Your health, safety and wellbeing are important to us. To help us support you, you must provide details of at least one trusted contact when you register. We use these contact details in emergencies.

 You can also give us consent to approach your trusted contact if we have a serious concern about your wellbeing that is not an emergency.

 Examples of serious concerns include, but are not limited to:

  • you have suffered a serious physical injury or mental health breakdown
  • you have an ongoing physical or mental illness and appear to be significantly deteriorating
  • you have not recently been seen and we have been unable to contact you

You can use My Imperial to give or withdraw your consent and to update the contact details at any time. All records are held securely and confidentially.  We do not inform trusted contacts when you change their details or if you change your mind about consent to contact them.

 Your trusted contact should be a responsible adult of your choice. You should make sure they understand what may be required (see below) and tell them you have given us their details. Please contact your Department Senior Tutor if you can’t provide details of a suitable contact.

 We will normally talk to you about using your trusted contact information before we do so but there are exceptions to this. One is when it is necessary for your ‘vital interest’ – your or someone else’s life. Another is when you have given your prior consent to make contact about a serious concern but we are not able to discuss this with you.  In these cases, the decision to speak with your trusted contact is usually made by your Faculty Senior Tutor and student services.

 Who Can Be A Trusted Contact and What Do They Do?

 A trusted contact must be someone who will be ready and available to support you if called on.  It is helpful if they know about your medical and social history.  They might need to talk to staff in the College, the emergency services, health professionals and others to:

  • provide personal information about you to inform your care;
  • help make decisions which are in your best interests.

 Trusted contacts are often parents, guardians or carers.  But you may prefer yours to be a spouse, long-term partner, personal friend or family friend, for example.  You must choose the right person for you, although we encourage you not to choose a student friend unless you are comfortable that they will be able to support you in the types of circumstance listed above.