I need help from the emergency services. What should I do?
If you need to contact the emergency services (Police, Ambulance or Fire Service) please dial 999 and ask for the relevant service. This could be an incident such as a crime, serious physical or mental ill health or a fire. If an incident like this occurs on campus please contact the University Security Services (0121 414 4444) as well as dialling 999.
I need urgent mental health support. What should I do?
Urgent mental health support
If you feel you need urgent support with your mental health, here is some useful advice:
In the first instance:
- If you have a GP, please contact them and ask for an emergency appointment. If they are not open they should have an out-of-hours number you can call.
- If you do not have a GP, please call the switchboard for Birmingham and Solihull’s Mental Health Trust on 0121 301 0000.
Alternatively you can:
- Call 111 for free urgent care advice in situations that are not life-threatening.
- Call Forward Thinking Birmingham’s 24-hour crisis team on 0300 300 0099 (for people up to the age of 25).
- Call the Samaritans on 116 123. They operate a confidential, free to call service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Call SANE a national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness (open 16:30 to 22:30pm every day).
- Attend your local NHS walk-in service. The nearest walk-in service to the University is Katie Road, Selly Oak. Find your local NHS Walk in Service.
- Call 999 or go to your local Accident & Emergency department (A&E). The nearest A&E to the University is at Queen Elizabeth Hospital BirminghamLinks to an external site.. Find your local A&E service.
Always call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured, and their life is at risk.
For further information about seeking urgent support please visit Birmingham and Solihull’s Mental Health Trust’s webpage about what to do in an emergency.
I’ve been a victim of crime. What support can I access?
If you have been a victim of crime we would strongly encourage you to report it to the police and to Security if it took place on campus.
University of Birmingham Security Services operate 24 hours a day all year round and are always available to offer assistance and advice to Students, Staff and members of the public.
The role of Security Services is to provide a secure campus environment by protecting people, property and safeguarding the University's reputation as a safe place to live, work and study.
The services they provide include: advice on personal safety and crime prevention, help and assistance during an incident and liaison with the police and other emergency services.
Security Control (non-emergencies) 0121 414 3000 (43000 if dialling internally)
Security Control (emergencies) 0121 414 4444 (44444 internally)
Students and staff can visit the Crime Prevention Hub in University Centre for information/advice
Where can I find victim support?
Victim Support is an independent charity in England and Wales that provides specialist practical and emotional support to victims and witnesses of crime.
Suzy Lamplugh Trust 0808 802 0300 (Advice for victims). Provides personal safety tips and information.
If you are having a crisis or are concerned for the safety of someone else, please read the information below on how to get help.
University Security
The University Security Services work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. You can call them on 0121 414 4444. They can provide assistance in an emergency and they can also help in urgent but non-life threatening situations. In case of an emergency always dial 999 first.
University Security Services can:
- Provide first aid on campus.
- Attend on campus if there are suspicious persons or behaviour, to challenge and investigate the situation.
- Provide assistance if you feel vulnerable or unsafe on campus. For example, if you think you are being followed.
Contacting the emergency services
If you need to contact the emergency services (Police, Ambulance or Fire Service) please dial 999 and ask for the relevant service.
Examples of why you may need to contact the emergency services:
- Witness or victim to a crime in progress requiring the police to attend.
- Witness or victim to a serious injury requiring an ambulance.
- Witness or victim to a fire requiring the fire service to attend.
If an incident like this occurs on campus please contact the University Security Services (0121 414 4444) as well as dialling 999. Security will assist with such incidents, such as applying temporary first aid, deterring an offender or providing support. They will also liaise with the emergency services to ensure they can access campus as quickly as possible.
Urgent mental health support
If you feel you need urgent support with your mental health, here is some useful advice:
In the first instance:
Alternatively you can:
- Call 111 for free urgent care advice in situations that are not life-threatening.
- Call Forward Thinking Birmingham is 24-hour crisis team on 0300 300 0099 (for people up to the age of 25).
- Call the Samaritans on 116 123. They operate a confidential, free to call service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Call SANEline a national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness.
