Support with Personal Wellbeing
If you are worrying about the impact of your personal wellbeing on your academic progress, then we would encourage you to discuss this with your welfare then this should be discussed in the first instance with your present tutor or the supervising tutor in your own subject. The Senior Tutor is available for consultation if further help is needed, as is the University Counselling Service (see our page on 'Mental Health' for more information about Counselling.)
If the problem concerns the tutor's teaching then the issue should be raised with the tutor concerned. If it cannot be satisfactorily resolved then it should be taken up with the supervising tutor. If it is still no resolved in a satisfacotry way, then it should be referred to the Senior Tutor, and finally to the Principal. It is important to follow this procedure as many issues can be resolved at an early stage and thus unnecesaary hurt and anguish may be avoided.
The Take 5 Exam Panic: Innovation Fund project pilot to help Oxford students understand and manage their exam panic using mindfulness theory and exercises: http://exampanic.co.uk/
If you think you will have problems in meeting your college bills (either fees or battels), please discuss your situation with either the Bursar or the Academic Administrator as soon as possible.
Applying for Financial Assistance
University Hardship Funds
For information about all University Hardship Funds please see:
http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/fees-funding/assistance/hardship/
This includes information about the following:
- Oxford Hardship Fund (OHF) for all students (regardless of their fee status) experiencing unexpected financial difficulties
- Covid-19 Assistance Fund (CAF)
- Targeted funds for care-experienced and estranged students
College Hardship Funds
To apply to the College Hardship Fund please contact the Academic Administrator (academic.administrator@hmc.ox.ac.uk).
The JCR Trust, funded by former Harris Manchester students, provides small grants to assist students facing temporary hardship which may threaten their academic life at Harris Manchester. More information and an application form may be obtained from Kate Alderson-Smit (kate.alderson-smith@hmc.ox.ac.uk) or the JCR President.
Under the law it is a criminal offence to take, possess, manufacture, pass to others, or sell drugs; or to be knowingly concerned in the management of premises where any of these things are done. The College wishes its policy with regard to involvement with drugs to be clearly known and understood. Any member of the College who becomes involved in taking, manufacturing, passing to others, or selling drugs (e.g. heroin, amphetamine sulphate, LSD, ecstasy, cocaine and 'crack', etc.) must expect to be expelled. Involvement with drugs such as cannabis will result in discipline and even suspension.
Anyone requiring help of any sort in connection with drugs may take one or other of the following courses of action:
- Medical help may be sought either from the College doctor or any other general practitioner. The National Drugs Helpline can be contacted on 0800 776600 (free phone), or you may wish to look at this NHS-run site for general information: http://www.trashed.co.uk/
- You may approach the Drug Squad of the Thames Valley Police (Phone: 01865 249881).
- There are two listening services, Nightline (run by students for students - 16 Wellington Square, tel. (2)70270: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~nightln/), and the Samaritans (123, Iffley Road, tel. 722122 any time, or try the national number 08457 909090);
- You may approach some member of the Senior Common Room, bearing in mind that responsibility to other members of College, and the law, may impose some limit on the degree of confidentiality that may be maintained.
Harris Manchester is committed to fostering an environment of support and good mental wellbeing and we have several support routes in place if you feel you may be experiencing a mental health condition.
Firstly, please do contact someone. It can be a friend, Tutor, the NHS, family, one of the College Officers, or whoever you feel comfortable talking to. We do not want anyone to suffer in silence but we also understand that it can be hard to talk about mental health issues so anonymous services are also available and be found via the 'Health and Welfare Links' section at the bottom of this page. All conversations about mental health with HMC staff members are treated as confidential unless explicitly stated otherwise (with the consent of the student).
Welfare Support in College
Kerry Minton
Kerry Minton is the College's Welfare Lead and is happy to meet with students one to one on request by appointment. She is available part-time and can be reached on welfare-adviser@hmc.ox.ac.uk or via Teams. Her office is located in Sekyra A.
For details of further welfare contacts in College, please see Welfare Contacts | Harris Manchester College
Counselling Services
The university has an excellent Counselling Service, with professional psychologists who operate a confidential service that you can refer yourself to without involving anyone else. They can speak with you in person, with an appointment or via a drop-in clinic or by video call/phone if you wish. In addition their website provides many links, podcasts and articles that you can use for self-help remotely.
If you feel that you need professional counselling, you may contact the University Counselling Service at 3 Worcester Street (2)70300 or email counselling@admin.ox.ac.uk. For information about the Counselling Service and how to book an appointment please see:
https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare/counselling?wssl=1.
