Important communication about alcohol and drug use

Dear resident

Recreational drugs – including new psychoactive substances and herbal or “legal highs” – and/or excessive use of alcohol can pose a serious and immediate risk to otherwise fit and well students. And of course there is also a good body of evidence showing the longer-term physical and mental health risks of regular use. So we are writing to remind you about the help that is available to safeguard you from alcohol- and drug-related harm.

Whilst the possession or use of illegal drugs is a disciplinary offence, our primary concern will always be for your safety and wellbeing. If you genuinely seek our help because you are worried about your use of alcohol or drugs, we will approach your concerns confidentially and non-judgmentally. We will seek to provide you with the support you need. If you are willing to accept professional help, in most cases we will not pursue disciplinary action. 

Similarly, if you are concerned about a friend's use of alcohol or drugs in the hall, you can tell us in confidence, without fear that you will get your friend in trouble. Telling us your concerns about a friend's use of alcohol or drugs could be the thing that saves his or her life. Please don't stand by and do nothing. 

Most importantly, if you or a friend become unwell after taking drugs, please get medical help (call 999 for an ambulance) and inform the front-desk reception immediately. In a medical emergency our concern is always to ensure that the paramedics and doctors treating you know exactly what has happened and why, so please tell us the whole story. Your health and wellbeing always come first.

So if you are concerned about any matter relating to alcohol or drug use in hall – your own or someone else's – make an appointment to speak in confidence with the Warden in your Hall.

English law places some requirements on us that mean we must use the disciplinary procedure in certain circumstances. These are:

1.       If there is any evidence that a resident is supplying drugs to others, causing a breach of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

2.       If smoking drugs such as cannabis inside the Hall is causing a breach of the Health Act 2010.

3.       If the use of drugs in the Hall causes risk to the safety of other residents, staff, or the public, in breach of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 or the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.

We will also use the disciplinary procedure if we find evidence of illegal drug use in your room but neither you nor a friend has come forward seeking help. It is too late to ask for our help after we have found evidence of drug use.

Links to sites providing information on alcohol and drug use disorder are provided below, with contact details for counselling and support services. Whilst we do wish to provide direct support these hopefully provide alternative avenues if you feel unable to contact anyone in hall. Whether through Hall staff or alternative support provision, please do seek professional help and gain an understanding of the risks you face.

Yours faithfully

Andrew Howarth

Acting Head of Residential Accommodation

Adrian Clark

Warden, Connaught Hall

warden@connaught-hall.org.uk

Alice Coote-Cowling

Hall Manager, College & Connaught Halls

alice.coote-cowling@london.ac.uk

Help with alcohol use concerns 

Drinkaware

Sensible drinking tips & help with alcohol problems

www.drinkaware.co.uk

Drink Smarter

Sensible drinking tips & help with alcohol problems

www.drinksmarter.org/drinkline – 0800 7 314 314

Camden Alcohol Service

Individual and group counselling sessions and advice on alcohol related problems

www.candi.nhs.uk/services/camden-specialist-alcohol-treatment-service-csats – 020 3227 4950

Foundation 66

Individual sessions with people under 23 who have concerns about alcohol use

www.phoenix-futures.org.uk/foundation-66

Help with drug use concerns 

Vital Information Pack

Lots of information about drugs, including what first aid you should give if a friend gets unwell after using drugs

drive.google.com/file/d/0B8aHo3-r-MQLX3lTdmVKcFFOVG8/view?usp=sharing

Drugs recognition & emergency first aid

This leaflet will help you if you're worried about a friend who might be using drugs, and show you how to help them in an emergency

drive.google.com/file/d/0B8aHo3-r-MQLRkZPcVZtcmFRYzg/view?usp=sharing

Talk to Frank

The National Drugs Helpline

www.talktofrank.com – 0300 123 6600 – Text 82111

London Friend Antidote

The UK’s only LGB&T run and targeted drug and alcohol support service

londonfriend.org.uk/get-support/drugsandalcohol – 020 7833 1674

South Camden Drugs Team

Individual and group sessions to help with alcohol and drugs issues

www.candi.nhs.uk/services/south-camden-drug-service– 020 7974 2915

Sleep better

[Reposted from our Tumblr: connaughthall.tumblr.com]

Do you sometimes find it hard to get as much sleep as you’d like? Most of us do from time to time; but for some of us, not sleeping enough is a major cause of stress and dissatisfaction with life. 

