Our Welfare & Wellbeing Team in College exists to ensure that our students are as healthy and happy as they can be. If you are dealing with welfare issues such as experiences of harassment, discrimination, stress, anxiety, financial issues or any other circumstance that is detrimental to your wellbeing, there are a numerous points of contact in Hertford that might provide you with support and advice. The flow chart below shows who best to contact in specific circumstances. However, keep in mind that getting in touch if you need help and advice is more important than picking the most adequate point of contact for your issue! We are all here to support each other, in the end.
The MCR’s Welfare Officer can provide members of the MCR with any welfare support and information they need. You can also contact them if you need any welfare products (condoms, lube, pregnancy test, period products, night alarms etc). The MCR’s Equalities Officers and Women’s Officer are also great people to talk to. You can find their bios and contact info here.
Our Chaplain Mia is the first port of call for welfare or support matters, regardless of faith. She has 30 years of experience in a variety of health and wellbeing contexts, including nursing, human rights, community youth work, and life coaching. So, if you need a safe space to offload, or to talk things through, please do get in touch. She can point you to someone who can help if further support is needed. Or you might just like a cup of tea, a general chat, a good moan, or use of a box of tissues.
Junior Deans provide welfare support mainly overnight and outside of regular office hours. They are able to provide guidance and support to students experiencing difficulties and those in emergency situations. They can also help with problems such as excessive noise from a neighbour. You can find them on page 4 of the Welfare & Well-being Booklet or call 01865 279400 to reach them.
Peer Supports are trained members of College whom you can talk with about any problems. Among them are a number of Rainbow Peers and Peers of Colour. They will be good listeners and can point to other welfare support you can get from both college and the university.
Nurses from the college General Practice, 28@Northgate, hold a regular weekday surgery for Hertford students in the College’s medical room (located in NB 1.3). Please book an appointment by calling 28@Northgate on 01865 311811. Our College Nurse, Jo Stenning, has expertise in respiratory care, minor illness, wound care, women’s health, mental health, immunisation and travel advice.
College Counsellor Jane Enticott is available to see Hertford students for free online counselling, currently via Microsoft Teams, on Fridays from 0th Week through 9th Week. In-person counselling is currently under review for next academic year. Oxford University also runs free counselling service, and further information can be seen on their website.
The first person to talk to about disability support in College is Julia Howe, our Academic Services Manager, who can offer advice on reasonable adjustments and support. She can also put you in contact with the Disability Advisory Service, who are the experts in supporting students with disabilities, and can advise on matters such as exams and submissions.
If you experienced harassment, you can get in touch with Junior Deans or Mia for help. See below for resources outside of College.
The Equalities Representatives can be your point of contact if you experience discrimination or difficulties relating to equality of any kind. They will provide you with support, advice and additional information and might raise your issue in Hertford’s welfare committee in order to achieve longer lasting change.
All of the information can be found in the detailed Welfare & Well-being Booklet. You can also find further information and recourse in the College Intranet.
Across Oxford, you can numerous further points of contacts and resources. For confidential and independent services, you can contact Nightline, and the SU Student Advice Service, among others. The University also offers a variety of additional support, such as the Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service, as well as resources for couples and student parents, and childcare services.
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In an emergency, call 999.
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TL;DR? Reach out to Guopeng, the MCR’s Welfare Rep and look at the flow chart above!