3 September 2021
Fife College and Fife Health & Social Care Partnership (FH&SCP) have announced the extension of a key role within the College’s student support team.
The Health and Wellbeing Adviser role, delivered in partnership between the College and the FH&SCP, was created in 2018 to give students onsite support and access to information and advice to support their physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.
Improving accessibility of support for students to gain control over and enhance their mental health and wellbeing was also a vital element when the post was created.
Initially intended for three years, the role has now been extended, further underlining the partnership’s commitment to provide tailored support for all students and the college staff that work closely with them.
John Blakey, who has been in post since the role was introduced, has created and delivered several projects which have led to the College taking an earlier intervention approach to health and wellbeing.
Recent projects include the launch of a Fife College Student Health app which will help ensure students have current and relevant health information, advice, and resources at their fingertips, keeping health and wellbeing at the forefront of the support offered by the College.
Health and Wellbeing Adviser at Fife College, John Blakey said:
“I am delighted that the role has been extended. I believe the initiatives that we have implemented in the first three years have already made a real difference to the lives of many students and staff within Fife College.
“I look forward to working with our partners at NHS Fife to support more students and staff to maintain and improve their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.”
Fiona Lockett, Senior Health Promotion Officer at Fife Health & Social Care Partnership, said:
“From a Health Promotion perspective, we are pleased to continue the long-standing relationship that we have with Fife College.
“Working closely with John, we can ‘hear’ the student voice and work with students to tackle health issues that are important to them. The extension of the agreement hopes to build on the many successes we have seen over the last three years.”
John has aligned health priorities right across the college, working with all departments and highlighting the advantages of wellbeing to all, making health and wellbeing a visible and tangible principle for all students in Fife College.
The extension of the partnership will also ensure the health and wellbeing strategy is sustained and new initiatives are introduced in the months and years ahead. These include plans within the new campus build in Dunfermline that focus on student physical and mental health, such as designated areas to support wellbeing.
Photograph: Fiona Lockett, Senior Health Promotion Officer Fife Health & Social Care Partnership and John Blakey, Health and Wellbeing Adviser at Fife College, are pictured outside Fife College’s Dunfermline.
