What To Do If....

• What to do if you have a concern about an individual student or a student discloses concerning information to you

  There may be times when you notice a change in a student’s behaviour that is causing you concern. It may be that they have become withdrawn,  they are struggling academically, you may be concerned with their use of substances, or they may disclose concerning information to you. There are a number of options available to you:

  1. Firstly, don't panic. Reassure the student that they have already taken the first step by speaking to you, and you want them to get the best support.
  2. If you are concerned for a student, you could invite the student in for a one to one meeting. In the meeting, You can let them know that you are concerned for them as you have noticed a change in their behaviour and give them the opportunity to have a discussion with you. If the student is reluctant to disclose anything or if the student says everything is ok, the best thing to do is let them know that if anything changes support is available so if they find at any time they do need to talk to someone then they can contact a range of Support Service available. 
  3. If you aren’t comfortable inviting the student in for a one to one meeting, you can make support information available to them. 
  4. Encourage/Signpost the student to the Student Wellbeing Drop-in service (Monday-Friday 11.00am – 3.00pm, Level 1, One Elmwood Student Centre). Seek agreement from the student that they will self-refer to Student Wellbeing (Student Wellbeing Form) and agree a timeline with them for doing this. Follow up with them to check if they have done so or if the student is unwilling or seems unlikely to self-refer, complete a staff referral (Staff Referral Form) on their behalf with as many details about your concern/their disclosure as you can provide, and what support has been provided. Ideally, this should be discussed and agreed with the student and their consent given but concerns and disclosures can be raised without student consent or permission. Student Wellbeing will then contact the student to offer support. If you would like to talk through any concerns before completing a staff referral form, email studentwellbeing@qub.ac.uk to request a call or teams chat with a Team member who will be able to advise you.
  5. Sometimes, when a student discloses personal information for the first time they can be reluctant to talk to anyone else about it. This may be because they feel overwhelmed or vulnerable. If you are in this situation reassure the student of your concern for them, that you want them to get the best support and that there may be limits to what you personally can do for them. Reassure them that they have already taken the first step and you will support them to access the support they need. This may include making an initial contact with another service on their behalf.
  6. If the disclosure relates to either sexual misconduct, online abuse, domestic abuse, bully, harassment and/or hate crime please refer the student to the Report + Support  portal. Staff can also complete a form on behalf of a student here

     Further information is available from the following link Managing a Disclosure of Sexual Misconduct

   

• What to do if you are concerned about a student who hasn't been attending lectures/placement or may be missing

  If you notice a student hasn't been engaging with academic studies, and there are no known wellbeing concerns. Schools should follow their normal procedures around absence management and attempt to link in with the student to re-engage them in their studies, e.g. through offering a student support meeting, AOS reach out etc.

  If you haven’t heard from or seen a student in a while and think they may be missing, it is important to act promptly!

  Communicate:

  • Check the last record of communication and check with other staff in the School.
  • Consider if there are other known factors that could indicate increased risk, for example; is the student registered with Disability Services? What is their academic standing? Where is the student living? Are they an international student? Is there any known history of mental health difficulties? Are there any ongoing investigations being conducted by Academic Affairs? (If there are concerns at this stage, contact Student Wellbeing by submitting a Staff Contact Form or in urgent situations contact Student Wellbeing by phone 028 9097 2893).

   

  If there are no additional risk factors, you should consider...

  • Ringing all numbers the student has provided on QSIS (The Student Wellbeing Service operate a 3 phone calls and an email policy when reaching out to students).
  • Sending emails to all addresses on QSIS and send a Teams message.
  • Checking if any fellow students know anything about their whereabouts and ask them to ask the student to contact their School.

   

  If additional concerns have been identified, and contact with the student has been unsuccessful, contact Student Wellbeing:

  Submit a Staff Contact Form detailing: 

  1. All efforts made to contact the student
  2. The last date of communication 
  3. Any information you know that would indicate increased risk.

  If there are urgent concerns contact Student Wellbeing immediately 028 9097 2893

   

  Student Wellbeing will...

