‘Eating Disorders In Students Services’ (EDISS)

Speak to our team to learn more about bringing our EDISS pathway into your college or university.

Weekly Student Support Group

Our recovery groups offer an open and supportive environment to discuss shared challenges, as well as providing a space to develop alternative coping mechanisms, establish a better relationship with self and reflect on life.

Students can join (or be professionally referred) from any university and the ‘drop-in’ nature of our groups allows students to find what works for them. With autonomy and flexibility, students are free to trial our services around their schedule.

 

One-to-One Services (Peer Support)

Our one-to-one support offers a safe environment to discuss and work through areas such as body image, relationship to food and exercise and coping with stress.

Students can also take advantage of our award-winning Befriending Service where our team will match an individual with one of our highly trained and supervised befrienders who volunteer to provide ongoing support throughout the 6-9 month programme. Learn more here.

Supporting Staff and Wellbeing Teams

We also offer support to members of staff working in our college and university partners as well as any alumni students up to 3 years following completion of their degree. In the case of supporting members of staff, EDISS will assess each case on an individual basis. Support for university staff and employees includes training in eating disorders where we are able to offer our CPD accredited Skills for Eating Disorder Support training modules and, on request, our experienced staff are delighted to contribute to student university lectures.

Psycho-education and Support Groups
Volunteer and Placement Opportunities
One-to-One Support and Befriending Service

A specialist approach to eating and exercise within an academic environment.

A unique aspect to our student pathway is that many of our team and volunteers have lived experience. They understand the challenges of university when you’re struggling with your mental health. Our EDISS model not only offers additional support where others may fall short but has been designed by alumni who have truly been there.

The service allows for users and students to access more than one service at any one time, as well as the choice of changing their method of support if for any reason the student feels they are not gaining any benefits.

Find us on your campus…

Our EDISS service is directly commissioned by a growing number of schools, colleges and universities providing a dedicated support service available to students, as well as campus support staff and teachers and lecturers. To learn more about how our EDISS programme can support you and partnership opportunities, contact us today!

Don’t just take our word for it…

“My specialist support office has been absolutely brilliant. He has been incredibly supportive and had helped me through some very testing times. He has given me multiple, useful, and sustainable strategies to help combat my eating disorder. I’d like to thank him from the bottom of my heart for everything he has done for me.”
Service User, First Steps ED

“This service has made an incredible difference to my recovery. The management report that I received was fantastic, and it gave me a space to speak open, honestly, and freely. Honestly, the experience has changed my life, and I am incredibly grateful for the support that I have received from First Steps.”

Service User, First Steps ED
“I don’t find myself ruminating on things anymore, which is fantastic. Thank you for all of your help, I find myself going back to our conversations whenever I need to remind myself of what’s really important. You really helped me a lot and I feel my quality of life is so much better because of it, I’m confident you are doing the same for others too.”
Service User, First Steps ED
“It’s a valuable resource for support in a comfortable, non pressurising environment, giving me something to come away with, advice to think about and apply into practice.”
Service User, First Steps ED
“It made me realise that other people are experiencing the same as me which made me feel not alone and seeing others also try to recover motivated me to do the same.”
Service User, First Steps ED

“I really like how people interact in the chat and I am able to relate to things other people are struggling with. It makes me feel less alone.”

Service User, First Steps ED
“I thoroughly enjoy the sessions and find them extremely helpful – it makes me feel less alone in all of this.”
Service User, First Steps ED
“It’s provided a constant reminder and push to keep being active in recovery and it makes me feel less alone when I’m struggling.”
Service User, First Steps ED

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