Students at two Sodexo-managed university accommodation facilities at Northumbria University and Bath Court at Birmingham University will be able to access personal assistant services. These services include travel bookings, downtime suggestions and shopping over the phone.
Circles aims to support university students by helping them settle into university life by taking away the ‘burden’ of everyday admin tasks. The new service will be particularly important to international students to help them arrange flights and transport.
Andrew Wilkinson, chief executive of schools & universities at Sodexo UK & Ireland, said: “Going to university can be a daunting experience and the introduction of social distancing measures will make it harder for new students to settle into university life. We have worked in close partnership with universities to introduce appropriate measures to protect the physical health of students, but protecting their mental health is also crucial.
“The introduction of Circles is another step in making sure that students living in accommodation we are managing have the support they need when they need it. Our latest research suggests that now more than ever, students require innovative tools to help them settle into their new surroundings and thrive academically.”
A new survey from Sodexo revealed that students are finding it hard to adjust to life during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research was conducted in partnership with Youth Sight who polled 566 students before (March) and during (June) the pandemic.
The survey found that while 75% of university students were satisfied with their lives before the pandemic, this dropped to 52% during the pandemic. Half of those surveyed (50%) were worried about their ability to get a job as a result of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jon Oxley, assistant director estates and facilities at Northumbria University, added: “Giving our students the opportunity to use this offer on such services such as travel arrangements, grocery shopping, arranging gifts for friends and family and additional cleaning services as and when they require, takes the Northumbria residential experience to a different level.
“In addition, having the concierge offer for students takes away stress and anxiety pressures and gives back crucial time to study and meet new friends.”