Health and welfare
This section outlines the wide range of support and resources available to you within college, university and Oxford if you have health-related and/or mental health related concerns, or if you are just not sure where to start.
Medical Appointments
The National Health Service (NHS) is the national healthcare system in the United Kingdom which is publicly funded. All students and their dependents who are studying in the UK are entitled to register with an NHS doctor for free. Students with Overseas fee status may need to pay a healthcare surcharge (called the ‘immigration health surcharge’ or IHS) as part of their visa application. For general information about the NHS please visit www.nhs.uk. As a patient, you cannot consult a medical specialist without being referred by a doctor first. Therefore, in order to access NHS healthcare in the UK, you must register with a doctor (also known as a General Practitioner or GP). We strongly recommend that you register with our College Doctors at the Beaumont Elms Practice through the online registration system before arriving in Oxford if you can. The reason we encourage you to register as early as possible is because many international students will not be eligible for secondary (hospital) NHS health care unless they are registered at least six months before their course finishes. If students have an ongoing medical problem but do not register with a GP, it can be challenging to resolve subsequent difficulties which may impact on their life and studies in Oxford, particularly if problems arise close to examination and assessment periods when supporting evidence may be needed from a GP.
College Nurse
The College Nurse is registered with the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council and undertakes regular training to remain up to date with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide health advice for students. This includes advice on minor illness, injury or mental health problems for example anxiety or stress, and support for students with long term health conditions or disabilities. The nurse can also signpost to local community and university health and welfare services and how to access them.
Our nurse is based in Darbishire 16 at Somerville College. Please refer to our Student welfare page for up to date information closer to the start of full term on clinic opening times (you do not need to make an appointment in advance, you can just drop in). The nurse does not provide clinical services such as vaccinations or prescribe treatments (medication), but will advise and refer students to other NHS services as necessary whilst continuing to offer support to students with on-going physical or mental health problems. Out of term time, she can be contacted by email and will respond once a week on Mondays between 9 and 11.30 am for any advice that is not of an emergency or acute nature.
Confidentiality and Record Keeping
Green Templeton aims to maintain a culture where students and other members of college feel able to raise personal and private matters as a means of seeking support or advice, and can be reassured that their discussions will be treated with the appropriate levels of confidentiality. The nurse is employed by the college but their Professional Code of Conduct requires that any consultation is confidential unless the student requests or gives consent for information to be shared. However, if a situation arises where a student is deemed to be at risk of harming themselves or others, information has to be shared in these circumstances. The student will be kept informed about who needs to be told what (information is shared on a ‘need to know’ basis). They will be included and supported in any process with the focus being on their wellbeing. The nurse is required to keep accurate records of any health-related consultations and advice given. They will therefore record confidential consultations of students registered with the College GP at Beaumont Elms on the NHS encrypted shared record keeping system.
Safety
Green Templeton College participates in the Safe Lodge Scheme.
Any Oxford University student can ask for help from any participating college lodge, under the Safe Lodge scheme. Look out for the green circle by the lodge entrance where you can go in and ask for a phone call back to your own college welfare team and a taxi home. Further information on Safety and Community across the university. Map of university Safe Lodge Scheme.
We’d also recommend you refer to the university’s Nights out page if you are new to Oxford; this page has some useful tips on keeping safe.
In an Emergency
In a serious medical emergency (where life is in danger) you should telephone 999 immediately and ask for the Ambulance Service. Emergency medical treatment can be obtained at the Emergency Department (A&E) of the John Radcliffe Hospital. Even if you are not registered with the NHS, you will always be seen in an emergency.
If you are unsure whether you should visit A&E, or if you are experiencing an illness and injury in the evening or at the weekend, call NHS 111 by dialling 111 for 24/7 urgent health advice.
If you do go to hospital, please inform the college at the earliest opportunity, so we can ensure that appropriate support is provided.
Out-of-Hours Services
Dental Care
For routine or emergency dental treatment you should seek the advice of your college doctor or nurse. Damira Dental Studios, providing NHS dental care for Oxford, is located at Brookes campus on Headington Hill. For out of hours emergency care, contact the East Oxford Emergency Dental Clinic. Alternatively, you can call the NHS 111 Service.
