What does the Student Advice Team do?

We are here to represent your interests while at Staffordshire University by empowering you to make the right decisions for your circumstances, including student finance, money, housing and academic issues.

We can also advise and represent you during formal university proceedings, whether that's for Academic Conduct, Student Conduct or Fitness to Practice cases. It's really important that you contact us as soon as you have been made aware of any allegations made against you so that we can help. You are entitled to representation and we are here for you, so please contact us if you are facing conduct or disciplinary proceedings. 

To get general advice via email, get in touch with us at studentadvice@staffs.ac.uk 

If you are looking to book an appointment and speak with us, you can now book online using this form. New appointment slots are released each day and you can book a few days in advance. 

Our service is free, confidential, independent and impartial.

How we can help

Student Finance
  • Student Finance
  • Benefits
  • Financial Hardship & Crisis
  • FoodHub
Academic Advice
  • Guidance on Academic Regulations
  • Exceptional Circumstances
  • Academic Conduct
  • Complaints and Appeals
Housing Advice
  • Checking Tenancy Agreements
  • Council Tax
  • Issues with landlord/ other tenants
  • Tenancy Deposits
Disciplinary Matters
  • Fitness to Practice/ Study
  • Student Disciplinary Procedure
  • Academic Conduct Procedure

Meet our team

Danny Walker (Advice Manager)
I'm Danny and I'm the Advice Manager at the Students' Union. As well as advising students, it's my role to manage the team, and our service, to ensure that it's the best it can be. I've worked at the Students' Union since 2017 and, before joining Staffs, I was as a caseworker for a Member of Parliament and previously worked at KeeleSU. I also sit on the national committee for the Advisers and Caseworkers in Students' Unions (ACSU) network as the regional lead for the Midlands. On the odd occasion that I'm not in the office, you'll probably find me with my feet up watching sport as  I'm a long-suffering fan of Walsall FC and follow the fortunes of the Harlequins rugby team too.
Diya Rattanpal (SU London Co-ordinator)
I'm Diya and I'm the Students' Union Co-ordinator based at Staffordshire University London. I joined the team in 2021 from De Montfort Students' Union and it's my role to provide advice and guidance to students in London alongside working with the Student Voice team on representation and the Student Engagement Team on events and activities. When I'm not working, you'll often find catch me playing PS5, binging elite tv shows (in my opinion at least), or geeking out about the MCU. And yes - Scarlet Witch is the most powerful Avenger. 
Martin Edwards (Adviser)
I'm Martin and I'm an Adviser at the Students' Union. I started out working at Citizens Advice before coming to Staffs, and it is my mission to enable students to get the best out of their student experience. In my spare time I create and perform music on various instruments.
Ralph Hayward (Adviser)
I started advising students in November 1997 after spending two years advising the general public with Citizens' Advice. I find it rewarding to try and empower people to take control of their own lives and situations. I try to find ways of unpacking often-complex regulations or systems such that people can navigate through problems for themselves. Away from work, I retain an academic interest in Reformation/Cranmerian liturgy coupled with ideas about the impact of beliefs (and how we speak of those beliefs) on our thought patterns and wellbeing. I still occasionally roll polyhedral dice; dabbling in Runequest Glorantha.

How do I contact the Student Advice Team?

To book an appointment, fill out our booking form here. New appointment slots are released each day and you can book a few days in advance. 

Alternatively, you can email us for advice.

We predominantly host our appointments through Microsoft Teams for your convenience or we can call you. If you need to speak with an Adviser face-to-face for a particular reason, please call us on 01782 294629 to discuss. This is because our booking system randomly allocates an Adviser to your appointment and it is not currently able to tell if an Adviser is working on campus, or remotely, on any given day.

Attending your appointment

All students have access to Microsoft Office 365 which you can log into with your University account. This includes MS Teams.

Advisers will be able to contact you by voice call or video link, even if they are working away from the university and do not have access to the phone network. Teams can also be accessed from a web browser if you don’t have the software.

However, if you have a smart phone you can download the Teams app from the App Store or Google Play. It will allow you connect with an adviser using your mobile phone like any other messenger app. This may be preferable if you aren’t near a computer.

If you have any queries, get in touch at with us at studentadvice@staffs.ac.uk or call us on 01782 294629