Service Purpose
The Advice Place mission:
We provide a professional, non-judgemental, and accessible advice service for all students at the University of Edinburgh. Our service is free, independent, and confidential. In all cases we will do our utmost to advise and support each service user to the fullest extent of our capabilities. If there is anything else appropriate we can do to help, we will. In all that we do we seek to uphold the EUSA values of excellence, endeavour and enhancement.
Service Details
What we provide:
The Advice Place provides information, advice, and- where appropriate- negotiation, advocacy, and referral in the following key areas:
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Money – grants, fees, debt, discretionary funding, university bursaries and grants, banks and insurance, small loans, late awards, educational sponsorship
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Academic - appeals, complaints, course changes and problems, academic misconduct e.g. plagiarism
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Benefits – income support, job seekers allowance, housing benefits, council tax, disability, tax credits, employment and support allowance
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University Policies and Regulations – complaints, discipline, understanding procedures
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Accommodation – landlord and tenant disputes, service provision problems, accommodation choices, tenants’ rights, repairs, leases, deposits
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Personal – health, harassment
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Employment – Employment rights, tax, and National Insurance
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City information
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University information
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Remote reporting and reporting crime directly to the police
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C-Card scheme
This list is intended to give an overview of our main areas of advice; if we are not able to offer advice in relation to a specific enquiry, we will always endeavour to suggest an alternative service. It is our intention that every student receives an overview of their options and a named contact in the Advice Place to follow up with if necessary.
We also provide free phone and internet use for students where it is deemed appropriate by advisers.
Service users
The Advice Place serves the following groups:
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All Edinburgh University students
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Prospective University of Edinburgh students
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University staff, EUSA Staff
Service delivery
The Advice Place deals with enquiries via the following methods:
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Drop in to the office at Potterrow or King’s Buildings
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Appointments at other locations on request
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Telephone
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Email and mail correspondence
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Social networks
The Advice Place service is delivered by:
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Professional advisory staff, trained to provide generalist advice and individual specialist areas of expertise.
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Student volunteers who have successfully completed an appropriate training programme.
Service levels
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The Advice Place is open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 17:00pm in the Potterrow office (open till 7pm on Tuesdays, open at 10.30 am on Wednesdays)
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Opening hours 11am to 2pm at King’s Buildings ( term time only)
Telephone and email enquiries – the Potterrow office from 9.00am to 5pm Monday to Friday (10.30am on Wednesdays and until 7pm Tuesdays )
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In addition to office hours, appointments can be made outside opening hours and at alternative location by prior arrangement.
Principles of the service
The Advice Place staff and volunteers are committed to upholding the following principles:
We offer the service to all students at the University of Edinburgh. In all cases we will seek to avoid situations where the same adviser is acting for opposing parties in a dispute, with appropriate referrals being attempted in such situations.
We act on behalf and in the interests of the service user, advising independently of the University of Edinburgh or any other organisation or authority.
The service user’s experience is at the centre or all our interactions. Service users are acknowledged as soon as they enter the office and advice staff endeavour to make each service user feel valued.
We will not divulge the name, address or personal details of the service user’s enquiry to any outside agency (including the University) without prior permission. Service user’s have the right to access records relating to their case provided that such access does not breach the confidentiality of other parties.
We seek to enable service users to act on their own behalf, giving them the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions. We do not assume the responsibility for making the service user’s decision.
Responsibilities:
As the needs of the student population change, we continuously develop our resources, including staff and volunteer knowledge and skills, online and physical resources.
As the student population is constantly evolving, we will continuously promote the service and our feedback mechanisms through: poster and online campaigns, relationships with university staff, welcome talks for new students and outreach stalls, in order to maximise student awareness and access to our service.
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Quality Service Provision
In order to provide a valuable service for all students, we seek to continuously improve and develop the service by being receptive and responsive to feedback.
Operating Links
The Advice Place team develop and maintain effective relationships with other EUSA and external departments/individuals in order to fulfil the above functions. In particular we encourage effective communication and a mutual exchange of appropriate information.
Key working relationships include those with: the Academic Registry, Student Counselling, Careers and Disability Service, the Institute for Academic Development, the Chaplaincy, the International Office, Widening Participation. In addition to these, staff maintain relationships with the University’s Colleges and Schools, as well as other external support agencies such as SAAS and SFE.
Measuring and Reporting Results
The Advice Place monitors and reports results on volume of queries, query types, client base, and service standards. Reports are made to the Chief Executive of the Association and the University’s Quality and Assurance Committee.
Volume and Query Types
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Overall number of queries dealt with on a quarterly/annual basis
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The number of queries by category
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The number of queries by method of contact
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The number of queries by site
Client base
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Client base by fee status and level of study (undergraduate or postgraduate)
Service standards
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Percentage of clients seeing an adviser within an acceptable response time ( as defined by service users)
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Percentage of clients rating staff as being approachable and welcoming
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Percentage of clients who would recommend the service to others
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Results are monitored and reported via the following methods:
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Ongoing recording of client queries by site, fee status, type of contact and category of query;
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A continuous feedback survey promoted on the website, email signatures and via social network sites (Results are reviewed monthly and responded to accordingly);
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Surveys conducted on outreach stalls at outlying university sites;
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An Advice Place survey conducted on an annual basis;
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Regular reporting of results to EUSA’s Vice President Societies and Activities, the EUSA Representation Manager, the EUSA Chief Executive and the University Senate's Quality and Assurance Committee;
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Production of an Advice Place Annual Report for the attention of University committees and personnel and EUSA Executive Office Bearers.
Feedback
The Advice Place welcomes feedback from its service users and views their input as an opportunity for continuous improvement of the service offered.
Feedback concerning the service is welcomed via the following channels:
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The Advice Place Continuous Feedback survey
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Outreach surveys
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Email - advice@eusa.ed.ac.uk
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EUSA’s Vice President Societies and Activities - vpsa@eusa.ed.ac.uk
Any student who wishes to put forward a complaint concerning the service they have received should put it in writing, for the attention of the Advice Place Co-ordinator,. Gin Lowdean - ginette.lowdean@eusa.ed.ac.uk.
Complaints should be made within 28 days of any specific incident or problem arising. Outwith this time frame all feedback and suggestions are welcomed and gratefully received.
If service users would like to discuss any aspect of the service or service statement they can contact the Advice Place Co-ordinator, Gin Lowdean- ginette.lowdean@eusa.ed.ac.uk.