This week’s blog is by Wendy McColl, Head of Student Experience, Ayrshire College. Colleges Scotland is marking the diversity and variety of work that Scotland’s 24 colleges do with our new blog series, 24 in 2024.

Equipping students with the skills to identify their own solutions and support mechanisms is a vital yet often undervalued aspect of their overall learning experience. Investing time in these areas can have long-lasting and far-reaching consequences throughout a student’s life, stretching beyond education and into the world of work. 

Ayrshire College prides itself on being an inclusive and trauma-informed college; dedicated to listening to and empowering our students. We are committed to driving change and delivering outstanding student experiences. Yet the impact of poor mental health and wellbeing on our student population cannot be underestimated. 

Poor mental health reporting from adolescents in Scotland is on the rise with 15% of 16 to 24-year-old males and 20% females reporting a mental health condition in the 2022 Census. This picture takes in a host of contributing factors such as the cost-of-living crisis, the continued legacy of the pandemic and increasingly overstretched mental health services. It is present in a myriad of ways in a college setting, including absenteeism, poor concentration, falling behind on coursework, and disruptive behaviour.

Ayrshire College takes pride in being flexible, agile and trauma-informed in our response to changes in student needs. We have developed and invested in our workforce with innovative training, processes and collaborative partnerships. These ensure students have easy access to professional services and the most up-to-date information that best supports their mental health and wellbeing. 

Our work in this area has also been influenced by the Student Mental Health Action Plan, which was launched by the Scottish Government in September 2024 as a roadmap for enhancing student mental health and wellbeing.

Identifying Wellbeing Needs 

One area of priority was identified through our student safeguarding process. Safeguarding concerns were increasing daily, which was creating a worrying picture. The Student Experience Team investigated further to determine how best to offer the right support to our students. It was noted that, in many cases, the concerns raised were not directly related to safeguarding issues and more to supporting mental health and wellbeing needs.

In response to these findings, an Engagement & Wellbeing Team was established to deliver a more specialised style of support aimed at early intervention and the promotion of positive mental and physical health and wellbeing.

We looked at the College infrastructure and at formats that would work across the institution to enable greater internal collaboration and embed this new supportive practice. After further investigation and consultation with staff and students, we devised a new process focusing on identifying, supporting, signposting, raising awareness, strengthening resilience and, most importantly, empowering our students. 

Personalised and Inclusive Approaches

The first stage of this was the development of a Wellbeing Concern form, a new reporting tool that allows staff to log any mental health and wellbeing issues impacting on students. We then needed some form of communication across our curriculum teams and other support services, which would allow them to identify and support students. This became our Wellbeing Plan, which captures the student’s voice in relation to their mental health and wellbeing support needs.

The Wellbeing Plan was created via a co-design process. We listened to students, discussed their needs and collaborated with them to identify partners, strategies and tools to support and develop independence.

Working with our Business Intelligence and Information System colleagues we were able to seamlessly integrate this with existing Education Support processes to create a comprehensive support network. Students have access to their Wellbeing Plan to allow them to revisit the information at times of need. They can also download the Plan and take it with them when they progress into employment or higher education.

Empowering Students and Building a Resilient Workforce

Working with our students, external partners and local employers as a partner of choice, we aim to support our local communities and the regional economy and national economy by enabling the future through building a highly skilled and resilient workforce.