Drop in: Students can drop in and visit the Student Services Hub to speak to a member of the team between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday.
Using the myACM (student app) ‘Help’ button: Our commitment to you is that a Student Hub Advisor will aim to respond to your query within three working days.
Student Services is a visible presence on each campus and our Student Services Teams are on hand to assist and advise you on a diverse range of issues that can include:
How to register with a local GP or dentist
Accommodation
Managing the transition from home to student life
Being separated from family and friends
Networking to make new friends and contacts
Improving confidence and motivation
Balancing study with employment or being a parent/carer
Handling stress, anxiety, sleeping or eating difficulties
Financial advice and support – managing money, budgeting, travel bursaries and applying for student hardship loans.
General information on health and wellbeing
Referrals to internal and external support services
Careers advice and guidance and support with writing CV’s or completing job applications
Council tax/ proof of address/ proof of attendance letters
Lost property
Online Canvas Module
All ACM students have access to the Student Services Canvas module.
You can find information on what Student Services do, who we are, how to contact us as well as information on external support agencies that support a range of issues including mental health, emotional wellbeing, eating disorders, substance misuse, staying safe, sexual health and bereavement.
Togetherall
As part of our commitment to ensuring that we meet the mental health and wellbeing needs of our students we have developed a partnership with Togetherall.
This is a universal service and all of our students from September 2019 will have access to Togetherall. Students will be able to register for an account using their ACM email address and have access to this service.
Togetherall is a free, anonymous and non-judgemental online environment supporting your mental health and wellbeing.
The service offers support for a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, relationship problems and lifestyle challenges.
The service provides 24/7 online peer and professional support from trained counsellors.
Togetherall provides a safe space online to get things off your chest, explore your feelings and learn how to improve and self-manage your mental health and wellbeing.
Student Services run regular Health and Wellbeing Weeks on each campus. These involve activities, guests and information that focus on promoting positive wellbeing across our campuses.
Look out for the latest information and guest line-ups which will be advertised around campus as well as on the Student Services Canvas module.
Wellbeing Advisors / Mentors and Counselling Services
Students can be referred to Specialist Support Services at ACM to support them during their studies.
We have Specialist Support Services in the form of Wellbeing Coaches/ Mentors and Counselling Services at each of our campuses.
These sessions will provide individual short-term interventions for students where they can discuss issues that are troubling them in a safe, supported and confidential environment.
We offer this service free of charge for all current ACM students.
Our Wellbeing Coaches/ Mentors can offer practical help and specialist support for the following areas:
Improving lifestyle choices (including substance misuse and addiction issues)
Life coaching
Strategies to help cope with anxiety (including performance anxiety).
These services are referral based and students who would like to access Specialist Support Services would need to speak to a member of the Student Services Team.
In addition to Wellbeing Coaches/ Mentors, our students also have access to Counselling Services at each of our campuses.
Following an appointment with one of our Student Services Team, individuals can be referred to a Wellbeing Coach/ Mentor or qualified Counsellor for Specialist Services support.
Wellbeing Coaches/ Mentors –
Programme of up to 6 sessions
Counselling Service –
Programme of up to 10 sessions
Please note that the number of individual sessions offered will be based upon need and therefore some students may not require access to the maximum number of sessions available to them.
We can help students access external support services and agencies by providing them with contact details and support to contact or refer themselves to the service. There are a wide range of external support agencies that are universally accessible to any student and some services that operate locally. These include Crisis Line Numbers that students can contact.
Student Services in each campus are able to provide a comprehensive list of both universal and localised support for students.
Although ACM Student Services can offer support, advice and guidance to all students, please be aware that we cannot provide an emergency/ crisis support service. If your need is extremely urgent, please contact the following organisations that can best assist you with your support your needs:
In an Emergency
If you feel you are in immediate danger of seriously harming yourself or someone else, please dial 999 to contact the Emergency Services or go to the nearest A&E Service Department or NHS Walk in Centre.
POLICE 101
This is the number to call when you want to contact your local police in the UK when it’s less urgent than a 999 call.
Call: 101 (from both landlines and mobile networks) cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day you call, or how long you are on the phone.
NHS 111
Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
111 is the NHS non-emergency number. It’s fast, easy and free. Speak to a highly trained adviser, supported by healthcare professionals. They will ask you a series of questions to assess your symptoms and immediately direct you to the best medical care for you.
