Section 2: Welfare Matters

2.1 Financial Hardship

When the University and Colleges accept students, this is on the basis that they will be able to support themselves financially - whether through personal funds, scholarships, grants or loans - throughout their University career. However the University and Colleges recognise that some students may face financial problems due to unforeseeable circumstances that make it difficult for them to continue their studies and in such cases they endeavour to help as much as they can within their means. Students should ensure they are in receipt of all support available to them, for example undergraduate government support, before applying for hardship funding.

College Support

Students with financial difficulties should consult their colleges in the first instance for advice and assistance. Most Colleges have limited amounts of hardship funding as well as travel and other special grants but may refer students for other, more suitable, types of funding before applications to their own funds can be made.

University Support

Access to Learning Fund

The Access to Learning Fund is mainly for home students but certain other categories of student are also eligible, e.g. refugees or EEA migrant workers. The Access to Learning Fund is available for students who need extra help to meet living or course costs, either because these are higher than normal (as for example, may be the case for student parents to students with disabilities), or because of financial hardship. Grants are discretionary and the level of award depends on the student’s individual circumstances: however an award cannot be used to provide core funding which the student did not have in place before entering Oxford.

Students can apply for funding for the current academic year only and the maximum an individual may receive in any one academic year is £2,000; where funding remains available, this is likely to be increased in Trinity Term. Applications will be accepted once registration has taken place and will be considered at any point throughout the academic year up to the end of Trinity Term.

For more information about the Access to Learning Fund, please contact the relevant officer in your college or email student.funding@admin.ox.ac.uk.

University Hardship Fund

The University Hardship Committee accepts applications from all students who are in financial hardship due to unforeseen difficulties. Those eligible must have applied to the Access to Learning Fund before their application can be considered.

Students can apply for the current academic year only and the maximum an individual may receive in any one academic year is unlikely to be more than £3,000, other than in exceptional circumstances; this level of award is likely to be a combination of both grant and loan and awards are usually lower than this. The Committee meets termly and students should check with their College the deadlines for each term. Students who wish to apply to the fund must first discuss their application with their College who will forward the application to the Committee.

Before making awards the Committee needs to be satisfied that there has genuinely been an unforeseeable change in the applicant’s situation since becoming a student at Oxford and other avenues of assistance have also been explored. The Committee does not usually assist in cases where the student’s funding situation is unsustainable in the long term and will require further assistance.

Application forms should be obtained from and submitted through college offices, where the result of applications will also be sent. Further information can be obtained from student.funding@admin.ox.ac.uk.

Disability see section 2.2 on services for students with disabilities

Childcare see section 2.3 on support for student parents

Other University Funds

The University administers a number of scholarships, travel grants, bursaries and prizes (not restricted to cases of financial hardship). Details of these can be obtained from the University's funding website Fees and Funding and are also publicised through Colleges, departments and faculties.

The Oxford Opportunity Bursaries exist to help UK undergraduate and PGCE students from low income households. From 2012/13, means-tested bursaries will be available for new undergraduates and PGCE students from both the UK and the EU. Oxford is also offering fee reductions to new students with low income households. Further details can be obtained from http://www.oxfordopportunity.com

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2.2 Services for Disabled Students

The University is committed to making reasonable adjustments to enable disabled students to participate fully in student life. Students are strongly advised to contact the Disability Advisory Service (DAS) for guidance on disability-related study support, applying for the Disabled Students’ Allowance, and assistance with getting a SpLDs assessment including dyslexia, dyspraxia (or arranging a study needs assessment). The DAS can work with colleges and departments to facilitate students’ study support and to advise on good practice. Information on Disability Contacts in colleges and departments can be found at www.ox.ac.uk/students/shw/das/contacts/ Once students have funding in place, the DAS can assist in providing note-takers, specialist study skills tutors and other learning support. Various alternative formats to printed texts can be produced (electronic, audio, braille) and assistive software is available through ARACU (see below).

The Disability Advisory Service (a section of Student Welfare and Support Services at 3 Worcester Street)

For information and advice on services for students with disabilities and a range of fact sheets on different disabilities, please contact DAS by telephone on (2)80459 or e-mail us at disability@admin.ox.ac.uk or visit the web-site. Students can also approach the Student Union for advice and support (see section 4 of this booklet).

Accessible Resources, Acquisition, and Creation Unit (ARACU)

Part of the Bodleian Libraries and based at Osney Mead, the Unit can provide library materials in alternative formats for disabled students and library users who have difficulty in using traditional printed works.

