Wellbeing Hub
Edinburgh College Wellbeing Team
We’re here to support all students with their mental health and wellbeing whilst studying at the college, through one-to-ones, wellbeing talks/workshops, frequent activities, and working in collaboration with a range of specialist support organisations.
We work closely with internal college staff such as LDTs, Learning Support and Guidance along with external partners such as Penumbra, Beira’s Place, Sacro Aditi, Health in Mind, I-Thrive and Therapets.
If you have engaged with any of our services you will receive our fortnightly newsletter.
Meet the team
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How can the Wellbeing Team support me?
Our Wellbeing service offers you the opportunity to have support and guidance with self - management approaches for issues such as low level stress and anxiety as well as around college type issues including exam and assessment stress.
Book 1:1Meet Edinburgh College’s Wellbeing Team
Wellbeing Content
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Edinburgh College has renewed a partnership with social enterprise Hey Girls to ensure that all students will continue to have access to sanitary products for the 2023/2024 academic year.
To request a delivery of Hey Girls sanitary products directly to your door, please complete the Sanitary Product Order Form 2023/2024 which can be found HERE .
GET YOUR ORDERS IN!
The current delivery time is between 6 - 8 weeks, so please plan ahead.
Students can access sanitary products in the community from Edinburgh Leisure venues, libraries and community centres.
To read the privacy statement for the sanitary products please click HERE
Sanitary products are available on all campuses. For reusable products please go to Student Services or ECSA.
Edinburgh College has the responsibility to safeguard the welfare of the children, young people and protected adults who attend the College. Members of college staff have a duty of care to prevent physical, sexual or emotional abuse and to report any suspicion of abuse.
If you would like to report a concern please speak to a member of college staff such as your LDT, lecturer, Learning Support Adviser or any staff member that you feel comfortable talking to.
There are times in life when we could really need some extra support with our mental health. This can be due to high stress, academic challenges, isolation, changes in circumstances and bereavement. Sometimes what we need support with is finding out why we are not feeling well. Counselling gives you the opportunity to talk about what is difficult for you in a confidential and therapeutic space.
Together with your counsellor you can work on exploring difficult feelings and/or events, finding ways to process them and work on rebuilding resilience and healthy coping strategies. The Counselling team can offer six to eight weekly sessions with a qualified counsellor. These sessions will take place face-to-face or online through Microsoft Teams. We are able to see students at all four of our campuses. You will be able to note your preference when completing the self-referral.
- Students will need to fill out their own online referral form through the following Self-Referral Link
- Emails from the counselling team will be sent to your College Email address only, and you will be asked to provide more information within a few days of your referral.
- Students can email counsellingreferrals@edinburghcollege.ac.uk for more information about their referral.
Our values
Our service adheres to the College’s stated values of being student centered, trustworthy, responsible, respectful and committed to working in partnership with you to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. We offer a safe non -judgmental space where you can be supported to find approaches and strategies to help with whatever difficulties you are experiencing, and can signpost to other services or agencies where appropriate.
Our Confidentiality Policy
Under the guidance given in Edinburgh College’s Student Mental Health policy staff must treat any disclosure of mental health difficulty by you with sensitivity and respect your confidentiality.
The General Data Protection Regulation classifies data about mental health as special category (sensitive) personal data.
Your data will be shared only as necessary with colleagues in the college such as counsellors, lecturers, LDTs, Curriculum Managers and Learning Support Advisers on a strictly need-to-know basis.
For information on how we use the information you give us, please see our privacy notice.
Please click here.
Crisis Support
| Service | Dial | Toll & Opening Times |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Services | 999 | Toll-free, 24/7 |
| NHS24 | 111 | Toll-free, 24/7 |
| Breathing Space | 0800 838 587 | Toll-free, Mon–Thu 6pm–2am, Fri 6pm-Mon 6am |
| Nightline | 0131 557 4444 | 8pm-8am term time only |
| Samaritans | 116 123 | Toll-free, 24/7 |
| Edinburgh Crisis Centre | dial 0808 801 0414 text 07974 429075 |
Toll-free, 24/7 |
| Shout | text 85258 |
Call 0131 286 8137 to speak to a mental health nurse, no walk-in service at the moment.
This service provides home treatment for adults under 65 years suffering acute mental health problems, it offers an alternative to hospital and facilitates early discharge, it also provides same day unscheduled mental health assessment.
It is open from 8.30am until midnight 365 days a year, available to people between 18 and 64 years old who suffer from any mental condition in the West Lothian area.
For support please go to: St. John's Hospital, Howden Road West, Livingstone, EH54 6PP
For more information please visit Acute Care and Support Team (ACAST) - Health & Social Care Partnership
MHARS (Mental Health and Resilience Service) provides same day self-referral access for anyone who resides in Midlothian – aged 18 – 65 and seeking support with their mental health and mental wellbeing.
This service will work in partnership with Penumbra, offering crisis support, and or distress brief interventions
Telephone 0800 118 2962
Phone 0131 536 8300, the receptionist will take some basic details and the shift coordinator will call you back. IHTT gatekeep the acute inpatient admissions ward beds. You must contact us if you feel someone requires admission. We triage all urgent/emergency referrals who require intensive support and are at risk of being admitted to hospital.
We are a service for adults aged over 18 (no upper age limit) residing in East Lothian, who are experiencing an acute mental health crisis or functional illness (not dementia).
For more information about these services please click HERE
Lecturers and tutors can book a TheraPet Session through the wellbeing team. Send enquiries to wellbeing@edinburghcollege.ac.uk
Meet our Active Campus Coordinator – Xsara Murray (Click to expand)
The Edinburgh College Student Newsletter recently caught up with the College’s new Active Campus Coordinator Xsara Murray to find out more about her role and the activities she will be organising for College students:
Can you tell me a bit about your new role and what you will be doing?
My role within the College is to plan, provide and promote various opportunities for sport and physical activity across campuses for students and staff, with the aim of using physical activity to improve overall mental and physical wellbeing.
Another part of my role is to identify and work with people who may have barriers to sport and physical activity participation and work with them to create interventions that will aid in bringing these barriers down.
It is also in my remit to create links between the college and the wider community, through already existing SportScotland networks and creating pathways from college sport to clubs in the wider community of Edinburgh.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
I am most looking forward to working with students to create participation opportunities based on what they are most interested in being involved in! I am also looking forward to highlighting and passing on the wider benefits of sport and physical activity to those who aren’t currently participating, to encourage and enable them to start!
What were you doing before you started at Edinburgh College? What’s your background?
I come from a Sports Coaching and Development background, with a focus on grassroots initiatives through Community Sport and Active Schools. Before this role I worked as a Sports Coordinator for afterschool and holiday clubs based in schools across Edinburgh and West Lothian.
What kind of activities will be on offer and can anyone get involved?
I’ll be linking in with the Wellbeing team to offer sports clubs, fitness sessions and activities across campuses focussing on physical activity for overall health.
The first few months in post will be spent working closely with specific groups to bring more opportunities their way and working with one campus at a time to get some sports clubs up and running. You should also keep an eye out for participation opportunities and events across the four campuses coming soon!
How do I book onto any activities I want to take part in?
You’ll find my tab in the ‘Wellbeing Hub’ on Microsoft Teams. Here, you’ll be able to get more information about what is currently going on Active Campus wise at the College.
If there are any activities, you would like to see being offered or have any ideas that can be implemented by your Active Campus Coordinator, feel free to get in touch at xsara.murray@edinburghcollege.ac.uk
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