Student Support Services
Our services
From the moment you arrive until the day you graduate, all our Student Support Services are available to ensure you get the most out of your time at Leicester.
Welfare
The Student Welfare Service, based in the Percy Gee Building, provides a practical service designed to meet the needs of all students. It also provides dedicated support to:
- Carers
- Care leavers
- Estranged students
- Mature students
- Asylum seekers and refugees
- Students experiencing financial hardship.
Student Welfare Officers provide specialist advice on issues including:
- Finances and budgeting
- Student Finance
- Benefits
- Personal circumstances.
Appointments are offered remotely or in person in the Percy Gee Building.
Contact details
- welfare@leicester.ac.uk
- +44 (0)116 223 1185
We have partnered with Blackbullion to ensure that students can access financial support and information on line 24/7.
AccessAbility
The AccessAbility team offers support and advice for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties as well as working with students who have sensory disabilities, mobility difficulties, mental health conditions, long term conditions and autism.
Student Wellbeing Service
The Student Wellbeing Service, based in the Percy Gee Building, provides free mental wellbeing support to students. The team consists of trained Wellbeing Practitioners and Mental Health Advisors who, dependant on the outcome of an initial assessment can provide:
- Short-term talking therapy
- Psychoeducation
- Online wellbeing resources
- International wellbeing check in’s
- One to one mental health study skills support
- One to one mental health specialist mentoring
- Co-ordination of alternative exam arrangements
- Referrals to NHS and specialist services
To refer into the service please register via our online form
Appointments are offered remotely or in person in the Percy Gee Building.
Contact details
We have partnered with Spectrum Life to ensure that students can access wellbeing support and information 24/7.
Standing Together
Standing Together is a university-wide initiative that looks to promote inclusivity within the University community through tackling unacceptable behaviours and supporting students, and the wider University community, who are directly and indirectly affected.
- We can provide information about specialist support services both within and outside of the University
- We can explore the options you have around accessing support or making a report
- If you want us to, we can communicate with your academic department on your behalf to discuss your situation and ensure you are receiving the best support possible from School
- We can support you through formal processes such reporting to the Police or reporting to the University Student Conduct Office.
Appointments are offered remotely or in person in the Percy Gee Building.
For more general information, please contact the Standing Together team by emailing standingtogether@le.ac.uk.
International Student Experience team
The University’s dedicated International Student Experience team are here to help you to settle into your new life in Leicester and support you throughout your studies.
We also work with teams across the University to ensure that you as international students get the guidance and support you need to make the most of your time in the UK.
Global Lounge
Located on the ground floor of the Charles Wilson Building, everyone is welcome in the Global Lounge!
The Global Lounge is a relaxed and friendly space where international and UK students and staff can come together to:
- Make new friends from around the world.
- Take part in regular events and activities, including craft sessions, quiz nights and more!
- Experience and learn about the different cultures in our global community, as well as share your own!
Our support and events
The team are here to help you throughout your time in Leicester. If you have any questions or need support but aren’t sure who to go to, come along to our Global Lounge Help Hub, every Tuesday and Thursday, anytime between 12.00pm and 2.00pm - no appointment required.
During the Welcome period, the International Student Experience team organise a programme of events to help international students to meet each other and discover their local community. We provide guidance on practical steps such as registering with a doctor or opening a bank account, as well as advice on coping with culture shock and settling into life in Leicester.
We hold regular, free events in the Global Lounge throughout the year, which all University of Leicester students and staff are welcome to attend. These include games afternoons, culturally-themed craft sessions, quiz nights, as well one-off celebrations and cultural events.
Are you interested in sharing your own culture with University of Leicester students and staff? We can also support students with hosting your own cultural event in the Global Lounge where you teach others about your customs or traditions, or introduce us to your music, games, crafts or food.
More information
If you have any questions about the support or activities provided by the International Student Experience team, please email us at internationalstudents@le.ac.uk. For the latest information about our upcoming events, follow us on Instagram @uol.international.
Additional support within the University
Safezone
SafeZone is a safety app which the University of Leicester is making available to all staff and students. The app allows you to alert University Security via your mobile phone if you ever need urgent assistance or first aid, or if you have an emergency while on campus.
The system is privacy-protected, so will never share your location unless you summon assistance or if you use the check-in function. This also means the app will not drain your mobile phone battery.
SafeZone is simple-to-use and free to download:
Once you have downloaded the SafeZone app you need to sign up using your University email.
SafeZone has three main buttons that can be used to request assistance from Security:
- First aid
- Enquiries
- Emergency
If a button is pressed in error, the alert can be cancelled by tapping the button again, whilst the timer is winding down.