All students at ACM can now access free online support with Big White Wall.
Whether you’re suffering from stress, are struggling to sleep or simply need someone to talk to, Big White Wall can help you get support, take control and feel better.
You can get things off your chest, express yourself creatively, and access a library of self-care resources, including clinical tests, tips and guided group courses with topics ranging from Managing Stress & Anxiety to Quitting Smoking. Trained counsellors are online 24/7 to keep all members safe and provide extra support. Big White Wall can help you with adopting useful coping strategies and behaviours to improve your experience at ACM.
Big White Wall is completely anonymous, so no one needs to know you are using the service unless you tell them.
To join, simply go to www.bigwhitewall.com and sign up under ‘organisation’ with your ACM e-mail address.
The Samaritans
Befriending helpline for anyone in crisis or despair, open 24 hours/ 365 days per year.
Call: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org
www.samaritans.org
Saneline
SANE runs a national, out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including family, friends and carers.
The Campaign Against Living Miserably is an award- winning charity dedicated to preventing male suicide, offering crisis support by phone helpline, webchat or website. 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year.
HOPELineUK Help dealing with suicidal thoughts or feelings for young people under the age of 35, plus advice and support for anyone concerned about a young person with suicidal thoughts.
Student Minds is the UK’s student mental health charity. They aim to empower students and members of the university community to look after their own mental health, support others and create change.
When you join ACM, you should register with a local Doctor and Dental Surgery. The Student Services team can help you to sign up to a local GP (General Practitioner).
Doctors/ Dental Surgeries
Your GP can help you with a wide range of issues and also refer you to external help such as counselling, Physical Therapists and Specialist Doctors. To register is a simple process and is highly recommended:
To find your nearest surgery and a list of GPs go to the following website and enter your location: www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/LocationSearch/4
To register you will need to complete a registration form. If you have any queries regarding this, please just ask one of the Student Support team for advice. This will require you to provide your name, term-time address, NHS number, previous Doctor’s details and your views on Organ donation. NB: Some GPs may ask for photo ID and proof of address.
Your new Doctor’s surgery will be in contact to do a quick health check before you will be able to book appointments.
Dental health is also an important part of physical health, especially if you come across a dental emergency while at ACM.
Please be aware that some Dentist’s surgeries may only be allowed to accept a certain number of NHS patients, so you may not be able to get a place at your local surgery. However, if you require urgent treatment and you do not have a dentist, contact NHS 111 for advice on where you can get urgent care.
Meningitis is an illness where the coverings of the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or other agents. The spread of the disease is normally by close social interaction and is prevalent in the young and the old. Thus, although there is an enhanced risk in higher education establishments cases of meningococcal disease (meningitis) amongst students in are relatively rare, but the effects can be extremely serious or even fatal.
Bacterial meningitis is not common, but is a serious illness and needs urgent treatment with antibiotics. The most common of the bacteria that cause meningitis is the meningococcus. These bacteria can also cause blood poisoning (septicaemia), which is the more dangerous form of the disease. The term meningococcal disease refers to both the meningitis and septicaemia forms of the disease caused by the bacteria.
What you should do:
Get vaccinated
NHS England strongly encourages new students to be vaccinated with Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine. This protects against meningococcal disease, which can cause meningitis, septicaemia and death. Talk to your GP to make sure that you have already had your vaccination during your time at Secondary School or through your GP before you start ACM, or from your GP as soon as you can after you arrive. The vaccination is free to UK and international students under 25 years of age.
If you have been immunised against meningitis, you need to check if you have had MenACWY as it has not always been a part of the National Immunisation Programme. The MenACWY vaccine is not the same as Meningitis C.
Meningitis is not common and the last thing that we would want to do is cause panic across our cohort but it is also important to keep our students well informed, especially if doing so could potentially help to save lives.
ACM takes its responsibility for the health and safety of its staff and students very seriously. In the event of an emergency like infectious diseases, ACM will contact its community in a number of ways, such as through website alerts and email. ACM Student Services team will work with local health authorities and Public Health England. In some cases Public Health England will take the lead on contacting students.
Register With a Local Doctor
When you join ACM, you need to be registered with a Doctor locally to ACM or your hometown if you are commuting to ACM from home. You can find local doctor surgery information on the Student Services Module on Canvas. Also if you are here and ill, let a friend and let ACM know so we can keep in touch with you. Look out for one another, we are a community.
