Information About Our Services

Below you can find information about the support provided by the GCU Wellbeing Service

Meet the team

The Student Wellbeing service is made up of the following people:

 Disability Team

Counselling Team

Advisers

Our Contact Details

Due to current guidance the Wellbeing Service is not operating on campus, and is accessible online.

The wellbeing service also offers a weekly newsletter for updates. If you need support, please contact us at:

 

Wellbeing Team

Email: studentwellbeing@gcu.ac.uk

 

Disability Team

Email: disability@gcu.ac.uk 

Where we are

You can find us on the first floor of the George Moore building in room M136. 

If you are struggling to find us, someone at the Campus Life desk (in the Campus Life Lounge) will be able to help.

You view below, or download the GCU Campus Map, on which we are building number 3. 

 

Campus Map Image 2018

What's a Mental Health Adviser?

The role of the Mental Health Adviser is to support students who may be experiencing emotional or psychological distress or personal difficulties. The Mental Health Adviser will be able to co-ordinate support for students with mental health difficulties and act as a point of contact for the duration of your studies.

The Mental Health Adviser works alongside the disability service and counselling service, but it is not their role to be a counsellor. They will be able to support and encourage you to consider your rights and think about any additional resources which may help you to access education.

Each case will be viewed independently and will vary according to the students’ needs. As well as encouraging you to think about adjustments and resources, the Mental Health Adviser will be able to support you by providing interventions, offering advice and guidance, and signposting/referring to therapeutic and medical services when appropriate.

What's a Student Wellbeing Adviser?

The Student Wellbeing Adviser works with students who have wellbeing concerns and ensures they have meaningful face-to-face contact in a timely manner. They work with all teams in the service to ensure a student receives appropriate support and signposting.

The student wellbeing adviser can also help you find out what opportunities are available and help students get more involved at the University. They also are the key point of contact for student carers and trans students.

What's Counselling?

What is Counselling?

Counselling involves a series of confidential sessions where the counsellor/therapist and student will explore the student’s issues or concerns. These sessions take place at a regular, mutually agreed time.  Counselling is not about giving advice or opinions, nor is it a friendly chat with a friend. The counsellor /therapist will help the student to understand themselves better and find their own solutions to cope with or resolve their situation.

Counselling may involve talking about life events, feelings, emotions, ways of relating, of thinking, and patterns of behaviour. The counsellor/therapist will offer the student a safe, non-judgemental relationship to explore whatever concerns they may bring. 

The service is staffed by a team of qualified counsellors and psychotherapists working with a variety of approaches. Most students meet with their counsellor or therapist for a series of anywhere between 1 and 6 weekly appointments.

Some of the most common issues which students ask for help with are low mood, anxiety, and relationship problems.  Many students benefit from exploring their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours in the confidential counselling setting.

What's a Disability Adviser, Mentor and Support Officer?

The Disability Team provides advice, information and services to disabled students and applicants. This includes students with long term medical conditions, sensory impairment, mental health difficulties, physical impairment, specific learning disabilities (e.g. dyslexia) and students on the autism spectrum. The Disability Team also provide support for alternative exam arrangements. Find out how to get support from the Disability team.

 

Disability Advisers

Disability Advisers provide advice, information and facilitating access to services and facilities for disabled students and applicants.

Diability Mentors

Disability Mentors assist in the preparation of accessible materials for students and provides a range of practical assistance to students to enable independent study and engagement in university life. They carry out dyslexia screenings, provides specialist mentoring support for students on the autistic spectrum and prepare and deliver guidance for staff in inclusive practice. 

Disability Support Officers

Disability Support Officers co-ordinate our Mentoring and Assistance Services. This includes assisting in the preparation of accessible materials for students and providing a range of practical assistance to enable independent study and engagement in university life and specialist mentoring support for students on the autistic spectrum.

What's a Project Officer for Student Mental Health?

The GCU Wellbeing Team also have a Project Officer for Student Mental Health. 

Rachel works to support the ongoing development, implementation and evaluation of a range of projects and initiatives aimed at delivering a whole institution approach to student mental health and wellbeing at GCU. 

This includes projects from supporting the Wellbeing Service in offering a range of different groups and workshops to enhance the wellbeing of students at Glasgow Caledonian University, to working with internal and external partners to provide a series of campaigns and events, and further enhance strategic approaches to student and staff support. This includes supporting the enhancement of the Student Mental Health Action Plan, or working with collagues across the University and sector, in projects including a Collaborative Cluster with the Quality Assurance Agency on Inclusive Curriculum Design. Rachel also assists in coordinating various student and staff consultation events for developing activities, including physical and online pop-ups for University Mental Health Day for a Wellbeing Space in the Sir Alex Fergusen Library. 

If you have any questions about our upcoming events, groups, workshops or projects, please get in touch with Rachel Simpson (Project Officer for Student Mental Health.) 

GCU London

The Positive Living service at GCU London offers a range of options to support and enhance student wellbeing, including:

  • Confidential one-to one counselling
  • Wellbeing workshops and information
  • Self-help resources

The service is free of charge to all students at the university, including international students.

  • Counselling

GCU London has an arrangement with The University of Westminster Student Counselling Service to provide confidential counselling for its students. To book an appointment you can either email or telephone to request an appointment. You will be asked to fill out a short counselling registration form and on receipt of this an appointment will be arranged for you. Opening times for the counselling service are 9:30am - 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Counselling support is based at The Luxborough Suite, Marylebone Site, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5LS. The nearest tube is Baker Street and is easily accessible by taking either the Hammersmith & City, Circle, or Metropolitan line from Liverpool Street Station.

Email: counselling@westminster.ac.uk

Telephone: 020 7911 5000 (extension 66899)

  •  Disability

Additionally, GCU London also have a Disability Team. You can contact them at please disability@gculondon.ac.uk. 

 If your concern is urgent please talk to another member of staff at GCU London or refer to the emergency help-lines listed below. For further information, see our Help-lines and Wellbeing resources pages within our section.

  • Nightline (confidential listening service for students) T: 0207 631 0101
  • Samaritans (24 hr. Crisis line) T: 08457 90 90 90
  • Holborn Medical Centre T: 020 3077 0044
  • NHS urgent care (Information about emergency health care services) T:111
  • Mental Health Emergency Assessment & Care via A&E, New Hospital, Royal London Hospital, Stepney Way, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB
Do you provide Mitigating Circumstances Evidence?

The Wellbeing Service does not provide evidence for this process.

If you require supporting evidence please contact your GP.

For further support with the process please contact the Advice Centre in the Students’ Association who will be able to assist you further.