Information For Parents

UCW recognises students as independent adults and aims to empower them to develop confidence and autonomy as they move through their studies. For this reason, we will always seek a student’s permission before discussing any personal matters with anyone outside of UCW, including parents, guardians, or other supporters.

As part of enrolment, students are asked to provide details of a trusted emergency contact. This ensures that, if we ever have serious concerns about a student’s wellbeing, we know who to contact. Data protection legislation allows information to be shared without consent only in exceptional circumstances, such as when there is a serious or life-threatening concern.

We recommend having an open conversation with your student about who they would like to nominate as their trusted emergency contact before they begin their course and ensuring that their contact details are kept up to date.

Starting university represents a significant change, and it is entirely normal for students to take time to settle in. There may be moments of excitement as well as periods of uncertainty, and some students experience a gap between what they imagined university life would be like and the reality of adjusting to it.

HEART is available to support students throughout their time with us, so if your student is experiencing this kind of transition challenge, we encourage them to reach out for support. They do not need to manage these feelings alone.

It is not uncommon for students to feel isolated at times, and we recognise how difficult this can be. HEART regularly organises events to help foster a sense of community, both on our Winter Gardens campus and within student accommodation. These include a range of activities designed to help students connect with others who share similar interests, such as cooking classes, board games, and Dungeons & Dragons sessions.

Isolation can also become more noticeable after spending time at home, particularly during longer breaks. Students may start to feel homesick as they adjust to university life and the initial excitement and socialising element starts to wear off.  Their new routine and living arrangement will feel different from the comfort of home, while home itself may no longer feel quite the same. Reassuring your student that these feelings are normal can be very helpful, as well as encouraging them to stay in touch with friends both at UCW and at home to maintain those important connections. You could advise them to contact HEART for advice on keeping up hobbies and interests away from home and help to join societies or social groups. Feeling homesick and isolated can sometimes arise when the student reaches a barrier they haven’t encountered before, it could be that they aren’t confident with cooking and using a communal kitchen seems daunting, maybe they are struggling to manage their finances and feel they can’t afford to participate in activities or social events, HEART can help with cooking and budgeting ideas whilst they are learning to live independently for the first time.

There may be occasions when you feel concerned about your student – for example, if they have not responded to messages or missed a few calls. These situations are understandably worrying, even though there is often a simple explanation.

If you do have concerns, please know that you can contact HEART to talk things through. They can listen to your concerns, offer advice, and, where appropriate, gently encourage your student to contact you.

Your student may sometimes find assignments challenging or feel unsure about aspects of their course content. Teaching and learning at university can feel very different from previous educational experiences, and adjusting to becoming a more independent learner can take time.

This is entirely normal. We recommend that students speak to their module lead or personal tutor in the first instance. In addition, UCW’s Academic Development Team offers one-to-one sessions to support students with understanding assessment requirements, planning their work, referencing, and research skills, appointment booking can be accessed by the student on the UCW student zone but if they are unsure, they can pop into the HEART office for advice.

If your student feels unsure about raising concerns with their tutor, HEART can also arrange joint tutorials to help them have these conversations in a supportive environment.

UCW is committed to protecting students’ privacy and will not share information about a student with parents or third parties without their explicit consent, except in circumstances where there are serious wellbeing or safeguarding concerns.

Our approach is always to work collaboratively with the student to ensure the right support is in place. Where appropriate, this may include encouraging and supporting them to share their challenges with you.