  • Audio recordings in DAISY format
  • Braille
  • Scanned material in Word and PDF Image format
  • A range of assistive software for loan and trial at the Unit.

Please contact us on aracu@bodleian.ox.ac.uk or telephone (2)83862 if you think you would benefit from our services, or if you would like to talk through your options.

Examinations

Alternative arrangements can be made for disabled students including those with dyslexia, dyspraxia or other SpLDs in taking their University examinations, as explained in section 9.2 of this booklet. In order not to miss application deadlines, those with any disability and long-term health condition for which special examination arrangements are essential should discuss matters with their Senior Tutor and college doctor as soon as possible after arriving at the University.

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2.3 Support for Student Parents

The University offers a comprehensive range of childcare services at discounted rates for all eligible staff and student parents. The provision consists of the following:

Four University nurseries (operated by Kidsunlimited, catering for children between 4 months - 5 yrs):

  • Bradmore Road
  • Mansion House
  • Jack Straws Lane
  • Woodstock Road

Eight private workplace nurseries:

  • Turbo Teds Nursery (located by the train station and operated by The Co-operative Childcare)
  • Wolvercote, Iffley and Forest Farm nurseries (operated by Oxford Montessori Schools)
  • Water Ways, Oxford Business Park, Harwell and Milton Park nurseries (operated by Kidsunlimited)

For further information about the nurseries above, please follow the link www.admin.ox.ac.uk/childcare/nurseryinformation

Four College Nurseries (independently managed by the Colleges):

  • Balliol
  • Wolfson
  • Somerville
  • St Anne's

Some financial help may be available for meeting the costs of childcare. Home students must apply through the Access to Learning Fund; applications are available in Colleges. EU and overseas students can apply for emergency short-term assistance from the Childcare Relief Fund. Such students are only eligible to apply if their partners are working (if applicable, and are only permitted to apply again in subsequent years if there are additional unforeseen circumstances). For further informations and application forms, e-mail student.funding@admin.ox.ac.uk.

Childcare Services

Childcare Services is responsible for managing the comprehensive childcare provision on behalf of the University and in particular ensuring accessible, affordable and quality childcare is available to the collegiate university. Nurseries are well equipped and are of very high standards. Full time and part time places are available: however the waiting list is long and parents are encouraged to apply for nursery provision as early as possible. Furthermore, holiday play schemes are available for older age children. The Oxford Montessori Schools also offer primary and secondary school places which are discounted to University parents.

Nursery places are offered according to strict criteria and priority groups exist. Student parents benefit from a dedicated student priority group: however places can only be offered where availability exists. Student parents using University nursery provision also benefit from an annual payment of approximately £200 from Childcare Services to support nursery fees.

To find out more about University childcare provision and how to apply for a place, please visit the Childcare Services web-pages: www.admin.ox.ac.uk/childcare/

College Nurseries

The four colleges that have their own nurseries, to which all staff and students can apply, are Balliol, St Anne’s, Somerville and Wolfson. For further information about these, please contact the colleges or look on their respective web-sites.

Playschemes

Please look on the childcare web-site for information on playschemes.

Childcare Fund

All matriculated students can apply to the Childcare Fund for help with the cost of childcare. The Fund administers HEFCE funding for home students and University funding for international students. Allocations are usually made at the beginning of Michaelmas Term and thereafter in the middle of each term. To apply to the fund and to find out about other sources of financial help for students please see the childcare web-site www.admin.ox.ac.uk/childcare/feesandfunding/

Additional Information

The OUSU Student Parent Handbook offers comprehensive information about childcare provision throughout the University and city and childcare funding for students with children. The Handbook can be obtained from the OUSU Vice-President (Women) at women@ousu.org or from JCR/MCR Welfare or Women's Officers. The Vice-President (Women) can also give information and guidance on request. Additional information for student parents can also be found on the OUSU web-site at www.ousu.org/welfare/student-parents-and-childcare.

For information about childcare provision in Oxford, including private nurseries, childminders, or schools and after-school childcare provision, contact the Oxford Family Information Service. They provide comprehensive, free information for parents. Telephone: 08452 262636 or e-mail: fis.enquiries@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Full details on the University’s childcare provision are on the web-site at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/childcare/. Alternatively, you can e-mail childcare@admin.ox.ac.uk. If you do not have access to the internet, you can write to The Early Years Administrator, Childcare Services, University of Oxford, 92 Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 7ND or telephone Oxford 289841.

