The University recognises our students as independent adults and respects their right to confidentiality.
As part of the student registration process, all students are required to provide details of an emergency contact which the University may contact in instances when it is in their vital interests to do so.
Students are also asked to provide additional details of a wellbeing contact who they consent to the University contacting in non-emergency situations but where there are serious concerns about a student’s wellbeing. This guidance outlines the process and situations in which contact with the emergency or wellbeing contact may be initiated.
Introduction
The University of Strathclyde is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our student community. As part of the student registration process, all students are required to provide details of an emergency contact which the University may contact in instances when it is in their vital interests to do so.
As part of our commitment to supporting student mental health and wellbeing, all students are also asked to provide additional details of a trusted individual and consent to the University contacting this person in situations that are not emergencies as described in paragraph 1, but where there are serious concerns about their wellbeing. This contact will be referred to as the ‘wellbeing contact’.
This guidance outlines the circumstances in which we may get in touch with the emergency and/or wellbeing contacts based on the student’s vital interests or offered consent.
The emergency contact
It's a requirement of registration that all students provide an emergency contact.
The contact may be a parent, guardian, or friend. The emergency contact may or may not be the same as the wellbeing contact.
Students should ensure that the emergency contact is a trusted, responsible individual.
Students should ensure that the emergency contact is aware that their details have been provided and include a mobile number where possible to allow contact to be made quickly.
Students log the emergency contact details on Pegasus. Students are encouraged to review the details regularly to ensure that they are up to date.
Circumstances in which the University may use the emergency contact
The emergency contact may be contacted on occasions where there is an urgent risk to the student’s immediate health or safety.
A decision to contact the emergency contact will be made on a case-by-case basis based on all information available about the circumstances of concern.
Decisions to contact the emergency contact will be taken, where practicable, by two senior members of Student Experience staff (for the purposes of this procedure, senior Student Experience staff comprise: The Director of Student Experience; Heads of Service; the Disability and Wellbeing Managers). The professional judgement of the senior staff concerned will be used in deciding whether to alert the emergency contact.
The University recognises our students as independent adults and respects their right to confidentiality. Wherever possible, we will alert the student before communicating with their emergency contact, and will endeavour to only make contact without the prior agreement of the student if the student is unable to provide informed consent, it is not possible for us to contact the student in advance, or, to do so would cause unreasonable delay.
The following are examples of instances in which a decision may be made to contact an emergency contact. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and that the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis, considering whether a situation constitutes an emergency and that it is in the vital interests of the student or a third party that contact is made:
- A student has been admitted to hospital for emergency treatment that we have been made aware of and the student is unable to contact others themselves
- In the event of serious injury, risk to life or the death of a student
- In the event of a serious/major emergency incident (fire etc)
- Where there is a serious concern for the safety of the student or others
- Where a student cannot be located/ is believed to be ‘a missing person’ and there are immediate concerns for their safety and wellbeing
- A student is experiencing a mental health crisis and there is concern about behaviour that might indicate serious and immediate mental illness
- A student has been involved in an accident or is a victim of crime
The wellbeing contact
As part of the student registration process, in addition to the emergency contact, students are asked to list a wellbeing contact whom they give consent for the University to contact in situations that are not emergencies or urgent as outlined above but where there is a serious concern about the student’s wellbeing. The contact may be a parent, guardian, or friend. The wellbeing contact may or may not be the same as the emergency contact. It is not compulsory for students to provide details of a wellbeing contact, however, we strongly encourage students to do so.
Students should ensure that the wellbeing contact is a trusted, responsible individual.
Students should ensure that the wellbeing contact is aware that their details have been provided and include a mobile number where possible to allow contact to be made quickly.
Students log the wellbeing contact details on Pegasus. Students are encouraged to review the details regularly to ensure that they are up to date.
Consent for a Wellbeing Contact can be withdrawn at any time, to withdraw consent or alter the details of a Wellbeing Contact, students can log in to their Pegasus account.
Circumstances in which the University may use the wellbeing contact
Decisions to get in touch with the wellbeing contact will be made on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration all available information about a student’s situation.
Decisions to contact the wellbeing contact will be taken by, where practicable, two Student Experience senior staff following consultation with relevant staff members, for example, academic colleagues. The professional judgement of the senior staff concerned will be used in deciding whether to alert the wellbeing contact of a concern.
The University recognises our students as independent adults and respects their right to confidentiality. We will endeavour to tell the student that we intend to alert their wellbeing contact unless the student is unable to provide informed consent, or, it is not possible for us to do so, or, to do so would cause unreasonable delay.
The following are examples of instances in which a decision may be made to get in touch with the wellbeing contact. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and that, as outlined in point 10 above, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the contextual information available at the time:
- A student has been admitted to hospital that we have been made aware of and the student is unable to contact others themselves
- A student has suffered a serious physical injury including self-harm
- A student stops engaging with their studies and we have been unable to contact them using a variety of means
- Situations where there are emerging concerns (e.g. engagement/attendance/behaviour) about a student identified by a member of staff or another student and where the student has not responded to multiple contact attempts from their Department/School
- A student has not recently been seen in their halls of residence and we have been unable to contact them using a variety of means
- A student has an illness that appears to be deteriorating with a potentially serious impact on a student’s wellbeing
- A student is experiencing a mental health deterioration or crisis
Where a decision has been made to alert the wellbeing contact, contact will be made by either the authorising heads of service or a designated staff member as considered appropriate to the context.
Contact initiated by family or friends
Family or friends of a student may from time to time raise a concern with the University regarding wellbeing or safety. The University will record this contact, assess this information and respond appropriately. We cannot share personal information about the student (including whereabouts, academic progress, or personal circumstances) with the person raising the concern except under the processes described for Emergency and Wellbeing Contacts outlined in this procedure.
Data protection and record keeping
A log of contact with Emergency and Wellbeing contacts will be maintained and stored in accordance with relevant University data protection and retention policies.
Guidance for staff
Please take a look at our Emergency & wellbeing contact procedure: guidance for staff.