STUDENT EMERGENCY CONTACT POLICY
Student Emergency Contact Policy
RCS has introduced an opt-in process where you give us permission to be in touch with your named emergency contact (a parent, guardian, other relative, friend as nominated by you) in the event that there were serious concerns for your wellbeing. We refer to these serious concerns using the phrase ‘vital interest’. This phrase emphasises that we are worried enough about you that we think an emergency contact should be alerted as part of our duty of caring for you. Consequently, we really encourage you to give us consent via our opt-in process.
CONTENT WARNING:
Please be aware that this message will refer to mental health issues and events in UK HE environments that may be upsetting for you.
RCS has introduced a new opt-in consent process which would allow RCS to contact your named emergency contact (a parent, guardian, other relative, friend as nominated by you) in the event that there were serious concerns for your wellbeing during your time studying with us. Please be aware that this message will refer to mental health issues and events in UK HE environments that may be upsetting for you.
As your HE institution, we must protect your ‘personal data’ (for example your health information, academic performance and so forth) and not share it with others without your consent. Only in an event of such seriousness (‘life or death’ situation – called ‘vital interest’) where you cannot give consent at that time, are we able to contact your named emergency contact on your behalf, without your consent.
There have been some distressing cases in other institutions where parents/guardians/partners only become aware of the seriousness of a student’s prior struggles (most often with mental health) – including some serious events (for example previous hospital admissions whilst at University) after a ‘vital interest’ situation arises and the emergency contact is used as described above.
Some parents/other named contacts have been significantly distressed to learn – sometimes when it is sadly too late – that the student has a history of serious wellbeing events that the university did not alert them to. Yet, the ‘vital interest’ reason to call the named emergency contact is limiting. There has been press coverage of the distress of family members of students, and as a sector, HE is determining how best to try to move forward without compromising individuals’ privacy, and yet offering further support to students and families.
It feels like now, at a time when we are still readjusting back to life post-pandemic, that we should be proactively seeking to address this situation and, in common with some other institutions in UKHE, we are proposing an opt-in consent system whereby, you would give us your consent to contact your named emergency contact if we felt that your situation was serious enough to warrant it. To be clear – it is not the case that we would be in contact with your parents/named contact at the slightest suggestion that you were experiencing difficulties of some kind. We would only use this provision in the event that we had serious concerns for your wellbeing.
Reasons to opt-in
When we experience health challenges, particularly mental health challenges, one of the most difficult issues is knowing how to act in our own best interests. You may feel differently, at a time of struggle, from how you may feel when you are well. When you are unwell, it can be easier to experience low self-esteem and not to reach out for help. You may also feel embarrassed and want to keep your situation to yourself so that your loved ones don’t worry about you. Yet, when you are well, you may think that in a time of serious wellbeing difficulties you would want your emergency contact to know and support you.
Opting-in to our consent scheme means, for the vast majority of you, that we will never need to invoke that consent. For a small number of you, it may mean that at a time when you are experiencing serious issues in your wellbeing, we are able to help you and your loved one(s) because you will have consented to allow us to contact someone of your choice. We would only do this where serious concerns arose, and would still make it a priority, wherever possible, to discuss this with you first at the time.
From the standpoint of someone in my position, also considering staff wellbeing, I am conscious of the toll it can take on staff when they are aware of the seriousness of a student’s situation. All of us offer support willingly – and will always endeavour to do so – but I also feel that an opt-in consent process would support staff dealing with serious situations.
The policy at the top of this page, gives examples of what we mean by ‘serious’ concerns for wellbeing.
We will ask students to opt-in at matriculation (when they register for their programme of study).
Please consider doing so in your own interests, and to support our staff to support you. If you do nothing (i.e. you do not “opt-in”) that means we do not have your consent. You must pro-actively “opt-in” to this process, and you can change your mind, to either opt-in or opt-out, at any time.