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2.4 University help with Accommodation

The University’s Accommodation Office can help students with accommodation in two ways:

  • information about private accommodation in Oxford available to students, academic visitors and other members of the University;
  • University accommodation for graduates studying for a second degree.

Accommodation is available for couples, families and single students, currently providing some 600 properties located on a number of sites. If graduate students wish to be considered they should complete an application form available on the web-site or contact the Accommodation Office for an application form at Ewert House, Ewert Place, Summertown, Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7DD. (Monday to Friday, 10am-12.45pm; 1.45pm - 4pm). Tel: Single accommodation (2)80812, couples/families (2)80813. Fax: (2)80814. E-mail: accommodation.office@admin.ox.ac.uk Web Address: www.admin.ox.ac.uk/accommodation

For students seeking private accommodation visit the web-site www.oxfordstudentpad.co.uk or contact the Accommodation Office (couples (2)80813, singles (2)80812). Oxford University Student Union in conjunction with the University produces a Living-Out Guide with information about how to find and secure accommodation within Oxford. For advice about Council Tax, telephone Oxford City Council on Oxford 252870.

Note: There are limits on how far students are allowed to live outside Oxford during term-time; these are explained in section 7 of this booklet.

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2.5 Equality and Diversity

Equality and diversity matters in the University for both students and staff are the responsibility of the Equality and Diversity Unit, working alongside the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Personnel and Equality). The Unit’s web pages are a source of information and advice on all equality areas including race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion and belief, and age (www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop), the Maternity and Paternity Policy for students, and harassment (see section 2.6 below). The University has an integrated equal opportunities policy (www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop/missionstatement/integratedequalitypolicy). The Equality and Diversity Unit also works closely with OUSU in support of student equality issues and with the Campaign for Racial Equality and Awareness (see www.ousu.org/about/campaigns/a/crae).
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2.6 Harassment

The University has a Harassment Advisory Network comprising:

  • departmental or faculty confidential advisers;
  • college confidential advisers, where notified.

The names of these advisers are displayed on departmental and college noticeboards. Advisers may be approached by any student or member of staff of the University suffering from harassment or bullying. Contact Harassment Line tel. (2)70760, harassment.line@admin.ox.ac.uk

The University regards harassment as unacceptable behaviour and has a Policy and Procedure designed to protect its students, staff and other people for whom it has a special responsibility. Detailed advice, contact numbers and FAQs are available at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop/harassmentadvice/advisornetwork and the Policy and Procedure are reproduced as Appendix B to this booklet. The Policy states that a person subjects another to harassment (including bullying) where he or she engages in unwanted and unwarranted conduct which has the purpose or effect of (a) violating that other’s dignity, or (b) creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that other. Harassment may involve repeated forms of unwanted and unwarranted behaviour, but a one-off incident can also amount to harassment. Forms of harassment covered by the Policy include bullying, verbal or physical abuse, harassment relating to another’s sex, sexual orientation, religion, race or disability, where the effect is to create or maintain a hostile studying, working or social environment.

Disciplinary issues relating to harassment are explained in section 10.2 of this booklet.

Most colleges have Codes of Practice and appoint special advisers or advisory panels to respond to complaints of harassment. If your college has no special arrangements, people you might approach within college could include the dean, tutor for women, or chaplain. Information about sources of help and advice is also displayed in academic departments.

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2.7 Health

The University’s Sub-Committee on Student Health and Welfare co-ordinates policy on student health, deals with welfare issues, and is responsible for the Student Counselling Service. Colleges provide organised health care via their college doctors and nurses and also have arrangements for help with the whole range of welfare issues. Further information on student health and welfare issues is available at www.ox.ac.uk/students/shw/?path=shw.

College doctors

There are arrangements for members of each college to be registered under the National Health Service, if they wish, with a particular doctor in general practice (the ‘college doctor’). Although you are free to register with any practitioner of your choice, the majority of students find that the most convenient arrangement is to register with their college doctor. In any case, you should register with a doctor in Oxford as, in the eyes of the Department of Health, you are deemed to spend the major part of the year in Oxford while you are resident. At any practice you can normally choose to consult either a male or a female doctor.

Certain groups of international students who are resident in the UK for less than six months may be required to pay for any treatment received under the National Health Service and may be required by the college to take out insurance to cover against this risk.

College nurses

For minor cases of sickness and ailments, you are generally able to consult and obtain treatment from a college nurse, and most colleges either provide sickbays or have special arrangements for students who are confined to bed in their rooms.

Like all doctor-patient relationships, those between college doctors, college nurses and students are confidential.