Other Sources of Support for Mental Health
Oxford Safe Haven: https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/service_description/oxford-safe-haven/. Oxford Safe Haven (OSH) provides an additional resource to out-of-hours service and is an alternative to hospital emergency departments for people experiencing a crisis with their mental health.
Nightline: confidential listening, support and information service. 01865 (2)70270 open 8pm-8am, 0th-9th Week. Nightline can also be reached on Skype and Instant Messenger. Their website is https://oxford.nightline.ac.uk/.
The Oxfordshire Mind Guide: Up-to-date directory on all mental health services in Oxfordshire, covering recovery and support groups and community mental health services http://www.oxmindguide.org.uk
Mind, national mental health charity: 0300 123 3393 - Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm or www.mind.org.uk
Student-Run Student Minds: http://www.studentminds.org.uk/
No Panic: for panic attacks and anxiety disorders, 0844 967 4848 orwww.nopanic.org.uk
Samaritans: for mental health concerns 08457 90 90 90 – Open 24/7 every day of the year
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Information:http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinformation/therapies/cognitivebehaviouraltherapy.aspx
Help is at Hand: support and guidance for those bereaved following suicide http://supportaftersuicide.org.uk/support-guides/help-is-at-hand/
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide Support Group: https://uksobs.org/
Talking Space Plus: https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/talkingspaceplus/getting-help/
OUSU Advice on Harassment and Abuse: http://ousu.org/advice/life-welfare/harassmentandbullying/ Email advice@ousu.ox.ac.uk, Telephone 01865 288466 Visit us at 2 Worcester Street Oxford OX1 2BX, Drop in Mondays 10am-12 noon; Wednesdays: 12-2pm; Friday 2pm-4pm. For information about the OUSU Student Advice Service please click here.
Solace (Sexual Assault Referral Centre): http://www.solacesarc.org.uk/
Oxford Sexual Abuse & Rape Crisis Centre:http://www.oxfordrapecrisis.net/ Telephone Helpline: 01865 726 295 or freephone 0800 783 6294 24 Hour Answerphone: 01865 726 295
It Happens Here: Oxford student website explaining options and resources available after sexual violence https://ithappenshereoxford.wordpress.com/support/options-after-sexual-violence/
First Response App: An app developed specifically for Oxford University, providing survivors of sexual violence information on response options and support resources http://www.firstresponseoxford.org/
The University has a Sexual Harassment and Violence Support which provides a safe space for you to be heard, with advisors offering free support and advice to any current student who has been impacted by sexual harassment or violence. Further information can be found here: Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service | University of Oxford
Oxford and Harris Manchester are both great places to explore who you are and to consider questions that you may have never have considered before. We want HMC to be a haven for people of all identities and have worked hard to put in the support structures to allow you to feel comfortable in expressing yourself however you may wish.
The college's LGBTQ+ Officer is Ashley Walters who is always available for a chat on equality and inclusivity queries and can be contacted at ashley.walters@hmc.ox.ac.uk. The JCR and MCR LGBTQ+ Officers similarly provide welfare support and organise social events (see the JCR and MCR pages for more details). These three officers ensure that College and University policies are considerate to LGBTQ+ students and are a support network built by and for the students should any issues arise.
There are also various other organisations such as the LGBTQ+ Society and the SU LGBTQ+ Campaign working to make sure the LGBTQ+ community in Oxford keeps thriving at a University wide level. More information can be found on the LGBTQ+ Society's Website.
Harris Manchester is committed to providing support to all of our students to enable them to meet their full academic potential. As such we are signed up to the principles of the University’s Common Framework for Disabled Students. We work closely with the University’s Disability Advisory Service (DAS) to ensure that assistance required for disability with regards to academic, social or domestic life is in place.
The College's Disability Officer is Victoria Lill who can be found in the Academic Office or alternatively can be reached by phone on 01865 (2)71009 or by email on victoria.lill@hmc.ox.ac.uk. Students are encouraged to contact her with any questions or concerns they may have relating to disability.
Harris Manchester has two contacts at the University Disability Advisory Service: Tina Dialektaki (konstantia.dialektaki@admin.ox.ac.uk) who manages mental health disabilities and Sarah Jones, who manages all other disabilities (sarah.jones2@admin.ox.ac.uk). Both are based in the University Disability Advisory Service which is located at 3 Worcester Street, Oxford, OX1 2AW. The Disability Advisory Service can also be contacted on disability@admin.ox.ac.uk, +44(0)1865 289825.
For information on which venues are accessible please download the Sociability App. Information on the accessibility of University and College buildings can be found here.
If you have not yet disclosed a disability or chronic condition we encourage you to get in touch and also to complete the Disability Advisory Service Registration Form. All disclosures are treated confidentially.