- Attend your local NHS walk-in service. The nearest walk-in service to the University is Katie Road, Selly Oak . Find your local NHS Walk in Service .
- Call 999 or go to your local Accident & Emergency department (A&E). The nearest A&E to the University is at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Find your local A&E service.
Always call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured, and their life is at risk.
For further information about seeking urgent support please visit Birmingham and Solihull’s Mental Health Trust’s webpage about what to do in an emergency .
Non-Crisis Mental Health Support
If you are concerned about your safety or the safety of others around you, please call 999 in the first instance.
The University has a wide range of support for your mental health of which Wellbeing Officers are just one part. Wellbeing Officers are your first port of call if you are finding things difficult. They offer a safe and confidential place to talk about feeling down, struggles with stress, anxiety or other struggles. Our Wellbeing Officers are trained to help and may signpost you on to some of the services listed below.
Personalised Support
Personalised support is run by our friendly and experienced team of psychological practitioners and counsellors, and will offer you a safe and confidential space in which to explore the difficulties you may be facing, and will help you develop effective strategies to overcome them. You don't need a mental health diagnosis from your doctor in order to access the service.
Personalised support comes in many different forms, but all will be tailored specifically to you to help you get the most out of your university experience. If you register for the service, your first session will always involve a one-to-one consultation, looking into your current challenges, and then deciding on the best course of support. This could involve;
- One-to-one support with a psychological practitioner or counsellor
- Referral onto an external service, including Forward Thinking Birmingham
All treatment is done with you at the forefront, working with you to find the best way to help and support you.
Details of their services are available here.
You can register for personalised support here.
UBHeard
UBHeard is a confidential listening and support service for all registered students (undergraduate and postgraduate) that gives you immediate emotional and mental health support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
You will be able to speak to a mental health professional and counsellor who will guide you through any issues you may currently be facing – at University or at home. UBHeard offers immediate in-the-moment telephone support, and where appropriate, up to six sessions of counselling for mild-moderate issues.
Call the service now on 0800 368 5819 (Freephone UK*) or 00353 1 518 0277 (International), or visit the UBHeard portal .
Contact UBHeard via Live Chat by logging in to the UBHeard portal (you can easily create an account with your UoB email address).
or
Text ‘Hi’ to 0035387 369 0010 for SMS & WhatsApp Support (standard rates apply)
The service is 100% confidential and free to use as a University of Birmingham Student. Counselling is delivered via telephone or video.
Pause
Pause - the collaboration between University mental health services, Forward Thinking Birmingham, and The Children's Society, are running drop in sessions on campus every Wednesday and Thursday, 11am-5pm. You can talk to the friendly team about anything that may be worrying you and they also lots of free activities throughout the year. You can find up to date information here.
Self-help guides
Self-help guides can be an excellent option for those concerned about their mental health. Our self-help guides have been written by clinical psychologists, and provide suggestions for simple ways in which you can begin to make positive changes, tailored to a wide variety of issues.
The guides are accessible, easy to use and relatively short (20-30 pages). Each guide is also available as an audiofile – you may find listening an easier way to access the materials, especially if you are finding it hard to concentrate on written materials.
Chaplains
You can access the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy at St Francis Hall which can be found next to the Guild of Students. Anyone wishing to speak to a Chaplain is recommended to contact the Chaplain they wish to speak to and provide a phone number so that they can call you back.
If you are unsure who to contact, or want to find out more about the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy, please contact the Chaplaincy Administrator.
Support from the Guild
The Guild Advice team and Student Mentors are available by email to offer advice and support, you can contact the Guild Advice team at guildadvice@guild.bham.ac.uk and the Student Mentors team at mentorwelfare@guild.bham.ac.uk.
Nightline
Nightline are a listening service ran by students for students. They are available 8pm - 8am during term time for phone calls and instant messages, and until midnight during term time for drop-ins, at St. Francis Hall, located next to the Student’s Guild; they are also available all year round by e-mail. Please login to your My.Bham for contact details or on the back of your student ID card.
Other support
Please refer to our student booklets for other support.