Letting us know you need help is perfectly normal and we believe we should all be able to talk freely about our mental health and wellbeing. If you’re worried about your mental health and wellbeing there are a number of things you can do:
1. Talk
2. Report
3. Get support
Talk
If there’s a friend, family member or colleague that you can trust, talking things through with them can sometimes help. They can listen and help you explore where you might access further support. If you are in immediate danger or seriously injured, you can call 999 (or 112 from a mobile).
Report
You can make an anonymous disclosure which will allow us to investigate mental wellbeing concerns in particular areas of the University.
Student support
- myWellbeing app: download through iOS or Google Play.
- Togetherall
- UCA Wellbeing and Counselling Service
- Gateway Canterbury: email gatewaycanterbury@uca.ac.uk or telephone 01227 817314
- Gateway Epsom: gatewayepsom@uca.ac.uk or telephone 01372 202461
- Gateway Farnham: gatewayfarnham@uca.ac.uk or telephone 01252 892709
- Student Services
- Student Union
- Crisis support: We do not provide a crisis service. If you or someone you know needs immediate help or are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact:
- Kent: 0800 783 9111
- Surrey: 0800 915 4644 (both 24/7)
- Call your GP and ask for an emergency appointment
- Call NHS 111 or call 999 for emergency services
- The Samarians: 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
- Text Shout to 85258 (24/7)
- There is also urgent help advice available from Mind.
Staff support
Employee Assistance Programme - Helpline & Counselling 24/7 Confidential helpline.
Our counsellors and advisors are on-hand 24/7, 365 on 0800 756 0834. They can be called at any time for friendly support on medical, legal and financial issues in the strictest confidence – Health Assured are also ISO/IEC 27001 accredited. Health Assured's helpline can provide immediate telephone support including, but not limited to:
- Work related issues including management, stress, workplace, relationships, bullying and harassment
- Anxiety, stress, depression, low self-esteem and anger management
- Family, marital and relationship issues
- Substance and alcohol misuse/dependency
- Bereavement
- Retirement
- Domestic abuse
- Health, critical illness and bereavement
- Lifestyle, exercise, diet and general wellbeing
- Personal legal information
- Medical information (available Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm)
- Telephone advice relating to critical incidents
- Management support
When you phone the helpline, you’ll need to confirm the company name 'University for the Creative Arts'. On some occasions you may be asked for a second verification, if this happens then please reference 'Reward Gateway'.
Counselling support
Health Assured have a network of over 1,500 counsellors across the UK and Ireland and offer up to six structured telephone counselling sessions, per issue, per year for an employee, partner or spouse and dependants (between the ages of 16-24 in full time education). We deliver these via phone or secure online chat/VoIP.
Time to Talk
Alternatively if you would like to talk to a UCA wellbeing champion, you can email timetotalk@uca.ac.uk and request a confidential chat. This is a scheme run by staff who are mental health first aiders.