Student Support

Policy

ACM strives to meet the particular needs of each student and to provide support and welfare services to learners which are useful, efficient, timely, and effective.

ACM provides learners with timely and complete information about the services available to them.

ACM ensures that policies and procedures are in place to ensure the care, safety and welfare of learners which are consistent with relevant legislation.

We also ensure that opportunities to access ACM’s courses are provided to learners with special needs.

ACM provides advice, support and welfare services to learners to assist them with issues that may arise during their study.  These support and welfare services are not limited to academic issues and encompass a range of issues related to student welfare and to adjust to life in Australia.

ACM’s advice and support services are provided at no additional cost to the student.

As necessary, ACM will organise referrals to professional counselling services for learners who face difficulties in their personal lives.   ACM can organise referrals for issues related to illness, bereavement, relationship problems, financial problems, or problems adjusting to a new lifestyle.

Referrals to external support services are made at no extra cost to the student.

Learners are fully informed of the welfare services available to them at orientation and in the student handbook.

Learners are informed if ACM has a commercial interest in any service that is provided to them.

Procedures

Information about learner support and welfare services is provided to learners in the following ways:

at orientation in the orientation presentation

  • use of the student handbook
  • via the student portal
  • by use of the weekly CEO’s email to learners
  • by trainer/assessors in the classroom environment
  • by notices on the student noticeboard
  • by request at the reception desk

The ACM Management Committee (comprising the CEO, the Student Services Manager and the RTO Manager), has collective responsibility for ensuring that information about learner support and welfare services is provided to learners and to staff in a timely and accurate way.

Information about student services is provided to new staff during their induction program.  Information is distributed in an ongoing way to existing staff by use of the fortnightly general staff meeting.  Information is provided in the agenda for the staff meeting, during the meeting and by the minutes of the meeting each fortnight.

Information about learner support and welfare services is also disseminated to staff by use of the weekly staff information email.

The following support and welfare services are available to ACM learners, all of which are provided to learners free of any additional charges or fees:

  • Issuing of documents (e.g. statements of attainment, letters of release etc.)
  • General welfare (e.g. assistance with personal, cultural and social needs, living skills, study skills)
  • Emergency assistance, support and referrals for learners in crisis situations
  • Assistance in understanding ACM’s policies and procedures (especially the complaints and appeals, monitoring course progress, and attendance procedures)
  • Basic financial literacy information and money management advice
  • Advice about part-time employment whilst studying
  • Referral to professional counsellors (e.g. psychologists, medical practitioners, social workers, careers guidance counsellors, lawyers, migration agents)

ACM does not charge  a fee for the referral to professional counsellors

  • Advice about accommodation and accommodation services
  • Assistance with OSHC (Overseas Students Health Cover) issues
  • Programs for settling into Australia
  • Student orientation
  • Academic assistance
  • Career advice
  • T. support
  • Peer mentoring
  • Industry mentoring
  • CV development
  • Learning and study assistance
  • Language, literacy and numeracy support
  • Social inclusion activities (including helping to organise special activities such as sporting teams, cultural events and sightseeing events

Standard documents will be issued within ten working days of submission at the reception desk by a student of an application for the document.

Standard documents are defined as:

  • statements of attainment
  • revised CoEs
  • outcomes of applications for credit transfers
  • outcomes of applications for deferment, suspension or cancellation
  • outcomes of applications for letters of release
  • outcomes of applications for RPL

Please refer to the Records Management for further details.

Learners must provide their USI and proof of identify before they will be issued with a document or allowed to view a document.  For current learners, the only acceptable proof of identity is a current student identification card.  For enrolment applicants and former learners, acceptable proof of identity is the learner’s passport or driver’s license.

All staff are made aware of their obligations to provide learning and welfare support to learners.

The following staff are directly involved in the provision of learner support and welfare services:

  • CEO
  • Student Services Manager
  • RTO Manager
  • Student Welfare Officer
  • LLN Skills Officer

The division of responsibilities for the provision of learner support and welfare services is delineated in the paragraphs which follow.

The Student Services Manager is the designated member of staff to be the official point of contact for learners who require or request support.  The Student Services Manager maintains current details of the support and welfare services available to ACM learners.

All staff members are bound by their duty of care to assist learners who are in need of help.  They are advised to do this by referring learners initially to the Student Services Manager.  All staff are advised during their induction session of their responsibilities for learner support and welfare.

The Student Services Manager will determine who of ACM’s staff is the most appropriate to provide the student with the advice and support required.  The Student Services Manager will make an appointment for the student to meet with that person.

Specific +

The following table summarises the responsibilities for the provision of advice, support and welfare services to learners:

This table is provided in the student handbook.

