an initial assessment
• one-to-one support and counselling
• information, advice and supported access to other services
• liaison with mental health services and GP
• support during absence caused by ill health and a planned return to study

Disability support services usually provide help with such aspects as disability allowances, study-needs assessments, accessibility and learning support as well as emotional support.

Bedfordshire’s Disability Support Service works with students who have a range of disabilities including sensory and physical impairments, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, sickle cell anaemia and arthritis.

The team can help with any issues students have and provide targeted support such as sign-language interpreters, note-takers, specialist study skills and mobility on campus.

For more information, read our leaflet, Disability Support [PDF]

It might be that your child needs help with their studies – for example, having problems meeting deadlines. In these instances, study support teams, personal tutors or ‘buddies’ can help them get back on course.

At Beds, we have our SEAM team, which stands for Student Engagement and Mitigation. They provide advice and support to students on a wide range of issues that might be affecting your child’s attendance, ability to submit work to deadline and course progress. We also have PAL leaders – second- and final-year students who support first years with Peer Assisted Learning.

This is a team from different faiths who provide on-campus centres for a range of spiritual and social activities. They welcome people of all faiths and beliefs.

The University of Bedfordshire’s Community and Faith Chaplaincy offers personal and spiritual support to students from around 70 countries. The team has strong links with local faith community groups and can advise on finding specific-faith places of worship near to the campuses.

Universities will always have support in place to make sure their students can achieve their career goals. At Bedfordshire, our Careers & Employability Service has strong links with local employers and also offers targeted advice; promotes employment events; posts job opportunities; and helps with CV preparation and applications. The team continues to support students after graduation, when your child can access its services as one of our alumni.

When your child enrols at university, they will also become a member of the National Union of Students – at Bedfordshire, it’s called Beds SU. The union is there to help every student get the most out of their university experience.

The union advises on accommodation, finance, wellbeing, safety and academic disputes. It’s also the hub for clubs, societies, sports teams, social events and activities as well as running the Freshers’ Fair. It provides lots of opportunities for your child to meet new people, develop their skills, campaign for change and try something new.

For more on finance support, go to Money Matters