Student Wellbeing privacy notice

When you engage in any form of support from Student Wellbeing you are deemed to have read and accepted our Privacy Notice.

Information accessed and held by Student Wellbeing:

Student Wellbeing will use and hold information such as your name, student ID, student status, email address, telephone number, course and year of study, emergency contact information and GP registration details. This information will have either been provided by you to Student Wellbeing staff directly or drawn from University database(s). This information constitutes your personal data.
We may also hold information supplied by external parties such as your GP surgery/NHS services or a concerned relative depending on your individual circumstances.
Student Wellbeing may also hold relevant information from other University services, such as academic departments, who have a duty of care towards you. This information may include (but is not restricted to) data relating to your attendance/engagement with your studies and interventions offered by other University Staff for example Personal Tutors and SEOs.
We will also hold details of the information, advice and support offered to you by Student Wellbeing.
Information held by Student Wellbeing will contain sensitive personal information about you (also known as ‘special category data’), which will include information about your physical and mental health as well as potentially ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs and sexuality.
Information held is stored on a secure electronic system.

How we use your data:

We use your data to help you with any issues you bring to SW.
Information held is used to provide statistical information to help us to monitor the effectiveness of our services and to identify where our services need to be improved.
Your data is kept for six years and then securely deleted.

Information sharing within Student Services:

The main legal basis for which we process your personal data is contractual. The University has a duty to deliver its educational and pastoral services competently and, in carrying out its services and functions, to act reasonably to protect the health, safety and welfare of its students. The University also has a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to do everything reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of the university community.

Student Services (which includes Student Wellbeing) share relevant information about students in order to provide coordinated, effective student services. Sometimes it may be necessary and beneficial to work with staff in other departments; we will only share the information needed to ensure that appropriate support is in place.

If we become aware of information that may constitute a student conduct matter under the University’s policies and procedures, we are required to share this information in accordance with those policies.

Additionally, if you are undertaking a course with a placement element and there are concerns regarding your ability to meet professional standards (sometimes referred to as 'fitness to practice'), we may need to share relevant information with appropriate University departments and, where necessary, placement providers. We will always discuss this with you in advance unless there is an immediate risk that requires urgent action.

In accordance with health and safety regulations, we are required to report and record accidents, injuries, and near misses that occur within our service. This may involve sharing relevant details with the University's Health and Safety team to ensure appropriate follow-up and compliance with health and safety obligations.

If we have serious concerns about your safety or the safety of others we may have to share appropriate information with organisations and services from outside the University for example NHS services. Wherever possible we will discuss this with you first and obtain your consent.

When we process your sensitive (special) category data we will also rely on the legal bases that you either:

Give SWS staff your explicit consent to process your health data,
That SWS staff believe the processing is necessary to protect you or someone else from harm, or
Where SWS staff are legally required to share information requested by outside agencies, including social services and law enforcement agencies.

Information sharing outside of the University of Portsmouth:

The SW work in partnership with a NHS Service called Talking Therapies Portsmouth (Talking Change) and their practitioners will conduct assessments at Student Wellbeing for students who may need specialist support. If you accept an appointment with one of their practitioners, you are consenting to Talking Therapies Portsmouth having access to your records held by Student Wellbeing. For information on how Talking Therapies Portsmouth use your data, please see their data policy here: https://www.talkingtherapiesportsmouth.nhs.uk/policies.

Your information is subject to the University’s overall Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notice:

https://policies.docstore.port.ac.uk/policy-105.pdf

https://policies.docstore.port.ac.uk/policy-216.pdf

If you have any queries or concerns regarding how your data is used by Student Wellbeing please contact the Head of Student Wellbeing.

Statement of service

Introduction:

Student Wellbeing is dedicated to promoting the mental health, emotional wellbeing, and personal development of all students throughout their academic journey.

We provide a range of professional services designed to help students thrive both academically and personally. Our team comprises counsellors, mental health advisers, wellbeing advisers, operational staff, and external partners who are committed to delivering compassionate, student-centred services and short-term interventions.

Student Wellbeing recognises that university life can present various challenges, and we aim to provide the advice, support and resources students need to help overcome obstacles to realise their full potential and have a meaningful university experience.

Mission Statement:

To work in collaboration with the university community to enable the wellbeing, emotional and mental health of students through the delivery of quality services which are both accessible and inclusive.

Principles of Service:

Enabling: We aim to enable students to realise their own knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively manage their wellbeing and introduce tools and strategies to optimise these.
Inclusivity: We are committed to creating a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive environment for all students, respecting and celebrating diversity in all its forms.
Person-centred Approach: We focus on individual needs, providing tailored short-term interventions that respects the unique circumstances and goals of each student.
Quality and Ethical Assurance: We are committed to maintaining high standards of quality, adhering to relevant ethical and professional guidelines, and adopting best practices.
Collaborative: We work closely with the university community and external partners to deliver a holistic approach.
Trust: We ensure students feel safe and comfortable seeking support in a trauma-informed environment.
Agile: We ensure services are delivered with agility, responding to student needs, the demands of the academic cycle, and providing timely access to appropriate support.
Continuous Improvement: We are committed to ongoing evaluation and improvement of our services to meet the evolving needs of our student population.
Boundaried: We recognise our safeguarding responsibilities and act upon these accordingly in line with university policy and procedures. We are not an NHS service (we do not diagnose and cannot prescribe medication) and will be clear as to whether presenting needs can be met by our service or whether referral to other specialist services are needed. We operate during working hours and are not a crisis service.

How We Deliver This:

Direct Support Offer for Students:

Group Therapeutic Spaces and Support Groups: Opportunities to connect with peers and share experiences and the provision of psychoeducation.
Mental Health Appointments and Referrals: Professional guidance and referrals to specialised services.
Wellbeing Advice Sessions and Short-term Intervention: Daily advice sessions to provide immediate support as well as longer-term wellbeing support utilising evidenced-based interventions.
One-to-one Short-Term Counselling: Personalised support from qualified counsellors.
Facilitate referrals to external services: ie Adult safeguarding, GP referral, secondary mental health etc.

All of our interventions are available in person or by video and/or phone to accommodate student preferences.

Other Support:

Urgent Intervention and Support: Prioritised and timely assistance for students in urgent need.
Online Self-help Resources and Tools: Accessible resources for self-guided support.
Consultation Services for Staff and Faculty: Expert advice to support the wider university community in their support of students.
Engagement with Internal and External Networks: Collaborative efforts to facilitate appropriate referrals and joined-up support.

Further Information and How to Access Support:

You can find more information regarding the services available and how to access them on our Student Wellbeing webpages - Student Wellbeing.

If you are in crisis or need urgent support, please see our Urgent Support advice page.

Support from Student Wellbeing

Available to students in Portsmouth and London, find free mental health, wellbeing and counselling services including daily advice sessions, personalised 1:1 support, and other resources and guides.