They have the advantage of knowing the stresses and strains of student life and can often offer support for the problems commonly encountered by students. However, if a student has serious emotional or mental health problems, peer support alone is unlikely to be enough, and help should be sought from a GP or counsellor.
Peer supporters can advise on the other forms of support available both within the college and beyond. Peer supporters are supervised on a regular basis by the University Counselling Service to make sure that the level of support they are offering is appropriate.
Further information about Peer Support at the University of Oxford, Mentoring at Oxford Brookes University and Student Mentoring at OCVC can be found by clicking on the links.