Health and Welfare
What is 'welfare'?
Peterhouse is committed to offering caring, thoughtful, and effective support to all of our students. Welfare is about the whole person so it encompasses physical, emotional, and mental health. One-on-one counselling & support is central to what we do, whether discussing everyday stress and problems or physical or mental health concerns, but we also organise events in College. Together with student welfare representatives, we put on mental health workshops and welfare activities to promote individual and communal wellbeing, from outdoor dog walks to art sessions, coffee breaks and more. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with us if you need support. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.
What kind of information can I find here in the welfare hub?
The tabs here will take you to other pages on the welfare hub where you will find:
- Sources of help and support in the wider University and beyond
- Self-help and self-care resources that you can access any time
Links are not exhaustive, and the websites featured include links to many other charities and agencies. Please note that while we have checked all links at the time of posting, the College is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Who are the members of the Peterhouse Welfare Team?
- The Welfare Officer & Assistant Chaplain (Jennifer Adams-Massmann)
- Mental Health Advisor (Leanne Freear) - see the Mental Health Resources tab: https://www.pet.cam.ac.uk/mental-health-advisor-and-resources
- College Nurse and Wellbeing Advisor (Natasha Kear)
- College Counsellor (Panayota Manis)
- College Tutors (https://www.pet.cam.ac.uk/tutorial-matters#:~:text=The%20Senior%20Tutor%....)
- JCR Welfare officers: https://www.peterhousejcr.co.uk/currentStudents/jcrCommittee/currentComm...
- MCR Welfare officers: https://www.peterhousemcr.co.uk/committee
<-- See the individual tabs to the left for more about us and about how to reach us. You can also download A Guide to Health and Welfare at Peterhouse down below. It provides a summary of the most important information about who is who and other resources in the university.
Whom do I talk to if I don't know where to start?
You can speak to any of us about welfare or mental health issues and we are happy either to help or signpost you to the right person, so please reach out to any of us!
For accommodation or financial questions, please contact your tutor in the first instance.
For academic problems, please speak with your director of studies or supervisor or your tutor (for grads and undergrads) but you can also reach out to anyone else.
For general welfare-related concerns (stress, family and relationship issues, mental health problems, sexual or racial harassment, bullying, questions about sexuality or gender, difficulties with your studies or other issues, other concerns or ideas for welfare in College), you can contact the Welfare Officer in the first instance who can either help you directly or signpost you to the right place in the College or university.
For physical health, please contact the College Nurse (in term) or your GP (out of term).
For LGBTQ+ or BME students with special concerns, please speak to any of us or if you prefer to access peer support, you can also reach out to the College's LGBTQ+ liberation representative or BME student representative (for the JCR) or your JCR/MCR welfare representatives.
For specific mental health concerns and support, you can contact the College Nurse, Mental Health Advisor or the College Counsellor or have a chat with the Welfare Officer to begin with.
Where are you located?
The welfare officer and mental health advisor (MHA) are normally in the College Flat in Little Saint Mary's Lane. Leanne is back in the office and is happy to see students in person or remotely by phone or Zoom if preferred. Jennifer is also happy to see people in person or remotely and is also happy to meet for welfare walks nearby too. Unfortunately the college flat is not accessible for those with Mobility issues that cannot use high steps/stairs but we can use other accesisble rooms in college to meet with you and please do not hesitate to let us know when you make contact.
During full term, Natasha, the College Nurse and Wellbeing Advisor is based in the Health Centre in Fen Court - please see her tab for information about her hours and how to make appointments.
The College Counsellor is based in the University Counselling Centre (UCS) and is available during term only. At the moment she is still working remotely in line with the UCS practices but when in person she uses the Welfare room at the bottom of William stone building.
The college also has a Welfare and Prayer Room, which can be booked through the Tutorial Office.
What do I do in a mental health emergency (for me or a friend)?
In immediate risk (life or death type situation) you must Call 999 or 112. Don't hesitate if it is an emergency. If someone is also able to call the Porters (01223 338300) to let them know you have rung 999, this is so they can support the situation but also able to meet any emergency services and let them in at any access point to college.
Most international sim cards should be programmed to connect to the uk emergency services when 999 or 112 is called, unfortunately American sim cards do not appear to be able to do this.
Advice and help in a crisis
- If you are not sure who to call or whether a member of the welfare team is on duty, you can contact the porters who will know who is available and will contact the relevant member of staff on your behalf.
- Your GP. During office hours, you can also make an emergency appointment with your GP. Outside of your practitioners working hours the GP number will direct you to out of hours services.
- If you're not sure what to do you there is a 24 hour out of hours GP helpline. They can also help with mental health support.In Cambridgeshire you call NHS 111 option 1 for physical health concerns and option 2 for mental health advice and assessment, This number does not always connect from an international sim card, If you have any problems please ask the porters for help in calling and recieving a call back from the NHS.
- University Mental Health Advisers: If our Mental Health Advisor is away, the University has other mental health advisers who are available during office hours. Please contact the Welfare Officer, College Nurse or your tutor for an urgent referral to the UCS.
- For more information about other 24/7 helplines you can call for support and help in a crisis, please see under the Mental Health Resources tab to the left.
