Wellbeing Service

Our Wellbeing Adviser is Louise Gill. Louise manages the Student Wellbeing Service and Stay-on-Course Support.  Louise is based in Student Services.

Stay on Course aims to provide rapid support to students who are experiencing difficulties in managing and coping with their academic studies.

If students experience personal issues, including mental health issues, this can impact on their wellbeing and ability to engage and cope with their academic studies.

Specifically, Stay on Course aims to promote:

•  class attendance
•  course progression and achievement
•  student experience and satisfaction.

How it works

The Stay on Course Adviser will engage with students who have self-referred or been referred to offer them individual support. The Wellbeing Adviser, Louise Gill offers students Stay on Course support.

The adviser will meet with the student to discuss their concerns and together work through steps to address these. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as guided self help, resources and advice from the Stay on Course Adviser, support from other Student Services Advisers (such as Disability Services, Careers and Employability, Funding support) or University services such as Effective Learning Service.  The Adviser may also suggest linking in to Community resources and support services.

The Stay-on-Course Adviser will offer students follow-up continued support. They will keep an individual case record and with the consent of the student, may link in with appropriate academic staff  and/or other QMU staff/departments.

For Students

IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING TO STAY-ON-COURSE

If you are finding it difficult to Stay on Course with your studies, your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) can offer you academic support and/or direct you to the most appropriate student support service. The Stay on Course offers support to students who need help to get back on track with their studies and student life.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

STEP 1 Your PAT might refer you to Stay on Course or you can make contact directly to arrange an appointment by emailing stayoncourse@qmu.ac.uk or please fill in a Stay-on-Course Self Referral Form - to access this please click on this link and sign in to Student Central 

STEP 2 At the appointment you will meet with the adviser to discuss any issues or difficulties you might be experiencing. The adviser will offer you advice and guidance to respond to your concerns.

STEP 3  You will be offered ongoing support to monitor your progress and help you to stay on track with your studies and student life.

STEP 4  With your consent, we will keep your PAT/Academic staff informed of your progress.

STAY-ON-COURSE Once you are back on track and things improve for you, we will keep in contact to ensure that you continue to progress in your studies.

You can also contact us at any time by emailing stayoncourse@qmu.ac.uk

For Staff

We know that there are students who are struggling but do not seek help or support. As a result, their academic performance may suffer. We are eager to offer such students early support, which could help them to quickly recover and Stay on Course, so the risk of them failing the module, the year, or their studies is reduced. Let us help you to help your students to  Stay on Course.  

• invite the student for a chat
• assess what type of support they need
• work with them to support their individual needs
• help them to get back on track
• keep you informed of their progress regarding the above, with their consent

 Contact: stayoncourse@qmu.ac.uk

If you find yourself or someone you know experiencing a Mental Health Crisis or emergency, please know that support is available. Call one of the following numbers:

Call 999 if you or someone you know experiences an acute life-threatening medical or mental health emergency.

Contact NHS 24 – Free phone: 111

Book an emergency GP appointment - Your GP holds overall health responsibility.  You may wish to make an appointment with them.

NHS Emergency Mental Health Assessment (same day) can be available through contacting the Mental Health Assessment Service on 0131 537 6000.  This is a self-referral service and is based in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Place so you can contact the service directly.

Penumbra run The Edinburgh Crisis Centre and they can be contacted directly on 0808 801 0414 if you want to discuss a mental health crisis.

Other information regarding services for people who are experiencing mental health difficulties can be accessed through Edspace

Listening services

Breathing Space Helpline

Free phone: 0800 83 85 87
Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 6pm to 2am, Friday 6pm – Monday 6am
breathingspace.scot

Samaritans

Free phone: 116 123 - National Line
Open 24/7
Email: jo@samaritans.org
samaritans.org  

Edinburgh Night Line

Confidential Support for Students 8pm-8am term-time.  Tel: 0131 557 4444

If you are a registered patient of Riverside Medical Practice and are experiencing mental health difficulties you can access their support phone line: 

Monday - Friday, 9am - 4pm, 01620 642963

Resilience workshops 

3 December 2020, 18 January 2021, 15 February 2021  

2.00pm – 5.00pm on Zoom 

Would you like to learn evidence-based tools that can help make you more likely to “bounce back” in the face of adversity? 

Covid-19 has had a huge impact on everyone.  Our mental health has never been more important to prioritise as we feel more isolated and with many aspects of our lives out of our control.  On top of this, we have academic pressures and our way of studying has moved to an unfamiliar online setting. 

This course will cover topics like anxiety, how to recognise when we are feeling pressure, what we can and can’t control, self-care and resilience.  You will finish this course with practical, easy-to-use tools and exercises for increasing resilience in these difficult times.  

This course is not “death by powerpoint”! It is very interactive and with a non-formal education approach.  The course is 3 hours long with a 15 minute break in the middle. 

Please note: It would be ideal to find a private and comfortable place to be in while attending this course.  Although you will never be asked to share anything you do not wish to share, you may want to be somewhere you know is quiet and confidential.  