Medical emergencies

Clinical Management in cases of emergency can be obtained at the Emergency Department of the John Radcliffe Hospital. The telephone number of the Emergency Department is Oxford 220208. Exceptions are emergencies affecting the eye, ear, nose and throat (tel. Oxford 234800 or 234134 in advance for those affecting the eye and 231166 for ENT). Hospital emergency services should be warned in advance when possible. Where individuals cannot be moved, ring 999 and ask for the Ambulance Service.

Occupational Health

The University Occupational Health Service deals with the monitoring and prevention of work-related ill-health and the rehabilitation of employees back to work after illness. Some projects, particularly in science or medicine, may require work-related health surveillance. Each student should consult the project supervisor or departmental administrator, to see if enrolment is necessary and, if so, arrange for the Area Safety Officer to complete a health surveillance registration form and forward it to the Occupational Health Service. Otherwise, the Occupational Health Service is available for advice and consultation on whether work is affecting health, or health affecting work. The service also provides travel advice to staff who are going abroad on business, and, under certain circumstances, to students travelling as part of their studies. Appointments for travel advice should be booked well in advance. The service does not provide general medical treatment or first aid. It is located at 10 Parks Road, Oxford, tel. (2)82676, open 8.30am–5pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30am–4pm Fridays.

Dental and ophthalmic treatment

Students, including graduates, who need either routine or emergency dental treatment should seek the advice of their college doctor or nurse, as many colleges have special arrangements with particular dentists. Oxford Priority Dental Services are based at East Oxford Health Centre. East Oxford Health Centre, 1 Manzil Way, Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 4XD. Open Monday–Friday 8.30am–4.30pm excluding Bank Holidays. Call at 8.30am on Oxford 264980 to book an emergency appointment (first come, first served basis). The Emergency Dental Service is open Monday–Thursday 6.30pm–9.30pm, Friday 6.30pm–10pm; weekends and Bank Holidays 9am–6pm. Call at opening time on 0845 345 8995, leave your details at the call centre and you will be called back.

Colleges do not normally have a special arrangement with opticians, so you should feel free to register with one of your choice. If you have a visual problem which requires specialised attention, you will be referred to the hospital eye service.

Pandemic flu

Please look out in your college and department for advice about taking precautions against contracting pandemic flu and what to do if you or close contacts become unwell. Current information is also on the University’s web-site: www.ox.ac.uk/flu.

Contraception and sexual health

Contraception advice and supplies are available free of charge for all. Students may obtain advice/supplies from their college doctor, from any other GP, or from a Health Authority Family Planning Clinic. Clinics are held in Oxford at the Family Planning Service, Between Towns Road, Cowley, Oxford tel. Oxford 456666. This operates as a drop-in service, open Monday to Thursday 9.30am-7pm, Fridays 9.30am-4pm, and Saturdays 10.30am-1.30pm. Between these times a nurse is available to give advice. It is not essential to have an appointment, but you are likely to have to wait longer in the clinic if you do not have one. Telephone advice is available to anyone, whether you attend the clinic as a patient or not.

The clinic also provides smear tests, and pregnancy tests (for which an early morning urine specimen is necessary). Counselling for unplanned pregnancy and referral for termination of pregnancy are available at the Clinic.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases, HIV and AIDS

Various sources of advice and help are available to students who are concerned about sexually transmitted diseases, HIV or AIDS. It is important to get advice and help quickly after presumed exposure:

  • the college doctor or college nurse;
  • the Health Advisers at Oxford GU Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Old Road, Headington: tel. Oxford 231231. The routine clinic operates by appointment Monday–Friday, 8.30am-6pm (4pm Fridays). A walk-in clinic is available each weekday 12.15pm-3.15pm;
  • The Terrence Higgins Trust helpline: tel. Oxford 243389 or 0845 1221200. The Trust also has a walk-in HIV and sexual health testing service on Thursdays 6 pm-9 pm and the first Saturday of the month, 11am-3pm at 43 Pembroke Street, Oxford.
  • The Sexual Health Information line: tel. 0800 567123 (24 hour).

Drugs and alcohol

Drug abuse and excessive alcohol intake raise welfare concerns because they put the health and academic progress of the individual at risk. (The disciplinary issues are explained in sections 10 and 11 of this booklet and guidelines on dealing with drug misuse are available on the Proctors’ Office website.)