  • Make several attempts to contact the student via phone, email, and Teams.
  • Inform the School if the student is not known to the Student Wellbeing Service
  • Inform the School if the student has not responded to any communication

   

  Where there are serious concerns Student Wellbeing will:

  • Contact the Student immediately.
  • Consider contacting the Student’s emergency contact on QSIS if they do not respond to communication.
  • Consider sending an email to the student notifying them that may be reported to the police as a missing person and the police may be contacted, if their emergency contact cannot be reached.
  • Update the School on the situation.

   

• What to do if a student tells you they want to hurt themselves or take their own life

  It’s unlikely that you will find yourself in this situation but, should a student disclose to you that they have an immediate plan to harm themselves or take their own life, the best advice from mental health professionals is that you should listen non-judgementally, give reassurance and encourage the person to get the appropriate professional help.

  Steps to take when a student is at immediate risk of harming themselves:

  • Don’t leave student on their own – you may wish to ask a colleague to assist you
  • Contact emergency services if necessary
  • Contact Student Wellbeing Service for support and agreement on next steps which may include contacting the student’s GP or their trusted contact
  • Agree follow up with student by Wellbeing Adviser (e.g. phone call or email within 24hours etc) 

  If this arises outside of normal office hours and the Student Wellbeing Service is not available, you should contact emergency services and QUB Security (ext. 2222) who can assist with this process. In all cases, inform Student Wellbeing by submitting a Staff Referral Form at the earliest working opportunity, and they can follow up with both you and the student.  

  Steps to take if a student has suicidal thoughts but is not at immediate risk:

  • Ensure student has Inspire (0808 800 8000) & Lifeline (0808 800 0016) numbers, and knows how to contact their GP or A&E if they feel at risk.
  • Advise the student that you have a duty of care to them and will need to pass on your concerns to the Student Wellbeing Service who will reach out to them e.g. phone call or email within 24 hours.
  • Engage with the Student Wellbeing Service and agree next steps 

   

• What to do if a student discloses to you that they have a disability

  As with any personal information that a student shares with you it’s important that your first response is positive and encouraging. You may be the first person they have shared this with and so how you respond may influence what they do next or how comfortable they are with sharing this personal information with others.

  You don’t have to be an expert but you can respond in a way which shows that you respect their situation and want to help them get the support they need. Some students are hesitant to disclose that they have a disability for fear of being treated less favourably or because they wish to be as independent as possible. 

  A good starting place is to ask if they have registered with Disability Services. If they haven’t done so you should suggest they contact Disability Services on 02890975251 or disability.office@qub.ac.uk. They can also be directed to the Disability and Wellbeing drop-in (Monday - Friday, 11.00am - 3.00pm, Level 1, One Elmwood Student Centre) for more information and support with accessing support through Disability Services

  You could also ask them if they are receiving support from their GP or another health professional. If not, you can encourage them to make an appointment to see their GP. It’s also helpful to give them the name and contact details of the Disability Adviser in their School so that they have a named person to follow up with.

  The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 defines disability as: “A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.” Students who have a diagnosed disability can access a range of supports and have reasonable adjustments put in place based on an individual assessment of need.

  Under the legislation it is deemed that if a student discloses a disability to one person in the University then the whole of the University is aware and must respond appropriately. For this reason, it is important that if you are in this situation you can demonstrate how you responded – sending a follow up email to the student advising them to contact Disability Services is one way of doing this. If you feel the student may have a barrier in contacting Disability Services it is good practice to offer to contact on their behalf and share contact details with their permission.  

  Sometimes, when a student discloses personal information for the first time they can be reluctant to talk to anyone else about it. This may be because they feel overwhelmed or vulnerable. If you are in this situation reassure the student of your concern for them, that you want them to get the best support and that there may be limits to what you personally can do for them. Reassure them that they have already taken the first step and you will support them to access the support they need. This may include making an initial contact with another service on their behalf.

  You must respect the confidentiality of the student and always seek agreement from the student before sharing any information with anyone else.

