Starting university can often seem a little daunting, but plenty of services are available throughout your time at Oxford to offer support. You will receive a more comprehensive Welfare Guide during Freshers’ Week, along with an introductory talk.
The Welfare Officers
Hello! We are Zoe, Alex, and Ariadne, your welfare officers!
Our role is to support you and help you settle in. We are always here as a port of call,
whether it’s just for a quick chat or for confidential welfare support.
We run events with support of our fellow peer supporters (see below) like Tommy White
(TW) Tea, welfare cocktails, welfare walks, and drop-in sessions for if you want a 1-on-1
chat. We also provide sexual health products, and give out lots of free treats during term time
🙂
We will be about during fresher’s week, so feel free to chat in person any time, or send a FB
message or email (you’ll find our intro post on the FB page with us tagged - we have one
good photo btw and this is it). No questions will be too obvious or silly - trust us! We were
also the ones who created your college family, and your parents are always there to answer
questions too!
All the Welfare Love,
Zoe, Alex, and Ariadn
Welfare Events
The welfare team have a variety of events and services which are run throughout term to help out in small ways, these include:
- Tommy White Teas: fortnightly teas in the JCR with free food provided for everyone. Often a poll is posted on the JCR and you can suggest what you want welfare to get!
- Welfare Supplies: delivering FREE sexual health supplies including condoms, pregnancy tests and lube - all you have to do is fill out a form which will be made available on the JCR Facebook page. This can be done anonymously (pick up from the pidge of one of the welfare officers instead of your own) . They can also reimburse the cost of the morning after pill if you pidge the receipt and a note. Everything is confidential, free and super easy!
- Welfare, Men’s and Women’s Lunches: fortnightly free lunches for everyone and anyone identifying as men or women respectively
- At the end of each term we have �?Winedown’: lots of free wine, prosecco and fancy cheese to send you off to the vacation in style.
Deans
The Senior Dean coordinates both JCR and MCR Welfare, and the Junior Deans provide support to the JCR. The Junior Deans’ office hours are 17:30 - 18:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They can be contacted on: [email protected]
The chaplain Elizabeth Macfarlane is also the Welfare Dean looking after particular welfare concerns. You can get in touch with her on: [email protected]
Peer Supporters
The JCR Peer Supporters are fellow students who have undertaken over thirty hours of
training and are happy to have a confidential chat about anything that may be worrying you,
abiding by a special Code of Practice. They can all be contacted with the email
[email protected], or on Facebook!
College Counsellor
The College has its own counsellor, Denise Barulis, a clinical psychologist, who sees students on Tuesday mornings at 16 St Giles. Appointments can be made by sending an email to Denise using the email found in �?Useful Contacts’, or by contacting her on 07963 131460.
Other Services
The welfare officers and peer supporters are there to support you in gaining extra help from other services if you feel you’d rather go to a service which is not based within college.
Nightline operates 08:00-20:00, providing confidential, non judgemental advice, support and information over the phone (01865 270270) or you can go to them directly at their office in Wellington Square.
For more serious or long-term issues you can contact the Oxford University Counselling Service for help ([email protected], 01865 270300). You should never feel that you have nobody to talk to. Always remember that friends and tutors are there for you, and will be willing to listen and offer you counsel should you have any problems. The Oxford SU Student Advice Service also offers a free advice, information and advocacy service ([email protected], 01865 288461). There are also a number of campaigns and support groups around, such as Mind Your Head (raising awareness of mental health issues) and Student Minds’ eating disorders support, which also offer student support