Recognise the symptoms
Meningitis is not easy to detect at first because the symptoms can be similar to those of flu. Recognising the symptoms early enough could mean the difference between life and death. Someone with meningitis will become very ill. The illness may take over one or two days to develop but it can develop very quickly with the patient becoming seriously ill in a few hours.
Symptoms include fever, vomiting, headache, stiff neck, aching joints, a dislike of bright lights, drowsiness and this is sometimes accompanied by a rash.
It’s easy to confuse the symptoms of meningitis with a hangover or flu, but meningitis can kill in hours if it isn’t treated. Make sure you know the signs so you can get urgent help.
Find out more about the symptoms here:
https://www.meningitisnow.org/meningitis-explained/signs-and-symptoms/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/symptoms/
https://www.meningitis.org/meningitis/check-symptoms
Get emergency help
If you think you or someone else may have meningitis, call 999 for an ambulance or make your way to hospital immediately if safe to do so asap. Describe the symptoms carefully and say you think it could be meningitis.
You should also contact the ACM at the earliest convenience if you do go to hospital and we will keep in touch with you and the Health Authorities. If the case is confirmed or probable then Public Health England will take the lead on prevention and will work with ACM to assist students.
Don’t Panic!
Meningitis B is extremely rare and is not highly contagious and the transmission risk is low. This information is just as a precaution. If you are worried or have any concerns you should contact your own GP or call NHS111 (dial 111 from a phone) for guidance, or else use 999 for emergencies. Additionally please go to the www.meningitis.org/ or https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/symptoms/
for more information on symptoms and signs.
Stay healthy at College or University by getting the vaccinations recommended by the UK Government’s Department of Health. Find out which ones you should have.
Talk to your doctor and find out what vaccinations you will need.
Getting your vaccinations
Before you come to University, you should have been vaccinated against certain diseases.
We strongly advise that you consider having these vaccinations before coming to ACM.
If you haven’t had all the vaccinations, you can get them via your doctor. If you need advise/help with registering with a local doctor when you get to ACM you can ask Student Services for help with this.
Vaccinations you should have
The UK Government’s Department of Health recommends that you should have vaccinations
for:
meningitis (MenACWY)
diphtheria
measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
polio
tetanus
There may be other vaccinations that are not on the list, so you should check with a doctor.
UK students
If you are from the UK, you might have had some vaccinations as a child as part of a
National Immunisation Programme. Talk to your doctor to find out which you have had and if there are any you need to get before you come here.
International students
If you are from outside the UK, you will need to be vaccinated against the diseases listed.
You should be vaccinated for tuberculosis (TB) before you enter the UK. If you are applying for a Tier 4 visa, you might also need to be tested for tuberculosis. Find out more about tuberculosis tests for visa applicants.
Talk to your doctor about any other vaccinations you might need to come to the UK. You
should also check with your local embassy to find out if you are legally required to get any vaccines before coming to the UK.
We recommend you get your vaccinations before you leave home. If you get your
vaccinations in the UK, you may have to pay for some of them.
ACM recognises our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all that are associated with ACM.
Safeguarding is a priority at ACM and promoting the wellbeing and welfare of our community is at the heart of everything that we do.
We will endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where students, staff and visitors feel safe, respected and valued.
We will be alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and will follow our policies and procedures to ensure that everyone receives effective support and protection from harm.
Who are the ACM Safeguarding Team?
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland to denote measures to protect the health, well-being and human rights of individuals, which allow everyone to live free from abuse, harm and neglect.
What constitutes a Safeguarding Concern?
A safeguarding concern is when you are worried about the safety or well-being of a child or adult because of something seen or heard, or information which has been given to you.
A safeguarding concern can also involve an Education and Employers representative, or a representative from another organisation, endangering the safety or wellbeing of others, for example, by not following the code of conduct.
What constitutes abuse?
In order to fully understand safeguarding and the role it plays, it is important to know what constitutes abuse.
It can be verbal, physical, sexual, emotional, financial or even neglect and can lead to the victim being hurt, upset, frightened or manipulated into doing something they know is wrong or do not want to do.
Another issue is that the person subjected to the abuse may find it hard to report the matter.
Confidentiality
We take confidentiality very seriously at ACM.