Not sleeping is really bad for you. When you don’t get enough sleep, neurotoxins can build up in your brain; you can be at risk for obesity, diabetes, depression, and heart disease; you may develop false memories; and your performance at skilled tasks can be impaired as much as if you were drunk.

For all the reasons above, it’s recommended that adults should sleep between 7 and 9 hours per night.

This time of year brings special sleep challenges: for exam stress and sleeplessness can go hand-in-hand for some people. These two things are the most common welfare-type problems that residents ask for help with. So we’ve put together some tips to help you sleep better. A future post will look at exam stress and some ways to help you cope with it.

It might not be practical for you to use all of these tips all the time, but if you can incorporate some of them into your routine some of the time, you should see your sleep improve!

Use ear plugs

Whilst ear plugs aren’t 100% effective at blocking out all noise, they can help reduce the likelihood that you’ll be woken up by occasional bumps, bangs, and traffic noise during the night. These ones are very good and quite comfortable: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007YFKM8O.

Avoid caffeine in the evening

Don’t eat or drink anything containing caffeine for at least six hours before bed time. That includes things like coffee, tea, chocolate, and cola as well as energy drinks like Red Bull. If you must have an after-dinner coffee, make it a decaf.

Don’t drink alcohol close to bedtime

A nightcap might initially make you feel drowsy and help you nod off. But alcohol's sleep-inducing properties are only temporary and could actually end up having the opposite effect later on. Too much alcohol results in lighter, more fragmented sleep that'll leave you feeling less-than-refreshed in the morning.

Turn off computers and touchscreen devices at least an hour before bed...

... And it’s better if you can make that 2 or 3 hours.

Computer screens, tablets, and smartphones emit a lot of blue light. Blue light tells your brain it’s daytime and stimulates the production of hormones that prevent you from falling asleep. So if you like to read at night, read from a book or an e-reader that doesn’t have an illuminated screen.

Keep a regular sleep routine

Your internal body clock regulates your sleep-wake cycle. But it only works if you keep your bedtime and wake-up time consistent. If you keep changing the times you sleep, it’s like being permanently jet-lagged (but without the pleasure of actually travelling anywhere nice). 

Keeping a regular sleep routine also includes avoiding daytime naps if possible. It’s best if you can fit all your sleep into one period at night.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Whilst it’s not a new thing (mindfulness practices have been around for thousands of years in the Buddhist and other eastern traditions), in the last 30 years science and medicine have proven the efficacy of mindfulness in helping people deal with many difficulties, including sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, and even chronic pain problems.

Here are some tips for using mindfulness to beat insomnia:

• http://www.nosleeplessnights.com/mindfulness-exercises/

• http://www.mindful.org/5-steps-to-wind-down-and-fall-asleep/

• http://www.mindful.org/four-effective-bedtime-strategies-for-reducing-stress/

Do some exercise - outdoors if you can

If you don’t move around enough during the day, you can’t expect your body to feel tired at night. But there’s another advantage to getting yourself outside. Sunlight is important for regulating your body clock (indoor lighting isn’t bright enough to have the same effect). The best time to get some sunlight exposure is early in the day, and definitely before lunchtime.

It’s best to avoid exercise within about four hours of bedtime. That’s because exercise raises your body temperature, and it’s easier to drift off to sleep if you’re cool.

Don’t watch the clock

If you’re struggling to go to sleep, watching the minutes tick by can just make you get more stressed about not sleeping. So turn your alarm clock facing away your bed.  

If you still can’t sleep, get up

Lying in bed stressing about not sleeping definitely doesn’t help. So if you are not able to fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed. Read a book under a dim light. Then try going back to bed after 20 minutes of reading. But don’t be tempted to do any work or to use your phone / tablet / computer! 

Further reading

We put together some links to more guidance about improving your sleep.

