Standard
The wellbeing needs of the VET student cohort are identified and strategies are put in place to support these needs.
Performance Indicator
The RTO demonstrates:
(a) it identifies the wellbeing needs of the VET student cohort, as relevant to the training content, and appropriate wellbeing support services
(b) it advises VET students of the actions they can take, the staff they may contact and the wellbeing support services that are available.
Intent of Standard 2.6
Wellbeing can be a significant contributing factor to a student’s ability to engage in, and progress through, VET. Poor physical, mental, emotional or financial wellbeing can act as a barrier to learning and prevent students from participating in training or completing a training product. By putting strategies in place to uphold student wellbeing, RTOs can help enhance student engagement and satisfaction, support progression and completion and create a safe learning environment, contributing to a positive reputation for the RTO and VET more broadly.
The intent of Standard 2.6 is to support the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of the student cohort, ensuring they are able to access appropriate supports. RTOs are expected to be aware of risks to students wellbeing and put strategies in place to protect and uphold the safety and wellbeing of the student cohort.
While RTOs are not required to deliver all wellbeing support services directly, they must advise students of available supports and help them to access these supports as appropriate (for example, by providing information about, or referring students to, external support services and resources).
For example, depending on the wellbeing needs of the cohort of students the RTO may organise or advertise the availability of:
- external counselling services providing vocational, emotional and psychological support
- services to assist in accessing financial support for students at risk of discontinuing their training on financial grounds.
The Standards do not limit the range of wellbeing support services that an RTO can provide or refer students to, and it is a matter for the RTO to consider the wellbeing needs of its student cohort. Whatever is offered, the RTO should ensure that staff are made aware of the supports and have a system for informing students of available supports.
It is recognised that individual wellbeing is influenced by a number of factors, many of which may not be in the control of the RTO. RTOs are not responsible for ensuring wellbeing support services are taken up by students. However, RTOs may seek to understand student uptake and satisfaction with support services including through feedback from students. This should also inform continuous improvement.
Considerations specific to certain types of RTOs
The extent of wellbeing support services expected to be identified for students will depend on context, including the size of the RTO, the student cohort and the nature and duration of the training. RTOs will be expected to demonstrate how they have considered these factors in determining the most appropriate strategies for their RTO.
Where enterprise RTOs form part of a larger organisation with existing employee support systems, it is expected that the RTO is aware of and able to coordinate access to these supports with the consent of the employee/ student.
Self-Assurance Considerations
In self-assuring against this Standard, consider (among other things):
- how your student cohort, training mode, strategies and content may influence the types of wellbeing support services needed to support students at different stages of their learning journey; recognising needs may change over time
- how staff are informed of the RTOs wellbeing support strategies, supported to identify when individual students need wellbeing support (relevant to their role) and supported to refer students to available supports
- how you monitor the appropriateness and effectiveness of the strategies you have to support student wellbeing and to inform continuous improvement
Standard 2.6 – Reflective Questions
In considering the reflective questions, consider the extent to which your current practices are working and what if any, changes you could make to improve these. It may be helpful to think about examples.
- What do you have in place to identify the wellbeing needs of the student cohort?
- How do you determine the most effective mix of strategies and and wellbeing services to support the students?
- How do you ensure students are made aware of the available supports?
- How do you seek feedback from students about the RTOs wellbeing support strategies and supports?
Related Standards
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