Raising a Concern?
- Problems can worsen if you keep quiet, and keeping quiet may add to your own distress.
- You are not wasting anyone’s time by reporting genuine concerns: it’s better for someone to investigate the possibility that there is abuse, harm or neglect, and be satisfied that someone is safe in 9 out of 10 situations than to wait and allow harm to worsen for one person.
- Your concern may seem small in itself, but it could be one small piece of a puzzle that enables others to build up a complete picture and to prevent harm.
Any student can get free, independent and confidential advice from the Students’ Union Advice Service. We’re here to support you without judgement. We won’t tell you what to do, and we won’t share your information with the University or anyone else without your permission, unless there is a serious risk of harm to you or others, or in the circumstances set out in our Confidentiality Policy.
You may be concerned about another student for any number of reasons:
- Because of what they have told you
- Because they’re in distress
- Because of what you know about their life experiences, either now or in the past
- Or perhaps the way they’re behaving is out of character for them
If in doubt, share your concerns.
Speaking to an adviser can be the first step in regaining control of your own life. We won’t always be able to solve your situation, but we can support you, and with your consent, we can help you get the specialist help that will support you to navigate this difficult period.
If you’ve got a concern about another student and you feel confident to talk to them about it, explain why you’re concerned, and ask them if they want to speak to an adviser. If they say no, they know that you’re concerned enough to ask and will respect you for it. If they say yes, encourage them to speak to an SU adviser or a member of the University Student Wellbeing Services.
If you’re concerned but you don’t feel confident to talk to the student, speak to your tutor, or contact the Advice Service yourself. If we speak to the student you’re concerned about, we won’t be able to tell you what we’ve discussed due to confidentiality reasons. However, our experience most of the time is that students who speak to us are better able to cope and gain the confidence to deal with their situation.
The full Students' Union Safeguarding Policy is available online here.
Contact our Safeguarding Officer Kirsty Merry:
Email: suadvice@gre.ac.uk
Advice Service information: greenwichsu.co.uk/advice
Please visit here to see a full list of University Support Services.
Correct as of April 2026.