Any information you provide to us with regards to safeguarding or wellbeing will be treated as confidential unless there are significant concerns regarding you or someone else being at risk of harm.
Safeguarding and wellbeing concerns are managed with the highest levels of sensitivity and professionalism.
Therefore where information needs to be shared, it will be done so to support you and on a need to know basis, in accordance with relevant guidance and legislation by the Safeguarding Team.
What should I do if I have a concern?
If you have any concerns please report this to our Safeguarding Team immediately.
You can do this in a wide variety of ways:
In person: Pop to one of our student hubs and ask them to contact a member of the safeguarding team for you
Safeguarding is of the utmost importance to ACM. If you have any concerns that anyone on our campuses is being harmed or is at risk of harm, or if you receive a disclosure, you must contact a member of the safeguarding team immediately.
What should I do if I have a concern about a member of ACM staff or volunteer?
All concerns that relate to a member of staff should be directed to the safeguarding team by using one of the contact avenues detailed above.
What should I do if my concern is about the Designated Safeguarding Lead or a member of the safeguarding team?
These concerns can be escalated to the ACM Executive Team. You can request their contact details via any ACM reception or Student Hub.
Should you wish to contact someone other than staff associated with ACM then you should contact your campus Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO):
Guildford – 0300 470 9100
Clapham – 0121 675 1669
Birmingham – 0208 871 7440
Safeguarding Do’s
Educate Yourself
Identify who the Designated Safeguarding Lead is on campus
Understand who the wider safeguarding team are
Respond Immediately
Report any issues or concerns to the safeguarding team
You can contact the team by emailing – dsl@acm.ac.uk
Be Safe
Keep yourself safe at all times
Safeguard Yourself & Others
Implement professional boundaries and following good/positive working practice
Password protect your laptop / PC / Mac / mobile phone
Remember It Could Happen To Anyone
ALL individuals, no matter what background can suffer from any type of abuse and that an abuser is often known to them
Safeguarding Don’ts
Do NOT Investigate concerns yourself
Do not try and resolve any safeguarding concern yourself this is the role of the Safeguarding Team
Do NOT Follow Poor Practice
Do not speculate or make negative comments
Do not keep concerns about others to yourself, only inform the appropriate team (safeguarding team)
Do not delay in reporting the disclosure to the Safeguarding team.
Do not ask leading or probing questions
Never Make Promises
YOU have a duty of care to report any safeguarding concerns to the safeguarding team if anyone is at risk of harm or if you have concerns regarding their welfare.
Never Assume
If you are in any doubt report straight to the DSL or wider safeguarding team
Types of Abuse
The Care Act recognises 10 categories of abuse that may be experienced by adults.
Self-neglect
This covers a wide range of behaviour, but it can be broadly defined as neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health, or surroundings. An example of self-neglect is behaviour such as hoarding.
Modern Slavery
This encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour, and domestic servitude.
Domestic Abuse
This includes psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and emotional abuse perpetrated by anyone within a person’s family. It also includes so-called “honour” based violence.
Discriminatory
Discrimination is abuse that centres on a difference or perceived difference, particularly with respect to race, gender, disability, or any of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act.
Organisational
This includes neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting, such as a hospital or care home, or in relation to care provided in one’s own home. Organisational abuse can range from one off incidents to ongoing ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.
Physical
This includes hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, restraint, and misuse of medication. It can also include inappropriate sanctions.
Sexual
This includes rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault, or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented, or was pressured into consenting.
Financial or Material
This includes theft, fraud, internet scamming, and coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions. It can also include the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions, or benefits.
Neglect and Acts of Omission
This includes ignoring medical or physical care needs and failing to provide access to appropriate health social care or educational services. It also includes the withdrawing of the necessities of life, including medication, adequate nutrition, and heating.
Emotional or Psychological
This includes threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, isolation, or withdrawal from services or supportive networks.
Four Additional Types of Harm
There are four additional types of harm that are not included in The Care Act, but they are also relevant to safeguarding adults:
Cyber Bullying
Cyber bullying occurs when someone repeatedly makes fun of another person online, or repeatedly picks on another person through emails or text messages. It can also involve using online forums with the intention of harming, damaging, humiliating, or isolating another person. It includes various different types of bullying, including racist bullying, homophobic bullying, or bullying related to special education needs and disabilities. The main difference is that, instead of the perpetrator carrying out the bullying face-to-face, they use technology as a means to do it.