Zoe Reid is an Edinburgh-based trainer in mental health and wellbeing,.  She also works part-time in Health in Mind, one of Edinburgh’s leading mental health charities.  She is passionate about non-formal training and loves supporting people to self-manage their own wellbeing.  

The workshop will run on all three dates above. Available to all QMU students on a first-come, first-served basis. Places are limited, are free and booking is required. To register, please email Sarah (Student Counsellor) up to one day before each workshop: scarlile@qmu.ac.uk. 

A huge thank you to the Big Lottery, for funding this project. 

Mental Health Crisis 

Mental Health Crisis support

Mental Health Assessment Service

The Edinburgh Crisis Centre

East Lothian 1st Response Crisis Service - Tel: 07966 526452 

CWIC Mental Health Line

For those registered with a GP Practice in East Lothian (such as Riverside Practice). 

There's now a quicker way to access a wide range of specialist health support. 

Feeling low, anxious, depressed, stressed? 

Phone the CWIC Mental Health Line on 01620 642 963. 

Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. 

#InYourHands #CareWhenItCounts

Listening Services

Breathing Space Helpline

Free phone: 0800 83 85 87
Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 6pm to 2am, Friday 6pm – Monday 6am
breathingspace.scot

Samaritans

Free phone: 116 123 - National Line
Open 24/7
Email: jo@samaritans.org
samaritans.org  

Edinburgh Night Line

Phone: 0131 557 4444
Opening hours: 8pm to 8am term-time
ednightline.com

Counselling

Queen Margaret University counselling service

The Edinburgh Counselling Agencies List website provides details of an array of low cost, free, and private counselling, for general and issue specific needs and different time frames (long term, short term). 
edinburghcounsellingagencies.co.uk

Edspace is Edinburgh online source of mental health and wellbeing information. 
Edspace: Counselling and Therapies

For counselling in Musselburgh:
CHANGES Community Health Project

Overall Wellbeing

Edspace: Edinburgh online source of mental health and wellbeing information

NHS Inform - Self Help guides for Mental health 

Mental Health Information Station
 
Ten keys to happier living guidebook

Specific issues

Please note: This material is presented for orientation, and cannot be considered a substitute for professional assistance.

LGBTQ+ Specific Support

LGBT Helpline Scotland - The helpline is open every Tuesday and Wednesday from 12:00-9:00pm. Just call 0300 123 2523.  Or email helpline@lgbthealth.org.uk

check out LGBT Health’s website 

Lothian Transgender Support Programme, please contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or by email: jules@lgbthealth.org.uk

LGBT Youth Scotland - for ages up to 25 years 

LGBT Headspace: Mental Health and Wellbeing for LGBT people in Edinburgh

LGBT Spiritual Space: A supportive space to discuss identity and spirtualism

LGBTQ+ support Midlothian

Scotland's organisation for Bisexuals and people who think they might be Bi:

BiScotland

Rape Crisis support for LGBTI Survivors

Scottish Transgender Alliance

Lothian and Borders LGBT Police Surgery

Stress

NHS Inform

Moodzone Podcasts

Stress: Moodjuice self-help guide

Tips for managing your stress

Tips to reduce stress

Coping with depression

NHS Self-Help for Depression

Students Against Depression

Depression: Moodjuice self-help guide

Coping with self-harm

Penumbra, one of Scotland’s mental health charities provides informal emotional support for people who self-harm as well as their families and carers: penumbra.org.uk

The UK mental-health charity Mind offers information and support for coping with self-harm.

Self Injury Self-Help Support

Self-Harm Support

NHS Support for Self-harm

Coping with Anxiety

NHS Self-Help for Anxiety

Self-Help for Anxiety

Coping with bereavement

Cruse Bereavement Care

Self-help guide for Bereavement

Mindfulness

Mindfulness NHS

The information you choose to share with the Wellbeing Adviser will be treated as confidential.  The Wellbeing Adviser is part of the Student Services team. 

All Students are asked to fill in the following form found on Student Central: 

Student Confidentiality Form

Relevant information may be shared with other Student Services team members to ensure you receive the most effective and co-ordinated support.  

In situations where we are concerned about a student’s welfare, we might extend confidentiality to your PAT and Programme Leader and with your consent we would like to be able to share concerns with your GP and Next of Kin.

There are some circumstances where we have to disclose information without your consent such as; if there is a requirement in law to disclose; or if it is considered that there is substantial risk of harm to you, or a third party if information is not disclosed.

The information that you share within Student Services will be treated confidentially and held by the University in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, General Data Protection Regulations 2018 and Queen Margaret University Data Protection Policy and Student Privacy Statement.

Data Protection and Record Keeping

The service works according to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Notes taken during the meeting with the Wellbeing Adviser may record background information and key issues worked on in the session. These will vary in length and detail. Points of concern are also noted.  These are stored securely and password protected.  

Access to notes

Under the Data Protection Act 2018, students accessing the Wellbeing Service have the right to access all information held about them by the Wellbeing Service. This can be done by a 'Subject Access Request'. 

If you would like to assess your own 'Mental Health and Wellbeing' please click this link - the form is entirely voluntary and anonymous.