We welcome students at Solent University Centres from all around the world. Whether you join us on a course in London, Birmingham or Manchester, we aim to ensure that you get the most from your studies and take away the very best experiences from your time with us.

Read on to find out more about the range of support services we offer.

Student welfare

When you’re not doing so great, one of the most powerful steps you can take is really rather simple: talk about it. Sometimes that can feel easier said than done – we feel like we’re burdening someone else with our problems, and we don’t want to come across as needy or like we don’t have our lives on track. But here’s a reality check – your friends and family care about you! Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you found out that a loved one had been going through a tough time, but hadn’t reached out for help?

Don’t forget, like any big challenge, you will get through this – future you is older and wiser and waiting for you on the other side – it may just take a couple of attempt to reach them. In addition to family and friends, there are also many external support services available detailed below, this includes our own Welfare Support Team.

Our Student Welfare Team are always on hand to support you with any queries or personal matters that you may come across during your studies. Our friendly team are here to help, so do not be afraid to ask for their support and advice, no matter how big or small you think your issue is.

Email: qahe.welfare@qa.com

Mental health team: qahe.mentalhealthsupport@qa.com

In addition to the services below, we have put together a selection of helpful guides and resources, available to download to support you throughout your studies.

Health and emergency services

NHS
If you require health advice, due to current concerns or if you are not sure about an urgent medical problem, your first decision may be to head to the hospital when you may not need to.

Contact your local GP (doctor) service, or contact the NHS Helpline on 111, available 24 hours every day. You can also call 18001 111 on a textphone.

Police
For non-emergency situations, where there is not immediate danger, call 101.

Emergency Services
Call 999 to get immediate help if there is immediate danger of injury or loss of life.

Housing and homelessness

Shelter
If you require housing advice contact an expert housing advisor on 0808 800 4444. They are open from 8am-8pm weekdays and 9am-5pm on weekends.

If your situation is urgent and you have nowhere to sleep, might be homeless soon, are at risk of harm, or feeling overwhelmed about your housing situation, then call the emergency helpline on 0808 1644 660.

You may also be able to contact your local council for advice and assistance.

Mental distress

Togetherall

Togetherall is a free and anonymous online community available 24/7 to all of our students looking for mental health support and a sense of connection. Share your worries and questions with others experiencing the same struggles and learn more about how to adjust to life’s challenges. Moderated by professionals to keep you safe, Togetherall is here for you. Register here for Togetherall with your student email address. Find out more here and in this video.

Samaritans
If you are feeling overwhelmed, suicidal or just need someone to talk to, you can contact the Samaritans who are open 24 hours a day, on 166 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

Alternatively, if you are already in contact with your local mental health services, then you could call them for support and assistance.

Student minds

Student Minds is the UK’s student mental health charity. Their Student Space will be available 24/7 throughout the holidays.

Support services:

Student welfare team support

We are here for you. We have put together a handful of helpful guides to offer support to you whilst you are studying with us:

Domestic violence

Refuge
You can speak to a member of the National Domestic Violence Helpline team. The team will provide a listening ear if you want to talk about your experiences and support you to work through your options in the short and long-term. The helpline can also help you to access refuge accommodation, or other specialist domestic violence services, if you need them

You can call at any time:
Women’s and Children’s Advice Line: 0808 200 0247
Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327

Emergency services
If you or a member of your family are in immediate danger, call 999 to get some immediate help.

Student welfare team support

We have put together a Domestic Violence and Abuse Guide to offer support to any students that may be experiencing signs of domestic violence.

Sexual assault/rape

Rape crisis
The national Rape Crisis helpline is open 12pm-2.30pm and 7-9.30pm 365 days a year.

You can call them on:
Women’s Advice Line: 0808 802 9999
National Male Survivors Helpline: 080 800 5005

Emergency services
You may also wish to make a report to the police on 101 (non-emergency), or if you are in immediate danger contact 999.

