What will happen at my appointment?

You will have the opportunity to give your adviser all of the details of your case. The adviser will make notes with your permission and use these to create a casefile for you. Your adviser will ask questions of you to clarify the chronology of events and establish exactly what situation is.

When are appointments available?

You can contact our Advice Service via The Base (Ground Floor, Liverpool Guild of Students) or ring 0151 7946868 to arrange an appointment, most appointments are scheduled for Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons, but it is of course possible to arrange appointments at other times if these are not suitable.

Will my tutors/department be told I have sought advice?

No, no action will be taken without your express permission in any aspect of your case. Our confidentiality policy explains this in detail and also outlines the circumstances in which we would breach it due to our obligations under law.

What do I need to bring to my appointment?

It is very helpful if you bring :

• Your course handbook.
• Any correspondence relating to the issue you are seeking advice about.
• Your transcript showing your progress on the course to date.
• A written statement outlining the chronological order of events - this can save you time in your appointment as your adviser will need to get this information from you in order to advise.

Where will my appointment take place?

In a private room within the Guild building. Please report to THE BASE whose staff will ring your adviser and let them know you are here. You can also report to the Membership Services office who can also let your adviser know you are here.

What happens to my casefile?

It is stored under lock and key in a secure office where only the Advice team have access to it. If at any time you wish to see a copy of your file please let us know and we will produce this for you. The cases are stored in an archive for 7 years from the last date of contact with your adviser and then destroyed by confidential shredding.

What is the difference between advice and counselling?

An adviser's role is to advise you on practicalities and give you information on the options open to you. An adviser will research the implications of each option with you in order that you can make an informed choice as to what action you take to solve the issue.

Counselling differs in that it gives you a chance to talk about your feelings about problems of a personal or emotional nature. The aim is to develop coping mechanisms and explore possible changes in your behaviour. The University Counselling Service is here to help you to look at problems of a personal and emotional nature so that you can begin to explore your alternatives.

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