  The link to the Disability Policy is here

 

 

 

 

• What to do if you are advised of the death of a student

  The University has formal protocols relating to responding to serious incidents, including the death of a student on or off campus. If you are advised of the death of a student other than through a formal communication, it’s important to verify the accuracy of the report before any further action is taken. This should be done by contacting Security Control in the first instance

  • Security Control: internal 2222; external 028 9097 2222

  They will be able to verify if this information is already known within the University and, if it is not already known, they will ensure that the next steps in the University’s Serious Incident protocol are enacted.

  All media enquiries must be directed to Communications on 028 9097 5391.

  Once the death has been confirmed there will be an agreement with the student’s family as to what information may be shared and when this can take place. This agreement must be respected at all times.

  If you are concerned about the impact of the student’s death on other students, you can contact the Student Wellbeing Service. In the immediate period after the death it is likely that those affected (students and staff alike) will experience a range of emotions and responses. It’s important that their grief is acknowledged and that time and space is made available for people to talk about the person who has died, how they are feeling and what support is available to them. The Student Wellbeing Service can provide advice and guidance on how best to respond to this situation – each situation will be different and will need a personal response. Options might include facilitating an opportunity for students to come together to remember the student who has died, and the Student Wellbeing Team being available to support students individually or in groups. At this early stage it’s unlikely that counselling is the appropriate response – most people with support can work their way through their grief, painful though it may be. If you are concerned about how a particular student is coping you could suggest they make an appointment to see their GP. 

• What to do if a student tells you they are transgender or wish to transition

  As with any personal information that a student shares with you it’s important that your first response is positive and encouraging. You may be the first person they have shared this with and so how you respond may influence what they do next or how comfortable they are with sharing this personal information with others.

  You don’t have to be an expert but you can respond in a way which shows that you respect their situation and want to help them get the support they need. A good starting place is to see if they have discussed this with their GP or with a support organisation. If they haven’t done either you could encourage them to do so. Their GP can advise them on the medical aspects and refer them to more specialist services if appropriate. GenderJamNI is a social support & advocacy group for young transgender, gender variant, questioning and intersex people in Northern Ireland they can be contacted on 02890996819 or info@genderjam.org.uk.

  You can also suggest thy join the QUB LGBT+ Allies scheme, an informal network of LGBT+ Allies at the University LGBT+ Allies Scheme

  You can also suggest that they contact the Student Wellbeing Service by completing a Student Wellbeing Form for further advice and support around how their situation may be impacting on their wellbeing, coping with other people’s attitudes, or their ability to participate in their course. Some students may prefer you to make this contact on their behalf as they’ve already taken the first step by telling you and this may be as much as they can focus on for now. If this is the case then submit a Staff Referral Form

  Students can also attend the drop in service during term time (currently operates on a first come first served basis, Monday-Friday from 11am - 3pm, Level 1, One Elmwood Student Centre)

  Sometimes, when a student discloses personal information for the first time they can be reluctant to talk to anyone else about it. This may be because they feel overwhelmed or vulnerable. If you are in this situation reassure the student of your concern for them, that you want them to get the best support and that there may be limits to what you personally can do for them. Reassure them that they have already taken the first step and you will support them to access the support they need. 

  You must respect the confidentiality of the student and always seek agreement from the student before sharing any information with anyone else.

  The link to the Trans policy is here

   

• What to do if a student discloses to you they have been sexually assaulted

  A student could disclose to any staff member any time, particularly if they have already built up a trusting relationship with the person. It is important that you reassure the student of your concern for them, that you want them to get the best support and that there may be limits to what you personally can do for them. You don’t have to be an expert but you can respond in a way which shows that you respect their situation and want to help them get the support they need.

  Give the student control by allowing them to have choice over their situation. Listen to them but try not to ask too many questions- just stick to the facts.  It’s important that you don’t let the student give you any details of the alleged perpetrator of the alleged incident which may compromise any future investigation.

  Acknowledge that everyone will react in a different way and agree the next steps and what is your responsibility.