Ukraine crisis: student support

The current conflict unfolding in Ukraine is something we are monitoring closely. We are saddened to see the horrific events occurring and will do everything we can to support all our students, staff, and wider communities.

Please know that whatever your nationality, you are not alone. We are here to support you in any way we can, particularly those who are from and have family and friends in Ukraine, Russia, and the surrounding regions. More than ever, this a time for unity and mutual support and not one to spread division or hate. We are stronger if we face this crisis together.

During this crisis it is critical we all stay informed and look for unbiased and factual information from reputable sources. We understand the news coverage and saturation of the events unfolding are horrific, so please take time to switch off and recharge away from the news. Please be kind and respect the different ways this crisis will be impacting everyone.

We have a range of support services available for students who are impacted by the Ukraine crisis, more information can be found below:

Some students may find it difficult to focus on their studies at this time. Anyone struggling with academic work should first talk to their tutor, who will be able to offer support and advice.

Additionally, you may wish to seek study support from our ACE team. 

Students can contact the Welfare team for support with their mental health and wellbeing, either on their own behalf or if they are worried about another student.

Students suffering financial hardship as a direct result of the crisis in Ukraine should apply to the hardship fund through the Welfare team.

The Welfare team can be contacted in a number of ways:

Email: qahe.welfare@qa.com

On campus: In Birmingham and London – Rosebery Avenue campuses

Monday – Thursday             9am-7.30pm

Friday                                     9am-5.00pm

Saturday                                10am-4.30pm

Take a look at this guide for more support: Financial Support

Please keep checking your emails for our Student Relations Newsletters, which will contain details of the online and on-campus sessions available for students to join.

The ACE team

Our Academic Community of Excellence (ACE) Team, has years of experience providing academic guidance to our students and helping them achieve excellence in their course by developing skills. The ACE Team can support you in the following ways:

You can book a virtual or face to face 30-minute tutorial to discuss your academic development e.g. skills such as paraphrasing, referencing, and academic writing. We can also help you navigate your virtual learning environments and help with queries regarding accessing online resources.

We offer ongoing support workshops on a variety of academic subjects such as structuring an argument, academic style and criticality.  Along with these workshops, we hold drop in sessions on topics such referencing, in where you get the opportunity to ask questions and discuss answers with an ACE team member and other students.

We have developed a wide range of materials based on common questions and academic needs, such as Quick Guides, Video Guides and PowerPoint presentations. All of our resources can be found on the ACE page on your VLE.

Our friendly team is available six days a week (Monday to Saturday) and we are more than happy to help! Feel free to get in touch to make an appointment, our contact details are:

ace@qahighereducation.com

Careers service

When you come to study with us, you automatically qualify for in-depth personal attention, advice and assistance with your career development. We are professionals with a reputation for getting results. So we will make it our business to ensure you are exposed to the best possible options for work experience and career opportunities once you graduate, including:

Right from the start of your time here, our staff will be happy to discuss your ambitions with you. We offer friendly, impartial advice on careers, further study options and related areas, plus access to a range of career information resources.

Should you choose to, we will endeavour to help you to find appropriate work experience – both short-term and part-time. Paid work (subject to your visa restrictions) can be a great way to fund your studies and graduate without significant debt, but even volunteering has a positive effect on your CV and your employability.

In addition to pointing you towards the right graduate vacancies, fairs, forums and other networking opportunities, we will assist you with writing your CV and covering letters, as well with preparing for interviews.

Want to know more about the careers support available to you? Email the team on yourcareers@qa.com to book an appointment or drop into the Careers Service office when you are next on campus.

More information is available via Careers Online .

Library

Our libraries are here to help you find the resources you need in order to succeed in your studies. You will be met by friendly staff who will be more than happy to assist you in sourcing information and making sure you can work in a quiet environment.

If you have any questions or would like to talk to an expert about anything to do with our libraries or online resources, please get in touch using the below contact details:

Email: library@qa.com

Access guides, resources and more on the Library Portal.