If you are still with the person, at the venue tell a member of staff. You can 'Ask for Angela’ if you don't feel safe to explain in exact terms. They will ask you about your situation and will call you and your friend a taxi or help you discreetly – without drawing attention to it. You can also use the Student Safe Taxi Scheme to get to somewhere safe. Stay with your friend, or ensure they are with someone you trust. Try to prevent them from drinking more alcohol. If their situation deteriorates, take them to A&E. If they don't want any medical or security/police involvement , get them home safely and make sure they can have someone with them in case they become unwell later.
There are some other things that you might want to keep in mind whilst offering support.
There are some other things that you might want to keep in mind whilst offering support.
Things to do:
Believe them. It is important that they know you believe what they are telling you. They may not be able to remember all the details, this doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Listen and reassure. Take care to listen and understand what they are going through, making sure not to blame them. It is important not to judge their reasons for making certain decisions (if they may have accepted a drink or left a drink unattended). It doesn't matter, what has happened is illegal and they are not to blame.
Look after yourself. It can have a huge emotional impact on your and if impact your work or studies. Depending on your experiences it can also trigger things that may have happened to you or someone else you know. You can also access support services (link to be added when the site is live) and speak to your School if you feel the experience has impacted your studies.
Listen and reassure. Take care to listen and understand what they are going through, making sure not to blame them. It is important not to judge their reasons for making certain decisions (if they may have accepted a drink or left a drink unattended). It doesn't matter, what has happened is illegal and they are not to blame.
Look after yourself. It can have a huge emotional impact on your and if impact your work or studies. Depending on your experiences it can also trigger things that may have happened to you or someone else you know. You can also access support services (link to be added when the site is live) and speak to your School if you feel the experience has impacted your studies.
If you are a student and are supporting someone
You may wish to access some support and space for yourself to help manage and understand the impact on you. There are support services on and off campus that can help, this includes emotional support and impact on your academic life. Have a look at the 'what support is there for me section'.
If you are a staff member and supporting someone
It is important to be aware of the types of support and resources that are available to help deal with stress and mental health issues and how to access them.
As Managers we need to understand our role and responsibility and be able to recognise and respond appropriately and supportively when someone discloses a traumatic experience or express stress or mental health concerns. To support this, there is guidance for both staff and managers which pulls together all the existing support options the university has in place and how to access them. Please have a look at University of Leeds Human Resources Homepage
The Staff Counselling and Psychological Support service also offer Professional Consultations. These can be a one-off session where you meet with a member of the team to discuss and get support with a situation that you may find has a psychological or interpersonal challenge or component to it. Leaders and managers can consult to receive support and insight into their situation and their challenges of leading and managing; and may also consult about the support needs of their staff.
As Managers we need to understand our role and responsibility and be able to recognise and respond appropriately and supportively when someone discloses a traumatic experience or express stress or mental health concerns. To support this, there is guidance for both staff and managers which pulls together all the existing support options the university has in place and how to access them. Please have a look at University of Leeds Human Resources Homepage
The Staff Counselling and Psychological Support service also offer Professional Consultations. These can be a one-off session where you meet with a member of the team to discuss and get support with a situation that you may find has a psychological or interpersonal challenge or component to it. Leaders and managers can consult to receive support and insight into their situation and their challenges of leading and managing; and may also consult about the support needs of their staff.