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Advice

Your Students' Union Advice Service is open to all UWS students, offering free, independent, impartial advice to help you when you most need it.
Two people sat at a laptop talking to each other

Welcome to UWS Union’s Advice Hub, where you can find helpful information on a range of topics to help support you whilst you study at UWS. We provide a free, impartial advice service to all students at UWS.

Contact us

We offer help and support across a range of different areas, and even bring dogs onto campus for you to meet as part of our Paws Against Stress events. Email us on the address below to contact our advice workers, or explore all the areas of support we can offer you.

Meet the Advisers

      

     Barbara Robertson             Katie O'Gorman

Working Hours

The Advice Service is open between 9.30am and 16.30pm Monday to Friday. We offer online, telephone and in person appointments (subject to availability).   In person appointments and are available in Ayr, Lanarkshire and Paisley on the following days / times subject to availability:

Ayr: Tuesday 10am – 3pm

Lanarkshire: Monday & Tuesday 10am – 3pm

Paisley: Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 10am – 3pm

Online & Telephone appointments are available Monday to Friday: 10am – 4pm, subject to availability.

Confidentiality

Our Advice Service is commited to providing an impartial and confidential service to its clients. All of the information that you provide to us, including (but not limited to)  Emails  Case notes  Voice / Video / Text messages Will be stored securely for a maximum of four years, after which time it is deleted. The information you provide can be discussed between the Advisers and Management of the Advice team, but nothing will be disclosed to any other party without your consent, with the exception of the points raised below.  In certain situations, the Advice Service may have to breach your confidentiality and these situations are highlighted below: 

  • Where you disclose that you have committed or are committing a crime 
  • Where we are required to by an Act of either the Scottish or UK Parliaments.  
  • Where required to by Court Order.  
  • Where an adviser believes there to be a credible threat to your life or the lives of others.  

Where a Student Adviser believes that there may be a need to breach a clients confidentiality they will try to inform the client of this before escalating to the appropriate internal or external support or other services.

The fun stuff

In addition to providing support and guidance for students on various issues, the Advice Service also works to improve your wellbeing. As part of this we support and deliver a number of events throughout the year for students to enjoy. These include: 

Paws Against Stress

Each Trimester, the Advice Team in partnership with Canine Concern Scotland host our paws against stress events in Ayr, Lanarkshire and Paisley. These events see various therapet dogs and their handlers come to the Union for a series of twenty minutes session where you can play and pet with the dogs that come in. Places are limited for the event, so you should get to them early to avoid disappointment. You can find more information on the events in our Whats On page.

  • Two students sat on a sofa with a white dog
  • A white dog standing on its hind legs to get a treat
  • A student stroking a black lurcher-type dog
  • A student sat on a sofa with a white dog in their lap
  • A student sat on a sofa with a white dog in their lap
  • A student in a wheelchair with a white dog in their lap
  • Students and staff all sat on a bench surrounded by dogs
  • Three students sat on the floor with a brown and black collie-type dog
  • A student sat on a sofa with a white dog in their lap
  • A student sat on a sofa with a white dog in their lap

UWS Money Week

Each February the Advice Team at the Union and the Funding and Advice Team at UWS host a series of events in each campus which are designed to help students budget and make the most of their funding. There is lots to do at these events and quite a few freebies that are given away. You will be able to find more information about Money Week in our Whats On page.