Get better sleep: 5 powerful new tips from research - Barking up the Wrong Tree - http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/06/get-better-sleep/

How to sleep better (pdf) - Mental Health Foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/Sleep%20better.pdf

Seven tips for falling asleep using mindfulness - Mindful Magazine - http://www.mindful.org/seven-tips-for-falling-asleep/

How to Get Some Rest When Stress Is Keeping You Up at Night - LifeHacker - http://lifehacker.com/how-to-get-some-rest-when-stress-is-keeping-you-up-at-n-1736464084

Why Insomnia Happens and What You Can Do to Get Better Sleep - LifeHacker - http://lifehacker.com/why-insomnia-happens-and-what-you-can-do-to-get-better-1746010695

Confessions of a recovering insomniac - Mindful Magazine - http://www.mindful.org/confessions-recovering-insomniac/

Cannabis use in Hall

Residents in selected areas of the Hall will receive a printed copy of this letter, but it's shared here with everyone as a timely reminder about the potential health, welfare, disciplinary, and legal consequences of using drugs in Hall.

http://www.connaught-hall.org.uk/…/Cannabis-letter-2016.02.…

The last page contains links to sites providing information on alcohol and drug use disorder, with contact details for counselling and support services. Whilst my team and I do wish to provide direct support for you, these provide alternative avenues if you feel unable to contact anyone in Hall.

http://www.connaught-hall.org.uk/documents/Cannabis-letter-2016.02.pdf

If you are unwell

As the 'flu season approaches, and coughs & colds become more common, here are some reminders about how to get help if you're unwell.


FIRST AID

If you need a first aider in Hall (or help of any kind), always ask at reception; don't rely on text messages, emails, or knocking on a first aider's door. There is always someone on duty in the Hall, 24 hours every day, and reception will be able to contact the right person for you.

First aiders in Hall: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8aHo3-r-MQLa1o4YWxiVUQ5d2s

URGENT HEALTHCARE

We have a poster outlining how to get urgent medical care in London using the National Health Service. The best first point of contact for health advice is NHS 111 (just call 111 from any telephone) or the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/symptom-checker/.

Urgent healthcare in London: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8aHo3-r-MQLXzZjb3pYd0ZrU2M

MENINGITIS

First-year university students are a high risk group for contracting meningitis ? a serious infectious disease. Be aware of the symptoms and signs of meningitis, and seek urgent medical help if you?re worried.

Meningitis symptoms & signs: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8aHo3-r-MQLT3ktcGE2RnAteWc

YES, I'M A DOCTOR

But I cannot offer medical consultations in hall to residents. This post explains why - http://connaughthall.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/medical-problems-in-hall.html.

FAQ: I’m feeling unhappy / lost / lonely / homesick. How can I find help?

It’s very normal to have some of these feelings some of the time, when you have moved to a new home to study something new. But if these kinds of feelings are severe, prolonged, or persistent, you should definitely ask for help.

It’s OK to say you’re not having the best time of your life!

There are lots of people around to support you as a student. Think about using some of these options:

• Talk to the Warden or a Senior Member – for contact details and how to book an appointment, visit http://warden-contact.connaught-hall.org.uk.
• Speak with your personal tutor at college.
• See one of the student counsellors at your college welfare service.
• Make an appointment to see your GP.
• Check our list of more help providers at http://bit.ly/1mIBcpn.

Contacting the Warden

How to request an appointment

Check this calendar for my availability:

http://schedule.connaught-hall.org.uk

Choose the week, month, or agenda tab at top right - whichever view you find easiest to read –

My available time is divided into half-hour slots. 
You can choose any "available" slot that is convenient for you. 
If you need to talk about something very sensitive or complex, it's a good idea to request two consecutive slots, so we can spend an hour together.

Send an email to request the appointment time you want: warden@connaught-hall.org.uk.

Please give me at least 12 hours' notice for the appointment slot, so I can make sure I am in the Hall at that time (although I am available, if no one requests an appointment, I may not be in Hall).

My "open office" sessions (where I would sit for an hour or so in my office with the door open, usually in the evening) were not well used this year. Many sessions, I did not see a single resident. But residents were still asking for appointments to see me at times outside my open office sessions.

So my open office sessions are cancelled for the rest of this year. The Warden role is not office-based, so if no one comes to my open office sessions, I am left sitting with nothing to do. That isn't a good use of my time or your accommodation fees.

Consequently, instead of open office sessions, I have developed this new way of requesting an appointment to meet with me, using a calendar that shows when I am available - so you can choose a time that is most convenient for you.