CEO Student Services Manager RTO Manager Student Welfare Officer LLN Skills Officer
Issuing documents    ✓      
Issues with student identification cards     ✓      
Information and advice about ACM’s policies and procedures   ✓   ✓   ✓   ✓  
Emergency assistance and referrals to learners in crisis situations   ✓   ✓     ✓  
Making available a checklist of professional counsellors   ✓   ✓     ✓  
Assistance in making appointments with relevant professionals   ✓   ✓     ✓  
Information, support and advice on financial issues, financial literacy and money management     ✓     ✓  
Personal, educational, and practical welfare needs   ✓   ✓   ✓   ✓  
Advice on cultural and social issues, and living skills   ✓   ✓     ✓  
Advice on part-time employment whilst studying   ✓   ✓     ✓  
OSHC issues     ✓     ✓  
Accommodation issues   ✓     ✓  
Help with settling in to Australia   ✓   ✓     ✓  
The ACM orientation program   ✓   ✓   ✓   ✓   ✓
Student orientation packs   ✓   ✓   ✓   ✓
Cultural and social events   ✓     ✓  
Recreation activities   ✓     ✓  
LLN skills assistance   ✓   ✓   ✓   ✓
Learning and study skills   ✓   ✓   ✓   ✓
Career advice   ✓   ✓   ✓  
I.T. support   ✓   ✓   ✓
Questions about visa conditions   ✓   ✓   ✓
Peer mentoring   ✓   ✓
Industry mentoring   ✓   ✓   ✓
CV development   ✓   ✓   ✓
Support for learners with special needs   ✓   ✓   ✓   ✓

Advice and support is provided to learners in one-on-one confidential sessions in which all records are by the staff member kept during and after the session in a safe and secure manner.  It is th responsibility of the staff member meeting with the student to ensure that all records are filed correctly after the meeting with the student.

Learners who are referred to service of any kind in which ACM has a commercial interest will be informed verbally, by the referring officer (the CEO, Student Services Manager, RTO Manager, Student Welfare Officer, or LLN Skills Officer), and in writing (by a letter signed by the CEO) of the nature of the commercial interest.

All learners are able to see the Student Services Manager and the RTO Manager during certain times each day.  The objective is to make accessible as possible the staff with whom learners are likely to need to consult.

Learners who require support or welfare assistance meet initially with the Student Services Manager, who will schedule further meetings as necessary.

The Student Services Manager will have an initial discussion with the learner about the issues raised by the learner.  It may be that the issues are amongst those for which the Student Services Manager has responsibility for providing advice and support.  If this is the case, then the Student Services Manager will endeavour, during the meeting, to make appropriate arrangements to deal with the issues.

If there is a need for the Student Services Manager to consult with other staff or external personnel about the issue(s), a further appointment will be made for the student and the Student Services Manager and other staff or external personnel, as appropriate.    The subsequent meeting will take place within two working days of the initial meeting between the student and the Student Services Manager.

If the issue is not amongst those for which the Student Services Manager has responsibility for providing advice and support, the Student Services Manager will make an appointment for the student to have a later meeting with the CEO, RTO Manager, Student Welfare Officer and/or LLN Skills Officer as appropriate.

The meeting with the appropriate ACM officer will take place within two working days of the initial meeting between the student and the Student Services Manager.

If, during the initial meeting, the Student Services Manager feels that the student requires external professional help, the Student Services Manager will assist the student in making an appointment.

The RTO Manager will be available for meetings with learners who wish to discuss academic issues, between 11:00am and 1:00pm and 4:00pm and 6:00pm Monday to Friday.  If a student wishes to discuss non-academic issues, the RTO Manager will direct the student to the Student Services Manager.

The RTO Manager will endeavour to resolve the student’s academic issue during the initial meeting.  If there is a need for the RTO Manager to consult with training and assessment staff or other staff about the issue, a further appointment will be made for the student and the RTO Manager and other training and assessment staff, as appropriate.

The subsequent meeting will take place within two working days of the initial meeting between the student and the RTO Manager.

Trainer/assessors will be available for meetings with learners outside of timetabled classes by arrangement between the student and the trainer/assessor.  Trainer/assessors are required to make themselves available for a reasonable period each week to address academic queries.  The RTO Manager is responsible for ensuring that trainer/assessors make themselves available to learners.

The Student Welfare Officer is responsible for the ACM peer mentoring scheme.  Learners who are nearing the completion of their program offer their services as volunteer mentors for beginning learners.  Finishing learners are encouraged to participate in the scheme, understanding that they are providing a benefit that otherwise beginning learners may not receive.

ACM’s objective is to have a peer mentor assigned to every beginning student.  It may be necessary for a particular peer mentor to be mentoring more than one beginning student.

Potential peer mentors must express their interest to the Student Services Manager by use of the “Peer Mentor Expression of Interest” form.  The Student Services Manager will interview each volunteer to ensure suitability for participation in the scheme and to explain how to most effectively mentor a beginning student.

Peer mentors are expected to spend approximately four hours in total during the first two weeks of their enrolment with the beginning student to which they have been assigned.  Peer mentors will, informally, introduce to ACM the student they are mentoring to, explaining the policies and procedures of ACM as they impact upon the beginning student.

The Student Welfare Manager is responsible for organising social and recreational programs for ACM learners.

Students are made aware in the enrolment offer of any arrangements that ACM has with third-parties for the delivery of services.  The Student Services Manager is responsible for ensuring that students are made aware of any changes to such arrangements.  The Student Services Manager will contact each student by email when a change is made to a third-party arrangement.

The RTO Manager is responsible for ensuring that each trainer makes an announcement to students about any changes to third-party arrangements.