Student Services

• Information for students
• Information for staff
• Information for prospective students
• Information for halls staff and senior residents
• Information for parents, carers and guardians
• Information for NHS staff, DSA assessors etc
• Vulnerable Students' Support Service

Richard Edwards

Student Welfare Coordinator and Head of the Vulnerable Students' Support Service

The Student Welfare Coordinator supports the Director of Student Services and Employability in his work managing the division, particularly focusing on student welfare.

Current principal responsibilities

• Supporting the Director in all aspects of his student welfare-related work

• Managing the Vulnerable Students' Support Service

• Advising staff across the University about student support matters, especially promoting early intervention in an attempt to avoid crises

• Promoting enhanced cooperation and inter-team working within Student Services including chairing complex case meetings

• Coordinating promotion of the division internally and externally

Current projects

• Leading the new Student Services division database project

• Redrafting the Student Death Protocol

• Development of a new Fitness to Study Policy for the University, working with colleagues in the Office of the University Secretary

• Supporting the work of the Disabled Student Process Review Group. This fixed term group (January-July 2013) is examining the use of Learning Support Plans, the role of School Disability Coordinators and the postgraduate admissions process for disabled applicants.

Completed work

• Project managing the relocation of the Student Counselling Service and Disability Services (formerly the Access Unit) to Hampton House (2010/11) and the backoffice of the Careers Service to Senate House in September 2011

• Secretary to the 2011 review of student welfare services

• Secretary to the University's Student Affairs Committee (June 2010 to November 2011). This has now passed to Lucy Barling in the Planning Office

• Managing Disability Services on an interim basis while the post of Disability Services Manager was vacant (March-June 2012). Lou Miller took up her new post on 2 July 2012.

• Developing a mental ill health emergency response protocol which aims to guide staff supporting acutely ill students so that they receive professional help as soon as possible.

• Developing the new Student Services website.

Other responsibilities

Richard is a University Mediator. Contact via the Student Complaints Officer and Mediation Coordinator, Office of the University Secretary.

Biography

Richard previously worked as Disability Officer at the University of Wales Swansea (1999-2004), Assistant Registrar (Student Support) in the University of Bristol Education Support Unit (2004-2008) and Head of Academic Administration for the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Bristol (secondment; 2009-10) before moving to Student Services. From July 2010 to December 2012 he was Student Services Project Manager, supporting the Director to establish the new Vulnerable Students' Support Service and promote coordinated working across the division by delivering specific projects. His current role is a continuation of this but more accurately reflects his work that is no longer solely project based.

Contact Details

Tel: 0117 928 8281 (internal x88281)
Fax: 0117 954 6818
Email: r.h.edwards@bristol.ac.uk
Second floor, Senate House, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1HH.