Information on the health effects of drug and alcohol abuse is available from college doctors and their surgeries and in the Oxford Survival Guide, produced by Oxford University Student Union. Other sources of help and advice include

Meningitis awareness

Any student entering higher education for the first time should have been vaccinated against meningitis C, ideally before coming to the University. This applies to all freshers, regardless of age. If you have not already been immunised before arrival, this can be done by your college doctor. It is important to remember that this vaccination only gives protection against the group C strain of meningitis, which used to account for 40% of all meningitis cases in students. You should be vigilant for the signs and symptoms of the group B strain of meningitis.

You should be given information on the symptoms of meningitis by the college doctor or nurse on arrival in Oxford. Please ask for this information if it is not given to you, as it is important that you are familiar with the symptoms of this disease.

Early symptoms may be similar to those of flu or a hangover, such as feeling feverish, vomiting, severe headache, stiff neck, back and joint pain. If you develop a rash of tiny bruises which do not fade under pressure, develop a serious dislike of light, or become disoriented, you must get medical help urgently. Information on the symptoms is also shown on the website at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/shw/men.shtml.

Vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)

On the advice of the Oxford City NHS Primary Care Trust and the UK Health Protection Agency, the University strongly recommends that all UK and international students born after 1982 should seek MMR vaccination (and should receive both the recommended doses) before arriving in Oxford. If you have not done this you should consult your College Doctor as soon as possible once you get here. Contracting measles or mumps would have serious consequences for your studies. You would have to stay away from lectures and tutorials while infectious and, in the case of mumps, this would be a period of at least five days (possibly as long as 25 days). See the University web page www.ox.ac.uk/students/shw/health/mumps.

Medical incapacity

The University has special procedures for situations in which a student is unable to continue with his or her studies for reasons of medical incapacity: these are explained in section 12 of this booklet.

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2.8 Help in times of stress

Life and study at University can sometimes put a lot of stress on students. If you are experiencing personal, emotional, social or academic problems, it is important not to bottle them up but to discuss them with someone who can give support. It is often possible to resolve problems through the help of a college tutor, chaplain, doctor, nurse, or other staff member. Colleges are able to provide considerable advice and support, and they publish information about how to seek help.

Student Counselling Service

The University’s professionally staffed Student Counselling Service (a section of Student Welfare and Support Services) provides free, confidential support to all matriculated undergraduates and graduates. The Service is available throughout the year except for limited periods at Christmas and Easter, although reception hours are usually reduced outside of term time. During term, it is open on weekdays from 9.00am to 5.00pm. Later, pre-booked appointments are available on four evenings per week. Appointments can be made by visiting the office at 3 Worcester Street, by phoning (01865) 270300 or by e-mailing reception@counserv.ox.ac.uk. If e-mail is used it should be remembered that no e-mail system is entirely confidential. After the initial contact, students are asked to fill in a registration form. Once that is returned, appointments are offered with the first counsellor available, unless specialist help is requested. The Service aims to see students for an initial appointment as soon as possible (within five working days) after the return of the registration form, then to offer regular counselling at an early date. A range of self-help materials, which many students report as very helpful, is available on the Service's web-site at www.ox.ac.uk/students/shw/counselling/

Waiting times for a first appointment can increase (be longer than five working days) at busy periods such as the beginning of the Michaelmas and Hilary Terms but every effort is made to avoid a delay which involves two weekends.

The Student Counselling Service is not designed to be an emergency service. Anyone who feels that their situation is so urgent that they cannot wait for the first available appointment should contact a doctor. College Doctors can be contacted outside surgery hours as they have on-call arrangements.

Other support includes:

Nightline: a completely independent, non-judgemental listening, support and information service, with no political, religious or moral bias. Run for and by students, Nightline provides every student in Oxford with the opportunity to talk to someone about anything they like. The service also provides information, from taxi numbers to the addresses of clinics and other support networks. We are open from 0th Week to 9th Week every term, 8pm-8am every night. You can phone free from any university phone or drop in to see us for a cup of tea or coffee at the basement flat of 16 Wellington Square in central Oxford. You can also call us on Skype (our username is oxfordnightline1). You can ask to speak to a man or a woman if you prefer, and calls are treated with the strictest confidentiality - you do not have to give your name. Tel. Oxford (2)70270. Nightline can also call you back on any Oxford landline or mobile number.

Samaritans: a twenty-four hour confidential listening service for those experiencing emotional distress including thoughts of suicide. Samaritans can be reached by phone (08457 909090 or Oxford 722122) or e-mail jo@samaritans.org at any time, or SMS (07725 909090) or in person at 60 Magdalen Road between 8.00am and 10.00pm.

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