  The University has a reporting system Report + Support in place where students can receive support from qualified staff if they have been impacted by either sexual misconduct, domestic abuse, harassment, bullying,  online abuse and/or hate crime. Staff can also complete a report on a student behalf using the link

• What to do if a student discloses to you that they have been accused of sexual assault

  A student could disclose to any staff member any time, particularly if they have already built up a trusting relationship with the person. A student who is accused of sexual misconduct is entitled to receive appropriate advice, information and support from the University without judgement.

  If a student tells you that an accusation has been made against them you should reassure them of your concern for them, that you want them to get the best support and that there may be limits to what you personally can do for them. It’s important that you limit what the student tells you - you don’t want to have information which may compromise any future investigation.

  It’s also important that the student receives accurate advice and information at this stage. This is so they understand the processes which may be triggered, and the implications of these processes for them, particularly in relation to them as a Queen’s student. The student should therefore be signposted to the Conduct Regulations

  The University has a reporting system Report + Support in place where students can receive support from qualified staff if they have been impacted by either sexual misconduct, domestic abuse, harassment, bullying,  online abuse and/or hate crime. Staff can also complete a report on a student behalf using the link.

  The student should also be advised they can also contact SU Advice or seek independent legal advice.

 

 

• What to do if an international student has a query or concern about their visa

  Immigration Support Service are the only team that provides specialist advice in relation to visa and immigration matters including:

  • Applying for a visa to come to the UK
  • Extending your visa in the UK
  • Lost passport or visa
  • Errors on a visa
  • Withdrawing from the University
  • Changing course
  • ISS have a drop in service

  If a Student has a query about their visa or any related issue you should direct them to the ISS drop in service located on the 1^st Floor, One Elmwood Student Centre.

  Drop in is available:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 2.00pm – 3.30pm 
  • Wednesday 1.00pm – 2.30pm

  The ISS Drop-in service is only available for quick general queries, if students have a specific query, they are encouraged to email ISS@qub.ac.uk and make an immigration advice appointment with their Immigration Adviser.  This is to allow time to check the student’s full immigration history and confirm information with their School in advance of the meeting.

   

• What to do if a student needs help with a financial issue

  If the query relates to payment of financial enrolment of students, assessment/collection of tuition fees and related charges, or the administrations of University Bursary Schemes, students should be signposted to the Student Finance Office, Level 1 of the One Elmwood Student Centre.

  More information on Student Financial Support can be found here 

  All other queries should be signposted to Advice SU

  The SU also run a number of Cost of Living initiatives including The Pantry, a free refill station for students, on the ground floor of One Elmwood, which allows students to get cereals/grains, pasta/noodles/pulses, herbs/spices and household items.

  More information on COL initiatives and The Pantry opening hours can be found here

• What to do if a student needs help with an accommodation issue

  If the accommodation relates to University Accommodation the student should be encouraged to contact Elms Reception Email or visit their website here

  If the accommodation is in the private sector, the student should be encouraged to contact Advice SU

• What to do if a student has a query or concern about assessment?

  Assessment is something that each and every student will encounter and concerns around assessment can cover a wide range of issues.

  If a student has a specific query on one of their assessments, they should be advised to get in touch with the relevant module co-ordinator who will be best placed to provide support.

  However, they may be seeking more general information on assessment at Queen's.  The University’s Assessment Support Hub can help with this. This site is a one-stop shop for students to access a range of information and resources to support them with their assessment at Queen’s. It can also act as a toolkit for staff to engage with students who are struggling with a particular aspect of assessment, to help to guide them to the right source of support.

  The Assessment Support Hub has been aligned to three key pillars, so that information can be tailored to students depending on individual needs and circumstances. These are: Helping Students to Understand Assessment; Pre-Assessment Support Resource; and Assessment Adjustments and Mitigations. It covers topics such as why do we assess, managing deadlines, fit to sit, marking and moderation and Boards of Examiners to get students up to speed with our assessment processes.  It also signposts to key University Services & Resources such as Transition Skills, Learning Development Service, Academic English Service and the Student Wellbeing Service, and explains how students can access adjustments and mitigations for their assessments if needed – clarifying what process applies depending on their circumstances.