There may be times when you are concerned about another student who appears to be struggling in some way, whether that's a housemate whose behaviour is worrying you, someone on your course who seems upset, or a fellow student who is having difficulties. Time to Change have some useful tips have some tips for supporting a friend when you've noticed changes in their behaviour.
If you are concerned about a student, you can raise a concern by emailing studenthub@soton.ac.uk or telephoning 02380 599 599. If you are internal to the University, you can also access the Raising Concerns and Safeguarding site for further information.
The University of Southampton Principal Safeguarding Officer is Helen Rowland (Associate Director for Student Support), contactable on: +44 23 8059 8017 (Monday-Friday, 9:00-17:00) or 02380 599 599 (outside of these hours) or via email to studenthub@soton.ac.uk.
If your safeguarding concern is sensitive, please state in your email ‘For the attention of the Principal safeguarding Officer. I wish to discuss a safeguarding concern. Please contact me on (insert contact details and availability)'.
The situation is urgent if:
In these circumstances please encourage them to contact one of the listed support services, or contact them yourself if you feel that it is appropriate and you are comfortable doing so. Please ensure that you get wellbeing support if you have had to deal with an urgent situation.
In situations where the student is not at risk, if you feel comfortable, you could provide support to the person you are concerned about.
Encourage them to contact the Student Hub - there is a wide range of support available to students at the University of Southampton. You can contact The Student Hub in a number of ways, 24/7, 265 days a year.
It may be useful to look at our Want to Talk to Someone page to find information on support at the University and in the wider community.
You could direct your friend to our self-help resources such as our online guides and workshops to provide them with the resources they need to look after their own wellbeing. Alternatively, take a look at the list of useful webpages compiled by Students Against Depression.