SafeZone uses high-speed push messaging to allow Security to send you important notifications in the case of an emergency or critical incident on campus.
The check-in function allows you to let Security know where you are if you are working alone or outside of normal working hours.
SafeZone does not track your location. You only become visible on the system once you have raised an alert or checked in.
Report and Support
You can let us know about something that has happened to you or someone you know, either anonymously or by leaving your contact email, through our Report and Support system. If you leave an email, a member of support staff will get back to you within two working days. More information about the process can be found on the system itself.
Personal tutoring
A member of staff will be assigned as your Personal Tutor right at the start of your course. In most cases, they will stay with you all the way through to graduation.
Our personal tutoring promise
“Your trained Personal Tutor will contact you at least monthly and respond to your emails normally within 3 working days during term time. Personal tutors are happy to advise on a wide range of personal and academic topics. Contact your School for more information.”
What you can expect from personal tutoring
- Training: Personal tutors are given training on the role of and requirements for personal tutoring at Leicester and are informed about all University support services.
- Topics: Conversations can be about academic and personal matters. Personal tutors will signpost you to the right support service for topics best handled by experts, such as mental health.
- Regular contact: During term-time you are contacted by your Personal Tutor at least monthly. This may include invitations to individual or group meetings or check-in emails. You will be invited to one-to-one meetings throughout the year to discuss your progress and anything else important to you.
- Responding to you: Your Personal Tutor will respond to you normally within 3 working days during term time. If they are away, you will be informed about alternative support.
- Finding out more: Your school has a page where you can find information about personal tutoring and how to contact your Personal Tutor.
The personal tutor promise is our commitment to students based on the code of practice on personal tutoring which is to be introduced for our 2023/24 academic year.
What our students say about personal tutoring at the University of Leicester
“While at University, I ended up struggling quite a lot. But I wouldn't talk to anyone about it, so just let it build up. By the time I got near the end I'd just pretty much given up. I got a check-in email from my tutor. We always stayed in fairly regular contact. I was still nervous about bringing stuff up with him, but he was just amazing. He gave me all the time I could want. He showed me some specific resources that directly applied to situations I was in. He contacted my teachers to get mitigating circumstances and comprehensively went through options. Ultimately, I'm now here in a much better place than I was a few months ago with a degree, with a place on a teaching course. It genuinely wouldn't have been possible without contact with my tutor, so I can't recommend it enough.”
“During the second semester, I had some employment commitments that clashed with a lecture. My tutor was very approachable, so I had no qualms discussing my issues with him. The discussion with my tutor built trust with me and other senior members of staff. I would advise anyone to consult with their tutor before making a decision that could have impact on their education.”
Register with a doctor
We recommend that you register with a doctor (called a GP, for ‘general practitioner’) at a health centre as soon as you arrive at university, so that you can be seen quickly if you have a health issue and be invited to have a COVID vaccination. You can register with the Victoria Park Health Centre which is next to the University campus, or you can find a health centre near you by searching on the NHS website.
If you are an overseas student staying in the UK for more than six months, you will have to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge as part of your visa application. This entitles you to use the NHS for free, although you will still need to pay some charges - such as prescriptions, eye tests and dental care - in the same way as a UK resident.
Study abroad guidance
Studying abroad is a wonderful and exciting opportunity to develop a multitude of skills, to expand your knowledge and to have new experiences. In order to have a successful study abroad experience, preparation in advance is key.
Student Immigration Advice and Compliance
The Student Immigration Advice and Compliance team, based in the Percy Gee Building, are the only team permitted and qualified to provide immigration support for students, recent graduates, and their dependants. Specialist trained advisers are able to provide specific advice around Student visas and other study visas including:
- Obtaining and maintaining your Student visa
- Engagement and Attendance
- Work and employment conditions
- Changes to your programme of study
- After your studies (Graduate Route)
Appointments
In person appointments are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To book an appointment email visas@le.ac.uk or go to the Wellbeing Hub on the third floor of the Percy Gee building. Longer appointments are available for more complex cases, so when you book, you should provide as much detail as you can regarding your query. We can also provide online appointments.
Contact us
Email: visas@le.ac.uk
Phone: 0116 229 7400
You can call us on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays for general enquiries between 10.00am and 12.00pm throughout the year, excluding University closure days.
Talks, presentations and further support
We have topical presentations and talks across the year at student events. Some of these include external experts such as Paragon Law who hold a bi-annual session on working after your studies and the Graduate Route. Look out for events on our home page (log-in required), where you’ll also find answers to the most common queries.