Peer support

The Peer Support Programme was developed to provide a support from students for students on a day-to-day basis. If you run into problems but you don't feel comfortable reaching out to senior welfare support, the peer supporters are here for you. Currently we have two peer supporters within the RDM. They are trained to listen effectively, communicate sensitively, maintain confidentiality, respect boundaries and recognise when and how to encourage referral to professional support services.

This provides an easily accessible and relatively informal opportunity to talk through issues which may be concerning you. Often it can help simply to get things off your chest or to know that someone is genuinely willing to listen and take time to understand what's on your mind. Sometimes just talking things through is enough; sometimes it may lead you to seek more professional help. It is important to emphasise that peer supporters are not counsellors and, where appropriate, they may encourage you to seek more formal support through college welfare, your GP or the University Counselling Service.