What happens when a report is submitted?
Report and Support is monitored 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. If the concern is regarding a student, this will be actioned by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. If the concern is regarding a staff member, this will be actioned by People and Culture.
Once you have submitted a Report and Support, your log number will be displayed. You can request an update on your case by emailing wellbeing@bcu.ac.uk. The Mental Health and Wellbeing team offer a confidential service to BCU students, this means that without consent from the student you are concerned about, we are only able to provide you with limited information, e.g. whether we have been able to make contact with the student or whether your case has been closed or remains open for further action.
When a student concern is received by the Mental health and Wellbeing team, the report will be risk assessed and triaged for action by the Duty workers on shift or the Safeguarding team. Dependant on the concerns raised within the report, action may happen within 1-3 working days of the report being submitted.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing team will try to make contact with the student to ensure that the student is safe and well, the advisor will try to contact the student by email or phone/Teams call. All necessary safeguarding actions will be completed by trained members of staff within the team. Safeguarding actions may include referrals to external services, such as the GP or Forward Thinking Birmingham, or contacting the emergency services for immediate support where necessary.
Reports relating to housing or finance may be actioned by Accommodation Services or the Student Money, Housing and Childcare Advice team. The relevant team will attempt to contact the student.
Reports relating to staff will go to People and Culture to action.
What happens after we have contacted a student?
Following contact with a student, the student will be sent an email summary of the support discussed. This email may include links to register with the Mental Health and Wellbeing team for ongoing support, and details of external services. The information discussed with the student will help them make an informed decision about the options available to them.
What happens if we can't contact a student?
If contact cannot be made, and there are concerns about a high risk of harm to the student or to other people, a further risk assessment and decision will be made as to whether any further safeguarding actions are necessary such as contacting next of kin or emergency services. Where possible the university will inform students that their emergency contact may be contacted, but in serious circumstances, where we are not able to gain the students consent, the university will reach out to the named emergency contact. Only for urgent concerns will the university take action to contact the emergency contact.