Welfare Instagram page
Mental health resources
College Resources - “I need someone to chat to”
Contact the Health and Wellbeing Team: see the College website for contact details, or book an appointment using the Cliniko website.
Contact the JCR Welfare Officers: Lizzie (ed592@cam.ac.uk) or Toby (tn364@cam.ac.uk); or the MCR Welfare Officers: Pranathi or Anne-Pia (mcr-welfare@queens.cam.ac.uk)
Contact the Chaplain: Revd Anna Jones (ahr23@cam.ac.uk)
Go to the porters lodge to chat with a porter
Contact your tutor
Use the Cambridge SU Student Advice service
Helplines - “I am struggling and need urgent support”
Use the College Welfare Drop In Service, available Monday to Friday 8.30-9.30 AM and 1-2 PM - just pop into the the Health and Wellbeing Centre in CC, Cripps Court. You can also book an appointment using the Cliniko website.
Help after sexual assault: Contact one of the HAOs, Tim, Jane or Jenny, at hao@queens.cam.ac.uk - you can always bring a friend or one of the Welfare Officers with you
Call the Cambridge Nightline between 7PM and 7AM: 01223 744 444
There is a duty tutor available out of hours to speak to: ask the porters to contact them
Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/
YoungMinds: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
Beat Eating Disorder Charity: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/
LGBT+ support: https://mindout.org.uk/ and Transgender support: https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/
Help with self-harm: https://www.selfharm.co.uk/#help
Call ChildLine if under 19: 0800 1111
Help with racial hate crime: https://www.race-equality.admin.cam.ac.uk/student-support
Help with a disability: https://www.scope.org.uk/helpline/
Crisis Support - “I need immediate help”
Call 999 in an emergency, then call the porters (01223 335 511) to let them know an ambulance is coming, so they can support you whilst you wait
Call 111 and select option 2 to talk to a mental health first-aider
Help with self-harm or suicidal thoughts: text SHOUT to 85258
Samaritans: call 116 123
A mental health crisis is just as serious as a physical health crisis
Queens’ Welfare Team
The Queens’ welfare team includes student welfare professionals and the college nurse. They can help with physical and mental health needs. Queens’ welfare contacts can be found at https://www.queens.cam.ac.uk/life-at-queens/student-welfare-services
JCR Welfare Officers
Our JCR Welfare Officers work to signpost students to welfare support and can provide student advice on welfare matters. They also work to pro-actively support the resilience and wellbeing of students during term time. You can find the contact details of our JCR welfare officers on the committee page. Or you can email the permanent email jcr-welfare@queens.cam.ac.uk.
Queens’ Tutors
Tutors serve as the first port of call for many student concerns. They are fellows of the college (rather than counsellors or nurses) who can support you in wellbeing, academic and personal issues. They liaise with directors of studies, the college, departments/faculties and the University on behalf of you. If you do not know who to turn to with an issue, then your tutor is a good bet.
There is always a duty tutor on call and available through the Porter’s Lodge (01223 335 511).
How to find out who your tutor is:
- Log on to CamSIS
- Click the ‘academic’ button
- Go to ‘contact key academic staff’
- Your tutor’s email will be accessible
Some of the things you can contact tutors about:
- Financial hardship
- Funding for academic travel
- Intermission
- Personal losses and grievance
- Change of subject
- Examination allowances
- Underperformance
- Academic discipline
- Anything related to your fitness to study
Harassment and Assault
Queens’ has a process of seeking support if you have been a victim of harassment or assault. This support is confidential and not contingent on you taking any further action. A summary of this process can be found on the main Queens’ student welfare website. There is an associated process for taking action against individuals should you want, which depending on the circumstances may be dealt with by a higher body, as described in the guidance.
The Queens’ harassment and assault officers (HAO) can be contacted at hao@queens.cam.ac.uk
Support can also be accessed from the Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre or the University Sexual Assault and Harassment Officer (SAHA). The University has a webpage detailing how to make complaints about harassment or sexual misconduct, and associated resources.
Racism
If you experience any incidents of racism, one of the first sources of help available to you are the POC representative officer (jcr-poc@queens.cam.ac.uk) and the two welfare officers (jcr-welfare@queens.cam.ac.uk). Anything discussed is kept in strict confidence with the particular individual you decide to tell and will not be discussed with anyone else unless you wish for it to be taken further.
Then, college has in place the Harassment and Assault Officers (HAOs) - Timothy Harling (tch42@cam.ac.uk) and Jenny Schiller (jas262@cam.ac.uk), who are available for support and if you wish to take things further. They can outline your options and support you through them. Again, importantly anything that you say to HAOs is kept in strict confidence until, or if, you decide that you wish to take things further, and which point you will be met with full support. In meetings with HAOs and further meetings with any college staff, you are more than welcome to bring a friend, tutor or the POC rep officer/welfare officers on the JCR for any sort of support.
The process and safeguards around speaking to the HAO’s can be found on the College Website here.
Should you wish to take things further, there are different procedures based on the individuals involved:
If a Queens’ student has received racial abuse from another Queens’ student:
You would meet with the Dean(s) to discuss the incident. The victim will not have to sit in meetings with the perpetrator (these meetings will be held separately), and again a friend/JCR officer can be bought in for support.