Forced Marriage
This is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or both of the parties are married without their consent or against their will. A forced marriage differs from an arranged marriage, in which both parties consent to the assistance of a third party in identifying a spouse. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 make it a criminal offence to force someone to marry.
Mate Crime
A “mate crime” is when “vulnerable people are befriending by members of the community who go on to exploit and take advantage of them” (Safety Network Project, ARC). It may not be an illegal act, but it still has a negative effect on the individual. A mate crime is carried out by someone the adult knows, and it often happens in private. In recent years there have been a number of Serious Care Reviews relating to people with a learning disability who were seriously harmed, or even murdered, by people who purported to be their friend.
Radicalisation
The aim of radicalisation is to inspire new recruits, embed extreme views and persuade vulnerable individuals to the legitimacy of a cause. This may be direct through a relationship, or through social media.
Personal Safety
The towns surrounding our campuses are generally a safe place to be, however, you need to be aware of some situations that may put you at risk and what you can do to try to avoid them.
ACM wants your studies here to be an enjoyable experience.
Insuring Your Belongings
One of the first things you should do before arriving to study at ACM is to insure your belongings.
Looking After Your Belongings
Do not leave valuable belongings on show;
Do not carry around your PIN numbers;
Put your name and postcode on all personal belongings (ultra violet pen);
Make sure when you leave your accommodation that you lock up securely, don’t expect others to do it;
If you live in a shared house – you can ask your landlord if they are happy for you to put a lock on your door;
Bikes – you need to make sure that you lock your bike with secure padlocks, including all wheels.
Safety When Out & About
When you first move into your accommodation it is a good idea to look for safe and suitable routes to college, shops and frequent place you may visit. Look for routes that are well lit and busy;
Walk on pavements;
If you are returning home late at night use public transport. If you do walk home, make sure it is with a group, do not leave each other at any point and ensure that you do not take short-cuts;
Never carry large amounts of cash on you;
Carry a personal alarm when walking alone;
Avoid confrontation – walk away if being provoked or hassled;
You do not know what your attacker may be carrying. Your safety is more important than property;
Be aware of who is around you at the cash point;
When using a mobile phone in public be brief and try to hide it (otherwise you could be making yourself vulnerable to attack); If your phone is stolen, call your network to immobilise it;
Have your keys ready well before you reach your home or car;
Carry your bag over your shoulder and close to your body; if someone grabs it, let go;
When going out alone always tell someone where you are going;
If you think you are being followed, cross the road and try to get to a shop, restaurant or somewhere you can alert somebody;
When Using Buses, Trains & Taxis
Try not to wait alone at bus stops. If travelling on a double-decker bus sit downstairs or where the driver can see you especially when travelling alone at night;
If travelling on a train, do not sit alone in an empty carriage;
To remain safe, do not listen to ipods, personal stereos etc on a loud volume whilst travelling as they will prevent you from hearing what is going on around you;
Always remember when travelling late to check the last bus or train to avoid being stranded;
Make sure any taxi you use has an official plate attached before you get in;
Do not get in taxis that stop you in the street as they may not be official drivers. They may be cheaper but they are not safe;
Agree the fare before your journey commences;
When travelling alone in the taxi, always sit in the back;
Do not give out any personal details to the driver;
Have your money ready before you leave the taxi;
Nights Out
When you are out drinking, ensure that you keep your drink with you at all times;
Remember, when you are drinking you may let your defences down so be aware of your surroundings;
If you are drinking, do not drive. Remember you can still be over the limit the next day;
Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids between alcoholic drinks.
Internet
Be careful and vigilant when using the internet;
Do not disclose information on social media or other forums.
How to Report a Crime
In an emergency where there is danger to life or a crime has been committed, please contact the police, fire brigade or ambulance by dialling 999 from any telephone.
REMEMBER – USE IN AN EMERGENCY ONLY
To report a non-emergency crime, call your local police station using the 101 service
Crimestoppers can be called anonymously with information about crimes and criminals – 0800 555 111.
ACM Safeguarding Summary
ACM takes safeguarding of everyone associated with our university very seriously. Should you have a concern for anyone’s wellbeing or welfare you should report this immediately to our safeguarding team.
For more information on safety and security of our campuses please contact your campus student hub or reception.
To disclose a safeguarding concern please click on this link
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