Other ways of getting in contact:

How the Warden's time is used - February update

I can only say that my previous post did not have the desired effect, and an updated view of how I have been spending my time this term so far looks like this:

This is not what I enjoy about my role as Warden. Residents this year have not seen me working with them at social events and community building because all my time has been tied up with disciplinary issues. I am sorry this has been the case and once again, would like to ask everyone to help me. The Hall community as a whole this year could be getting much better value for money out of the service I can provide!

• Help me rebuild a positive Hall community. 

• Contribute to our events.

• Help us work out what activities you want organised in Hall, and work with us to organise them.

• Talk to your neighbours. Find out if there is anything you can do to make their time in Hall better. Have you been doing anything that annoyed them all last term? Tell them if you need their help with anything.

• Use our Hall bar. It's a valuable social space, but it won't survive without your custom and support. Don't drink your own alcohol in the bar, Bell room, or garden.

• Only smoke in the designated smoking area (in the garden), or on the pavement outside, well away from the main entrance.

• Keep quiet after 11pm.

• Don't go out onto balconies on the first floor.

• Be respectful of everyone around you. Remember our positive diversity message:

This is a safe space for everyone. Please join us in respecting and celebrating all our residents, staff, and guests, of every age, race, religion, sexuality, nationality, disability, and gender identity.

Finally, let me draw your attention to our goals & values statement. Help us work with you to deliver these for you.

We aim to provide a secure, supportive, and friendly environment in which our residents can study and socialise.

We hope that all our residents will call Connaught Hall “home”, and take many positive memories and good friends with them when they leave.

By encouraging our residents to participate in and contribute to the Hall community, we hope that they will learn to be self-directed and self-disciplined in their behaviour.
We aim to promote a spirit of neighbourliness and togetherness in our Hall community: an attitude that we can all take with us when we move on to other, wider neighbourhoods and communities. 

The needs of our residents, within the necessary limitations of good order, finance, and safety, take priority over other considerations at all times. 

We endeavour to help residents wherever we can. If we can reasonably say “yes” within the rules, we will not say “no”. 

We always strive to act fairly, honestly, and transparently. 

We deal with any problems sensitively and confidentially.

We do not tolerate personal harassment, nor discrimination against anyone because of their age, race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

How the Warden's time is used in Hall - and how to improve your Hall experience in terms 2 & 3

There has been a significant change this year in how my time at Connaught Hall is spent. The graphic below is based on the amount of new correspondence in my email folders about different activities. It compares how much time I have spent on eight different areas of activity in term 1 of 2014-15, compared with the average year.

Discipline (investigation, meetings, disciplinary panels & hearings, appeals, letter writing, and fine administration) and responding to formal complaints have taken up much more of my time this year than is usual.

The amount of time have to spend on the Hall is fixed, so other activities lose out from this increase in complaints and disciplinary work. Some areas of activity are pretty fixed (like recruiting and training senior members, and attending central University meetings) so the two major things that I've had to cut this year are:

• service improvement projects. Facilities Committee, suggestion box, and responding to residents' routine enquiries; and
• Hall community & social life activities (organising & attending events, supporting the Residents' Club Committee).

Ultimately, you, the residents, pay for the service I provide for you in Hall, through your accommodation fees. I should much rather use my time to support you through difficult patches, improve the overall service we provide in Hall, and promote a positive, supportive, social community that everyone can benefit from, than trawl through one disciplinary case after another. I am usually a community leader here in Hall; this year, I feel like a policeman. I don't enjoy that relationship with our residents, and I am sure it is not the best use of your accommodation fees.

If you share my view that it's better for me to spend time on activities that benefit all our residents, rather than issuing fines, responding to complaints, and chairing disciplinary panels, I need your help!

• From the start of the new term in January, work with me and my team of Senior Members. We're here to help you make the most of your time in London and at Connaught Hall. We're not the "bad cops"! (Unless you decide that's what you want us to do with your fees.)

• Help me rebuild a positive Hall community. 

• Contribute to our events.

• Help us work out what activities you want organised in Hall, and work with us to organise them.

• Talk to your neighbours. Find out if there is anything you can do to make their time in Hall better. Have you been doing anything that annoyed them all last term? Tell them if you need their help with anything.

• Use our Hall bar. It's a valuable social space, but it won't survive without your custom and support. Don't drink your own alcohol in the bar, Bell room, or garden.

• Only smoke in the designated smoking area (in the garden), or on the pavement outside, well away from the main entrance.

• Keep quiet after 11pm.

• Don't go out onto balconies on the first floor.

