Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
76 lines (47 loc) · 14.6 KB

Support.md

File metadata and controls

76 lines (47 loc) · 14.6 KB

Support and Wellbeing

Our research student community at UCL often have difficulty in navigating the support services available to them and the Support and Wellbeing team recognise research students may be facing additional mental health challenges due to the disruption and uncertainty caused by coronavirus (COVID-19). Here, the UCL Support and Wellbeing team have tried to pull together and explain the support services that you as research students can access and be sign posted towards along with some useful information.

This page focusses on the overarching areas supported by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team within Student Support and Wellbeing.

If you are ever in doubt or are concerned about your ability to engage with services, or provide feedback on the support you received, please contact our team directly on 020 7679 0100 (lines are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or via askUCL student enquiry system.

Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct

  • Report+Support allows all UCL students and staff to report bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct anonymously, or with their contact details.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

  • UCL Care First Lifestyle provides support to students currently in the UK. Students outside the UK should contact the Global Student Assistance Programme, providing free, confidential support, at any time of day. Research students are able to access the full offer from Care First Lifestyle as are staff. This means that as well a phone and online counselling they can receive face-to-face counselling. To access face-to-face counselling research students need to be referred by a member of Student Support and Wellbeing (020 7679 0100 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm or via askUCL). Research students can of course also use Care First as all other students, which offers them a brief solution-focused therapy (BSFT) model. This is a short-term counselling approach which allows flexibility.

  • SilverCloud is online, self-led Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and as with Care First Lifestyle, research students can access the full Silver Cloud provision available to staff. Research students need only to log-on and will be able to view the long list of modules to choose from to help them overcome the area of difficulty they are currently facing. Modules focus on 3 overarching themes; Mental Health, Wellbeing and Chronic Health.

  • Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing Team advisers offer research students solution focused, non-therapeutic support, advice and guidance. Students can access the service via phone (020 7679 0100 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or via askUCL. The team has a daily offer of same-day appointments as well as appointments available for students to book in advance. Students can elect to talk to a Mental Health Coordinator, Wellbeing Advisor or Disability Advisor. The Wellbeing team can provide advice on support that might be suitable for a research student as well as setting up reasonable adjustments and practical support for students with long term mental health conditions, likely to impact them for the duration of their studies. To book one of these appointments, please submit an enquiry through askUCL.

  • Student Psychological and Counselling Services / All students are able to access support via Psychological and Counselling Services (SPCS). The Wellbeing team do recommend that research students consider Care-First Lifestyle as a first option due to the volumes attempting to access SPCS. SPCS are a team of psychiatrists and counsellors who offer a range of short-term counselling and therapeutic approaches. Support is offered face-to-face, online and via telephone. Students are required to register using an online form via askUCL to access support and all students are triaged within 24 hours by a team of duty-counsellors. Students who are deemed high risk will be contacted at this point, otherwise the average wait time for an initial appointment is 2-3 weeks. To book one of these appointments, please submit an enquiry through askUCL.

  • Mindfulness App for Stress Management / Many research students experience stress and in particular, the past year has caused a lot of additional stress and worries. The following are useful resources for research students who are experiencing stress, to a degree that they can manage themselves. 10 minute mind is a mindfulness app created by UCL. It can be helpful in ensuring students are taking a break from studies and training their minds to relax.

  • Student Space by Student Minds has a number of articles and resources for students studying through the Covid-19 pandemic. It is led by Student Minds, who are a charity focusing on the mental health and wellbeing of students studying in the UK.

  • UCL Disability Support / Students who have an ongoing mental health condition, which has lasted or will last 12 months or more, or for the duration of their studies, can register as a disabled student. Disabled students are able to access reasonable adjustments to their studies as is our duty in line with Equality Legislation. Reasonable adjustments are implemented via a Summary of Reasonable Adjustments (SORA), which can be implemented by the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. Reasonable Adjustments can also be implemented separate to the SORA such as practical adjustments and person-based adjustments. These are funded adjustments and are also assessed and implemented by the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. For students who experience mental health conditions they offer Mentoring Support, which is weekly or bi-weekly meeting with a Mental Health professional to develop strategies for managing academic study alongside their health. Students can contact the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing Team via phone (020 7679 0100 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or via askUCL.

  • Mental Health First Aiders is a network of staff across UCL who are trained to have a conversation about mental health with colleagues and students and to signpost them to relevant resources. They have received Adult Mental Health First Aid training from MHFA England. Please click the below to find out the contact details of Mental Health First Aider in your faculty.

  • Wellbeing issues / Many wellbeing issues can be addressed via the above support services; in particular by contacting the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. The team work closely with the following external agencies to provide specific support:

    • Sexual Misconduct and Violence. Students can be referred to Rape Crisis or Survivors UK for those who have been affected by sexual misconduct or violence for either support and / or specialist counselling services.

    • Support for Trans students and students who are having difficulty with their gender identity. Students can be referred for mentoring support via Gendered Intelligence to provide specialist support and guidance on their identity as a Trans person or in understanding their gender identity.

    Please contact SSW team directly on 020 7679 0100 (lines are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or via askUCL student enquiry system.

  • Student of Concern / If you are concerned about a UCL student and would like Student Support and Wellbeing to actively try and reach out / make contact with them, you can complete a Student of Concern form. Student Support and Wellbeing respond to these forms within 24 working hours. They will follow up with you following the submission of the form to let you know the actions they have taken and whether the student has been contacted.

  • Keeping in Touch Campaign in UCL has a team of student ambassadors calling students to check in on them during lockdown and signpost them to any necessary support. SSW is planning to recruit and train some PGR student ambassadors to ensure the research students get the opportunity to speak to other research students in the same positions they are in.

  • UCL Wellbeing Champions are voluntary members of staff who implement and support Wellbeing @UCL through effective signposting, knowledge of available support, organising and promoting wellbeing activities, and encouraging healthy lifestyles and positive mental health.

  • UCL Report and Support / Students are encouraged to use Report and Support should they wish to report any experiences of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct or violence. You can report with the consent of a student on their behalf if they do not feel able, but want to report. Students can decide if they want to be supported or if they just wish to report. If you want to be supported, you can elect from a group of roles who you want to be supported by. If students are choosing just to report, they can also elect to report anonymously.

  • Student Union UCL and Advice Service are a great source of advice and support. As well as the Advice Service, which can offer advice on a wide range of services from tenancy issues to academic issues, there are the various networks and Officers. The networks and Officers that the Wellbeing team refer to regularly are:

    • UCL Student Parents and Carers Society
    • Welfare and international officer
    • Post graduate Officer
    • LGBTQ+ Students Network

  • Postgraduate Project Active is about feeling empowered and having fun, but most of all enjoying being active in whatever way works for you. Postgraduate Project Active sessions are open to all Postgraduate UCL students and staff.

External Support

  • Samaritans offer a free listening service any time of day and night. To contact please call 116 123 (free call) or email jo at samaritans.org.

  • Nightline is a listening service for students led by students, which offers support term time over night. Contact via phone +44 (0)207 631 0101 or email listening at nightline.org.uk.

Contact

This page was cribbed from an email sent by the DocSch.Head on 8th March, 2021.