Talking is an important part of our relationships. It can strengthen your ties with other people and help you stay in good mental health. And being listened to helps you feel that other people care about you and what you have to say. There are many options for support. There is no need to suffer alone.
Emergency Contact Details
Are you in need of urgent help?
If you feel in immediate danger of harming yourself or taking your own life, please either:
- Dial 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency department.
- Dial 111 and choose option 2: CPFT NHS First Response Service.
- Contact your GP.
If you would like support or advice but are not in immediate danger, look at the support below.
Internal Support Services
If you are unable to speak with your line manager there are a number of support services available internally:
Occupational Health
The Occupational Health Service aims to complement the University’s academic reputation by providing a support service that promotes and preserves both the physical and mental wellbeing of all staff, students and visitors. The occupational health team comprises of a small team of occupational health specialist doctors and nurses and administrative personnel who:
- devise preventative strategies for identifying and controlling hazards to health arising from work
- advise on fitness for work, vocational placement, return to work after illness, ill health retirement, work-related illness and the control of occupational hazards
- assist in fulfilling statutory (e.g. health surveillance) and regulatory requirements (e.g. guidance on food safety, the application of the Equality Act) to ensure that the health of staff and others is not adversely affected by their work
- ensure that work health issues are appropriately managed
- promote health and wellbeing at work.
Contact Details
- Tel: 01223 (3)36594
- Email: occhealth@admin.cam.ac.uk
- Web: oh.internal.admin.cam.ac.uk
Staff Counselling Centre
The Staff Counselling Centre offers confidential personal counselling to help with personal or work-related problems. The centre is available free of charge to ALL staff with a University contract of employment. Therapists are qualified, and both trained and experienced in working with diversity. The University Staff Counselling Centre provides short-term counselling consisting of eight to ten weekly sessions for a range of issues and difficulties with which you may be struggling. Sessions take place away from the work environment.
Contact Details
- You can refer yourself online in complete confidence via our secure referral form. You will need your Raven password to use this facility.
- Tel: 01223 (7)62160
- Email: counsellingreception@admin.cam.ac.uk
- Web: https://staff.counselling.cam.ac.uk/
Clinical School Human Resources Team
Mental Health First Aiders
At the Clinical School, a number of staff members have been trained to offer Mental Health First Aid. Mental Health First Aiders are available to provide telephone guidance and support as follows:
- Signposting regarding internal and external support services.
- A confidential listening service.
- Mental health support on a first aid basis.
- Help and advice in times of need.
Contact Details
Dignity@Work
Dignity@Work contacts are volunteer members of staff, drawn from a variety of backgrounds and roles throughout the University, who have received training to act as a first point of contact for members of staff and sometimes graduate students who are being bullied or harassed, or have been accused of bulling or harassment.
Contact Details
- Email: dignitycontacts@admin.cam.ac.uk
- Tel: 01223 (7)65031 (a confidential voice-mail number where you should leave your name and preferred contact details)
- Web: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/policy/dignity/contacts.html
Mediation
Web: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/policy/mediation/
Email: mediation@admin.cam.ac.uk
Tel: Jackie Stone, Mediation Coordinator 01223 (7)65544
Louise Akroyd, Mediation Coordinator 01223 (7)65821
Chaplaincy
Through a very broad range of opportunities the Chaplain works across the University with departments, groups and policy issues, seeking to provide pastoral care to those not linked with colleges and to stimulate understanding of and provision for those of all faiths and none.
- Tel: (01223) 741720 or (01223) 741718
- Email: chaplain@gsm.cam.ac.uk or office@gsm.cam.ac.uk
- Web: https://www.cam.ac.uk/chaplaincies
University Sponsored Support
As well as internal support, the University has provided access to the following support for all staff.
Qwell
University staff who are resident in Cambridge are eligible to join Qwell – an online counselling and wellbeing platform launched by MIND (Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire).
Qwell provides confidential chat-based counselling from qualified counsellors, free of charge.
While this government-funded online service is not intended to be a replacement for face to face counselling, it does provide an alternative for those unable to access face to face counselling services.
Access
Visit the Qwell pages here to read more and sign up.
External Support Services
Support from both within the University and externally is readily available for all those that need it. A range of external support can be found here.