• Be respectful of everyone around you. Remember our positive diversity message:

This is a safe space for everyone. Please join us in respecting and celebrating all our residents, staff, and guests, of every age, race, religion, sexuality, nationality, disability, and gender identity.

Finally, let me draw your attention to our goals & values statement. Help us work with you to deliver these for you.

We aim to provide a secure, supportive, and friendly environment in which our residents can study and socialise.

We hope that all our residents will call Connaught Hall “home”, and take many positive memories and good friends with them when they leave.
By encouraging our residents to participate in and contribute to the Hall community, we hope that they will learn to be self-directed and self-disciplined in their behaviour.

We aim to promote a spirit of neighbourliness and togetherness in our Hall community: an attitude that we can all take with us when we move on to other, wider neighbourhoods and communities. 

The needs of our residents, within the necessary limitations of good order, finance, and safety, take priority over other considerations at all times.
We endeavour to help residents wherever we can. If we can reasonably say “yes” within the rules, we will not say “no”.
We always strive to act fairly, honestly, and transparently.
We deal with any problems sensitively and confidentially.
We do not tolerate personal harassment, nor discrimination against anyone because of their age, race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

Some sources of help if you're feeling unwell, stressed, or upset

Health	NHS CHOICES & NHS DIRECT High quality information about health conditions.	www.nhs.uk
		www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
	HELPGUIDE “Helps you to help yourself with health challenges”	www.helpguide.org
	PATIENT.CO.UK High quality information about health conditions	www.patient.co.uk/pils.asp
	MEDLINE PLUS High quality information about health conditions	www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
	FPA “Talking sense about sex”	www.fpa.org.uk
		0845 122 8690
	TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST Sexual health & HIV	www.tht.org.uk
		0808 802 1221
	MENINGITIS TRUST Students should be aware of meningitis symptoms	www.meningitis-trust.org
		0808 80 10 388
	ZAFASH 24-HR PHARMACY (24-7-365) 233-235 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 0EA	020 7373 2798
		www.zafash.com
Alcohol, drugs & smoking	DRINKAWARE Sensible drinking tips & help with alcohol problems	www.drinkaware.co.uk
	DRINK SMARTER Sensible drinking tips and help with alcohol problems	www.drinksmarter.org/drinkline
		0800 7 314 314
	CAMDEN ALCOHOL SERVICE Information & advice on alcohol related problems	http://bit.ly/XHnhCv
		020 3227 4950
	FOUNDATION 66 Individual sessions with people aged from 11-22 who have concerns about alcohol use	http://bit.ly/UspAf3
	LONDON FRIEND The UK’s only LGB&T run and targeted drug and alcohol support service	http://bit.ly/WZwFlN
	CAMDEN ALCOHOL SERVICE Information & advice on alcohol related problems	http://bit.ly/XHnhCv
	TALK TO FRANK  National Drugs Helpline	www.talktofrank.com  /  0800 77 66 00
	DRUGSLINE Support, counselling and information about drugs	www.drugsline.org
		0808 1 606 606
	SMOKEFREE NHS help to stop smoking	www.smokefree.nhs.uk
		0800 022 4 332
Mental wellbeing	SAMARITANS Talk things through with a trained volunteer on the phone, by text, or at their Central London branch (9am-9pm): 46 Marshall Street, London W1F 9BF Central London branch: www.cls.org.uk	08 457 90 90 90
		www.samaritans.org.uk
		Text: 07 725 90 90 90
		jo@samaritans.org.uk
	LONDON NIGHTLINE Student volunteers offering telephone support	020 7631 0101  / Skype: londonnightline
		www.nightline.org.uk
	THE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION	www.mentalhealth.org.uk
	MIND Support for people with mental health problems	www.mind.org.uk
		0300 123 3393
	ROYAL COLLEGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS	http://bit.ly/MHVyz5   (www.rcpsych.ac.uk)
	CAMPAIGN AGAINST LIVING MISERABLY	www.thecalmzone.net
	STUDENTS AGAINST DEPRESSION	www.studentsagainstdepression.org
	CENTRE FOR ADDICTION & MENTAL HEALTH	http://bit.ly/LGM7we
Eating disorder	B-EAT	www.b-eat.co.uk
	NATIONAL EATING DISORDERS ASSN	www.nationaleatingdisorders.org