Many UCL staff in pastoral roles with students or as employee line managers will be the first point of contact for conversations around mental health and wellbeing or those experiencing difficulties. As we start a new term, here are some reminders of support systems and guidance available for staff in various roles.
In an emergency, always call 999. For students in need of an urgent support but not an emergency response, you can submit a Student of Concern referral: Student of Concern form
Staff guidance for supporting students who are facing difficulties
There are several ways to support students at UCL who are experiencing difficulties.Student Triage and Referral Tool
To help find the best way to advise, signpost and support the student appropriately if you’re worried about the wellbeing of a current UCL student is to use the newly-expanded Student Triage and Referral Tool.Students approach staff with a range of difficulties, from a recent trauma to academic or financial problems and sometimes it’s not always clear what the best way to support them is. The Student Triage and Referral Tool offers guidance to the staff member about how to advise, signpost and support the student appropriately.
In addition, some staff in relevant roles receive specialised training on how to support students, but staff can escalate to staff in dedicated roles in their departments and faculties, including the Director of Education and Student Experience for their Faculty.
Other ways of supporting students are:
- Help students to identify their support network and consider using the support services available at UCL through Student Services and Wellbeing (SSW). Students can contact the 24/7 Student Support Line. This free, confidential service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in 35+ languages. You can call +44 (0) 808 238 0077.
The UCL Here to Support You Guide has a lot of useful information and resources: ucl_here_to_support_you_guide_2024-25_digital.pdf
Other contact options are available for those who don’t want to speak on the phone.
In an emergency, always call 999. For students in need of an urgent support but not an emergency response, you can submit a Student of Concern referral: Student of Concern form
Welfare checks by Student Resident Advisers for students in UCL accommodation can also be requested via the Student of Concern portal.
UCL can also call a student’s trusted contact if there is a serious welfare concern under UCL’s Trusted Contact policy.
- Book an appointment with Student Support and Wellbeing Services
You can submit an enquiry through askUCL or call +44 (0)20 3108 8836.
Students can use this tool to report bullying, sexual misconduct, harassment, or sexual violence.
SRS Casework Team also have an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser and Student Support Officers. The email is: casework@ucl.ac.uk
The London Nightline team at UCL provide confidential listening, support and information to students in London throughout the night during term time.
The UCL Crime Prevention and Personal Safety Advice
Use the Digital Accessibility Hub
This hub provides access to assistive technology software to help students study independently.
- Contact Samaritans
- You can call Samaritans on 116 123 to talk to someone at any time, day or night.
There are various wellbeing staff resources staff can access, including guidance on how to respond to and support others who may be having a difficult time, whether inside or outside of work: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/workplace-health
The Employee Assistance Programme is a free employee support service. Call 0808 196 5808 to speak to a professional counsellor or information specialist in confidence. The EAP can provide information on support services in your local area, and short term, face-to-face counselling to help get you back on track.
The service is confidential, with 24/7 mental health support in seconds, by phone. Speak to information experts on legal, financial, housing and family related issues. Support is available for both personal and work-related matters.
Within Report and Support, there is guidance on handing a disclosure from a colleague or direct report, with information on how to respond and how to report, either anonymously or with contact details.
A disclosure involves a person sharing an incident or experience of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct. This may be a recent incident, or it may have occurred in the past.
Every experience and disclosure will be different, and as a result, there is no one-way to respond.
You may not recognise a disclosure at first, and the affected person may not use terms such as ’bullying’ ’harassment’ ’assault’ or ’misconduct’ to describe their experience. However, it is important to listen and enable them to describe their experience in their own words.
Sharing an experience of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct is an act of trust and it is important that you affirm the affected person is not to blame.
In addition, the Workforce Health department delivers mental health and wellbeing briefings to departments. The team also recently launched a new online self-paced Mental Health Training for Line Managers.
We also have a People Management Essentials course which includes information on mental health and how best to support direct reports.
Managers who are concerned about their staff can also use our occupational health service to refer their employees via a management referral: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/workplace-health/occupational-health-services/management-referral-process
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