Health and Wellbeing

Welfare

UCS WELFARE TEAM

We are a friendly, diverse, and approachable group of Clare students who are always willing to offer help, advice, and support for any issues you may be dealing with. If we cannot provide that support, we will ensure we point you in the right direction to get the necessary support you need. Feel free to contact us about any issue you might have, no matter how big or small! The team is made up of the two Welfare Officers, the Women and Non-Binary Officer, the LGBT Officer, the Ethnic Minorities Officer, the Class Act Officer, and the Mental Health and Disabilities Officer. Our contact details are available under Meet the Committee.

UCS WELFARE EVENTS

The welfare team aims to maintain a friendly, approachable and accessible presence around college, and holds regular fun welfare events. In the past these have included Riley film nights and arts and crafts evenings, as well as welfare breaks from the library that usually include free food! Keep an eye on the UCS social media for information on this term’s events.

TUTORS

All Cambridge students are assigned a tutor, a friendly and approachable member of the College Fellowship who you can turn to for confidential help and support with any worries or concerns. If they cannot provide you with the help you need, they will point you in the right direction of professional help so they are always a great first port of call. Your Tutor will represent you in any issues you may have with dealing with the University Administration, such as registering for special consideration for exams. You will have a meeting with them in Freshers week, and they should contact you every term to offer a chance to meet and check up on you. For more information on the tutors, you can find more information on the Clare College website.

DEAN

The Dean, Mark Smith (mss53), is responsible for the running of services in the College Chapel, which are run on a Christian basis but welcome all members of the college, whether they belong to any faith tradition or none. The Dean oversees the pastoral care of the college as a whole and you can go to him in complete confidentiality with any issue at all. He is very lovely and not to be confused with the Dean of Students, who you should only meet in the case of serious disciplinary issues!

Physical Health

PORTERS

For first aid and very minor injuries, the porters are your first port of call, as all the lodges are equipped with a first aid kit and ice packs.

COLLEGE NURSES

Our College Health and Wellbeing team is made up of Helen James (Head of Health & Wellbeing), Esther Manning (College Mental Health Nurse), and Naomi Walker (College Nurse). With regards to physical health, they are able to provide support for health concerns and minor illnesses and injuries. They can also point you in the right direction where more specialised help or treatment is required. General physical health appointments with Naomi are available Monday to Thursday and are bookable online 48 hours in advance at Calendly – Health & Wellbeing Service. Appointments are 20 minutes long and can be held either in person or via video or phone. 

Importantly, the college nurses are NOT an emergency service – if it’s urgent and they do not have immediate availability, you should contact your GP, NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.

GP

The nearest GP surgery to Memorial Court is Newnham Walk Surgery, about 10 minutes’ walk away. It’s a good idea to register with them when you arrive at university so that you can access support and treatment for anything that comes up during term time.

Newnham Walk Surgery website: Homepage – Newnham Walk Surgery
Phone: 01223 366811, telephone line open 8am-6pm Mon-Fri

Address:
Newnham Walk Surgery
Wordsworth Grove
Cambridge
CB3 9HS

ADDENBROOKE’S

Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ is a 20 minutes’ cycle or an hour’s walk from Memorial Court.  Alternatively, take the U bus, which stops at West Road (opposite the Sidgwick site) three times an hour.

SEXUAL HEALTH

The SU provides condoms, dental dams, lube, and chlamydia and pregnancy tests for free. At Clare, the UCS Sex Fairy is in charge of distributing these by ensuring that the sexual health supplies boxes in Memorial Court and Castle Court are kept well stocked. You can find these boxes discreetly placed in the X staircase laundry room and the Castle End laundry room.

Mental Health

COLLEGE NURSES

The College Nurses can provide assessment, support, and advice for mental health concerns as well as more general support for all manner of personal or emotional issues and worries. 

  • Advice & Support appointments with Esther are for any health concerns that are not physical. They are bookable 24 hours in advance.
  • Wellbeing appointments with Naomi are for advice, support, or just to provide a listening ear. They are released 48 hours in advance.
  • Initial mental health assessment appointments allow the nurses to assess your mental health concerns and discuss your support needs and options. They are released 3 days in advance.

All appointments can be booked at Calendly – Health & Wellbeing Service and are available Mon-Thurs. By default, appointments come with a video link but they can also be in person or over the phone.

Importantly, the college nurses are NOT an emergency service. If you need urgent mental health support, contact NHS 111 Option 2, and then if you want, email the nurses to let them know. 

UNIVERSITY COUNSELLING SERVICE

The University Counselling Service is available to support students free of charge, all year round. 

Individual appointments can be made by completing their online referral form, after which you will be offered an appointment within 10 days. The service follows a ‘One at a Time Therapy’ model where you can book follow-up therapy sessions one at a time as needed, up to four sessions after which your counsellor will review what the appropriate next steps are; longer term support is often provided through counselling groups. These meet weekly for 90 minutes and tend to have 8-12 members, as well as larger stand-alone workshops.

HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE SUPPORT SERVICE (HVSS)

The HVSS provides trauma-informed emotional and practical support for students who have been subjected to sexual harassment, violence, or abuse. This support is focused and short term; it is not counselling or therapy, which is provided instead by the University Counselling Service. 

NIGHTLINE

Nightline is a night-time anonymous and confidential support service run by students for students, which aims to provide a non-directive, non-judgemental listening ear. Whatever’s on your mind, they can be called at 01223 744444. They also have an email (email@cambridge.nightline.ac.uk) and an online messaging service. Nightline is open every night of full term from 7pm to 7am.