In light of the requirements to work from home for what could be a significant amount of time, the Coventry University Group has established a way to ensure that staff and students stay connected not only with their immediate teams and peers, but also across the wider group. The Connections Matter initiative is an online platform which gives access to both staff and students to online resources and activities to stay connected with each other and support them to stay healthy, both physically and mentally.
In short:
The hub brings together both resources from the university as well as external sources and covers the following:
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- Mental health
- Physical health
- Public health
- Community support and volunteering
- Spirituality and Faith
- Students’ Union and Student Volunteering
- Postgraduate Students
- International Student Support
- Each area has a team lead that staff and students can reach out to with ideas and resources and there is new content and resources uploaded every week.
- Some examples of what the platform offers include home activity ideas from the Coventry University nursery, tips on working remotely while caring for others, support to explain Covid-19 to young children, advice on diet and nutrition, information on some of the virtual clubs that have been set up which include a virtual crafts club and a virtual book club and information on tutorials and challenges to get involved in.
- There is also a section for staff to share their stories about how they have been looking after their wellbeing, staying in touch, and how they have been volunteering and supporting the local community.
Alongside Connections Matter, students (and staff) also have access to the already established Mental Health Zone/Portal. This platform provides individuals with the opportunity to request scheduled one to one interventions staffed by qualified mental health professionals (currently being done online) in addition to enabling access to a range of information related to health and well-being.
For more information on Connections Matter, visit the Coventry University website.