Pharmacist
There is a good local pharmacist based a few minutes walk from the main college site on the Woodstock Rd (Woodstock Road Chemist). This can be a useful place to start with questions and concerns about minor illness, injuries or vaccinations, and to pick up prescriptions. They are open Monday to Saturday and you do not need to make an appointment in advance. Address: 59 Woodstock Road, Tel: 01865 515226
Mental Health
In addition to the medical services listed above, the university runs a dedicated Counselling Service, offering free and confidential talking therapy to students struggling with mental health and/or life challenges. The service provides both individual and group counselling, and further information is available on the university website. There are also useful pages signposting to self-help resources at this link. Oxford students can also access free online support 24/7 through togetherall.
Oxford Nightline
Oxford Nightline is a completely independent listening, support and information service run for and by students of Oxford and Oxford Brookes universities. This is a confidential telephone support service, available for any student to contact between the hours of 8pm and 8am, seven days a week from 0th to 9th week during Oxford University term time.
Student Welfare
We aim to be a supportive, inclusive and non-judgmental community, and we encourage you all to take positive steps to address any difficulties you may encounter during your course. The university has a wide range of resources and useful information, and we are always happy to signpost any students struggling with practical and/or emotional difficulties to resources within and beyond college where appropriate, while promoting your agency in identifying any personal challenges that may arise while you are on course.
Green Templeton has a range of advisers to help students with welfare and wellbeing issues, including the Senior Tutor, Academic Registrar and Deputy Academic Registrar. The Dean of Welfare is responsible for welfare in the student body, ensuring that the college’s policies on welfare are being observed and reacting to individual cases as these arise. The Dean of Welfare is ex officio Chair of the Student Committee.
These include fellows of the college, staff members, as well as trained students offering support, such as the Junior Deans and Peer Supporters.
Junior Deans
Junior Deans act as key liaison figures between staff and students and they have a central role within the College’s welfare team. They are the first point of contact for students experiencing problems that affect their welfare, no matter how big or small they are. Our Junior Deans have completed the University Counselling Service’s 30-hour Junior Dean training course and training in First Aid. They are on call 24/7 through weeks 0-10 and are contactable during the day outside term time for emergencies. They sit on the College’s Student Welfare Committee which meets once a term and assist the Dean of Welfare as well as the Dean with maintaining discipline amongst student members.
Vice President for Welfare (GCRC)
The Vice President for Welfare role on the GCRC (Graduate Common Room Committee) is to represent, support and provide information to any students needing support for personal, emotional, social and academic problems. They can refer or signpost to further information about the full range of welfare services available in college and the wider university.
Peer Supporters
Peer support is a crucial part of welfare, both in college and throughout the wider university. Green Templeton’s Student Peer Supporters are available to talk with you informally about anything that is concerning you. All our Peer Supporters complete 30 hours of training with the Oxford University Counselling Service. You can email them to arrange a meeting or get in touch on behalf of friends that you are worried about. Our current Peer Supporters’ details
If you are interested in joining the Peer Support Team, training or playing a greater role in the college, please contact our Academic Registrar, Alison Franklin in the first instance.
Disabilities
Green Templeton works closely with the university’s Disability Advisory Service (DAS) to provide support to students with disabilities, long term health conditions and/or specific learning difficulties. A wide range of individual adjustments and support is available to help you to overcome any potential obstacles impacting your studies.
It is not compulsory to disclose a disability to us, but if we are not aware of it then we cannot support you with specific adjustments which may be helpful, particularly around exam times.
Our Disability Coordinator is Alison Franklin (Academic Registrar). Our Disability Support Officer is Rebecca Wilson (Admissions Administrator). Please contact Rebecca in the first instance to discuss any academic/disability needs related to settling in to college life at GTC. Alison Franklin will be in contact with students at the beginning of the new academic year to discuss any adjustments to be put in place with regards to your academic programme/ course.
If you choose to tell the university about your disability the information will be regarded as sensitive personal data and will only be shared with your permission and on a need-to-know basis, in line with Data Protection Act requirements.