If a Queens’ student has received racial abuse from a non-Queens’ student:
This will be dealt with via the OSCCA, which is the University wide office of student conduct, complaints and appeals. The HAOs, your tutor and JCR welfare and POC representative officers are still available for support, as and when needed.
If a Queens’ student has received racial abuse from a supervisor/member of staff:
The HAO’s would give you your options, which would focus on a College investigation and/or may include a University option. Complaints about staff will be submitted in writing to the Senior Bursar
If a Queens’ student has received racial abuse from a Fellow:
The HAO’s will be able to give you your options. Complaints concerning fellows should be sent to either the Senior Tutor or the President.
NB: You do not need to go through the JCR or the HAOs to make your report - you could go straight to the deans (concerning students), Senior Bursar (concerning staff), or President/Senior tutor (concerning Fellows), without HAO input. Similarly, race is a legally protected characteristic, so you may also contact police / OSCCA without HAO input. These individuals are just available to help you through the process, explain your options and offer support.
Students should be reassured that the process at Queens’ has the victims best interests at heart. Victims will not be placed in uncomfortable meetings or situations with the perpetrators and the perpetrator will be warned to avoid contact with the victim during the process. All incidents are taken with utmost seriousness and perpetrators will be held accountable. There is a zero tolerance for racism and disciplinary measures range up to expulsion from college.
Microaggressions and Religious Discrimination:
Both the JCR committee and College take a firm stance against any forms of microaggressions against students at Queens’. Comments of this nature seem to be increasingly frequent and as a result there are now disciplinary proceedings in place for perpetrators, so victims are encouraged to discuss any experiences they may have had. Similarly, everyone has the right to express religious beliefs without discrimination and any forms of microaggressions related to religious beliefs are not tolerated at Queens’. Victims should be reassured that microaggressions are not seen as a ‘small thing’ by college, and will be taken extremely seriously.
If anyone has any further questions or concerns about any aspect of these procedures, please email the POC representative officer (jcr-poc@queens.cam.ac.uk). Please speak to someone if you have had any negative experiences.
Other Welfare Resources in Cambridge
Academic concerns should be nominally addressed to your director of studies
University Counselling Service
This website details the support available on a university level to students. Their website has a list of Emergency Contacts
Student’s Union Advice Service
This is a free and impartial advice service not restricted or specific to welfare or mental health concerns (much like tutors).
Cambridge Nightline
A helpline that’s open during the night to give support to students in need.
Porters
As a Cambridge student, you may seek support from porters at any college. We also urge you to save the Queens’ Plodge number (01223 335 511) as the porters may support you if you feel unsafe, or book you a taxi.
Cambridge SU Sexual Health Scheme
Cambridge SU provides sexual health products for use for free. This is organised through JCR welfare officers, who you should contact with any queries.
Cambridge Sexual Health Clinic
Student Minds Cambridge
General Welfare Resources
The Samaritans
The Samaritans offer a 24/7-365 helpline to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide throughout the UK and Ireland.
The NHS
The UK’s National Health Service has guidance, support and services for mental health and wellbeing.
NVISION resources
A guide on how your mental health can be affected by vision problems.
Long term effects of sexual abuse
Helping Survivors is an advocacy center whose mission is to assist anyone who has been victimized by sexual assault or abuse. Their website is a compilation of information around different instances of sexual violence, offering resources to assist survivors and their families.
The University’s “Where to go” guide
Physical Health: Self-Help
Physical exercise
Try to keep active. It is easy to spend all day at a desk, and getting up to even have a short walk will help your body stretch and destress. Consider joining a club or society. One of the best ways to ensure that you keep active is to engage in something with other people, whatever it may be.
Look out for Yoga and Martial Arts Fitness sessions run by the welfare team! These can be great both for your mental and physical health
Good diet - finding the right balance
Try to incorporate foods that will help you feel better into your diet. This will look different for everyone, and it is a matter of working out what feels best for you.
Remember, there are no such things as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods, but a balance is important.
Food is fuel!!!
SLEEP - why is it important and what changes will help you immediately?
One area that is often overlooked is the amount of SLEEP that you are getting.
Your body can’t function properly if you are not resting enough and maintaining a healthy and consistent sleep schedule.
Most experts recommend that we sleep for at least 8 hours a night. It is often the case that any sleep before midnight will be more restful than any sleep after midnight.
Try to wind down before going to sleep. Going straight from working at your desk to trying to sleep in bed doesn’t give your brain a chance to switch off and you won’t feel as rested.
Struggling with staying active?
Talk to the College Welfare team about possible approaches Try to build activity into your everyday life. Talk a study break or walk every hour, for example.
Struggling with sleep?
Have a look at sleepfoundation.org
Take a look at the NHS Every Mind Matters page about sleep
Struggling with food?
Talk to the College Welfare team about support that you have access to in and outside of College
Posters
These posters are up around college; they contain the same content as the Mental health resources and Physical health resources sections on this page.
