Student Support and Wellbeing, College and Community Life and Kent Union are fully open during the summer term, including the busy conference season. All our services are hybrid and can offer in person and online support at your choice.
We are here to offer emotional, wellbeing, practical and living support to all students in the community. We are safe spaces for all at Kent and our professional teams across Student Support and Wellbeing, College and Community Life and Kent Union are here all year round to protect, support and safeguard all students. We respect, value and celebrate all in our community.
Support available
You can walk in and speak to our friendly staff if you don’t know who to contact first or just need a quiet space where you can be sure you well be welcomed by supportive and non-judgemental staff.
Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW)
Student Support and Wellbeing provide counselling, disability support, mental health advice and specialist wellbeing support. They are available Monday – Friday 9.00-17.00. Scroll down for out of hours support.
The SSW Team are based in Keynes H block (Canterbury) and Gillingham building (Medway). As well as visiting the team, you can also get in touch by calling 01227 823158 or emailing KentSSW@kent.ac.uk if you’re a Canterbury student. If you’re based at Medway, you can call 01634 888474 or email MedwaySSW@kent.ac.uk.
College and Community Life (CCL)
The College and Community Life Team can help with general advice about living in accommodation, activities and events, living in the local community and welfare and personal issue support. They can available Monday to Friday 9.30-16.30.
The CCL Team are located in the first floor of the Locke building (Canterbury) and in the Medway building. As well as popping in to see the CCL Team, you can also contact them by phone by calling 01227 827010 / 824018 / 824961 (Canterbury) or 01634 888807 (Medway), or you can email cclteam@kent.ac.uk.
Kent Union
Kent Union are your students’ union. They offer impartial and confidential advice and guidance via their Advice Service, general support from Kent Union Staff and Full-Time Officers, as well as a range of events and activities. Kent Union are available Monday – Friday 9.00-17.00.
You can find them at the Mandela Student Centre (Canterbury) or at The Hub in Medway. Or you can get in touch by calling 01227 82 4200 or emailing kentunion@kent.ac.uk.
Out of hours support
We understand that things don’t always happen between 9.00-17.00 but through our partnerships we have out of hours support and regular self-help support you can access in your own time:
Spectrum Life
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or need emergency in the moment crisis support outside of Student Support and Wellbeing working hours, our external partners Spectrum Life can offer you online, text and telephone support from qualified counsellors and mental health professionals.
Spectrum Life will work with you in getting initial support and help during your crisis and the University Student Support and Wellbeing teams will contact you on the next working day
- Spectrum Life is available on Monday to Friday evenings from 20.00 – 8.00, and on weekends and Bank Holidays.
- Telephone: 0800 0318227 and press option 1 or Text ‘Hi’ to: +447418 360 780
- Search for the Spectrum Life app from your app store and follow the log in instructions
Togetherall
Togetherall is a peer led online community with self help and therapeutic support online guides and workshops
- Peer talk therapies where members initiate or join forums on topics ranging from depression and anxiety to relationship issues, work stress, abuse, self-harm and eating disorders
- peer support and networks where students make ‘friends’ to create a support network as a reference group, source of motivation and a means to improve self-awareness
- creative therapies employing art and writing therapies where members express themselves are posted to TogetherAll where they can choose to share and discuss the underlying ‘story’
- brief counselling providing immediate 24/7 support from Guides who are trained counsellors
- 24/7 guided groups that are based in therapeutic approaches such as interpersonal therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy
Our services a Kent are open, free and inclusive to all. Please get in touch with us if you need support.