Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when I get in contact?

Your first appointment maybe over the phone or face to face
We offer a 5pm appointment for those who aren't able to attend during the day - this can be a phone call if more convenient
You will need to complete our referral form before or at the time of booking your first appointment with us
After we receive your form, we will contact you to book an initial appointment with a Wellbeing Advisor. This is a half hour chat which will give you the chance to discuss your situation and get some initial support. The Wellbeing Advisor will help you to decide the best support option for you and talk you through what happens next.

How flexible are your appointments?

We offer some appointments after 5pm. When you contact us to book your appointment, we will always try to find a time that suits you
We have some limited counselling available at the Lansdowne Campus, but most of our services and our initial appointments take place at Talbot House on the Talbot Campus.

Who can access Student Wellbeing?

Our services are open to students from Bournemouth University and the Chiropractic College (AECC).

Students attending the Bournemouth and Poole College (including those on BU programmes) will need to access support services through the college:

College students at the Lansdowne should either make an appointment at main reception or phone 01202 205255
College students at the North Road site should go to The Link, Student Support Centre or phone 01202 205205.

Is the service confidential?

Our service operates a strict confidentiality policy and we do not normally tell anybody that you have accessed the service or any details about the nature of the support you are receiving. There are times, however, when we may need to breach this due to legal obligations or if we believe that you or another person is at risk of harm. You will need to sign our confidentiality agreement, as part of the referral form, in order to access our service, which explains our policy in more detail.

This service is provided by Dorset HealthCare. We will not share any information about you with your GP or any other health services without consent except in the circumstances described in our confidentiality policy or when expressly requested by yourself.

Do I need to make an appointment?

Due to the current circumstances, Student Wellbeing will now operate a digital drop-in using the video conferencing platform Attend Anywhere. The drop-in will run during term-time from Monday to Friday, 2-3pm, to access this please click this link: nhs.vc/Bournemouth-university-well-being-service and fill in your full name and date of birth.

You will be placed in an online waiting room and an advisor will pick up the call when available. Please note that the online waiting room will only be monitored between the hours of 2-3pm, Monday-Friday.

Want to talk to somebody but not on campus or in Bournemouth?

If you're not on campus at BU, or in Dorset, there is a range of services available to you:

You can contact the BU Student Wellbeing team by phone on 01202 965020 or email studentwellbeing@bournemouth.ac.uk.

The Big White Wall (BWW) is a digital mental health support service which is available online, 24/7. Access to this service is free to all BU students - you'll need to register the first time you use the service but this is really quick to do. In addition to BWW’s online community, you will have access to a wealth of useful information and can work through tailored self-help programmes covering topics such as anxiety, sleep, weight management, depression and many more. To sign up simply go to the Big White Wall - and click on the ‘join us’ section were you'll need to enter a few details under the ‘organisation’ section, but all details will remain completely anonymous. You should also set up a username that can't be identified to you. After 6 months you'll receive a reminder from BWW with an option to renew your account.