How do I signpost?

As a rep, you’ll regularly encounter students who could benefit from a bit of extra help as they progress through their studies. We encourage you to chat with students about their experiences and alert the University and Students’ Union to any common themes which come up, without identifying any individual students.

The University and Students' Union have a wide range of support services which you can signpost students, and we’ve included details of these below. If you have any questions about which service would be most appropriate for students, please contact su.reps@northumbria.ac.uk.

Sabb Team

6 officers elected by you to lead your Students’ Union! They can help with a range of queries and raise your concerns with the University where necessary. 

"I need help with writing an assignment/doing research/referencing."

• The Library: SkillsPlus and other teams within the library can offer support with academic skills such as referencing, critical thinking, academic writing, etc.
• Academic Community of Excellence (ACE) Team: Support with academic, maths and computing skills. The ACE Team is for London Campus students only.
• Contact your Programme Leader, Personal Tutor or Module Leader for subject-specific academic support.

"I need help with my accommodation."

Students’ Union Advice Team: Knowing your rights as a student tenant, tenancy agreement checks, complaints against your landlord, concerns about living conditions, complaints and disciplinaries relating to accommodation. 

For all other queries, please use your Student Portal.

"I want to make an academic appeal." / "I want to make a formal complaint to the university." / "I have been accused of academic misconduct and/or invited to a disciplinary meeting."

Contact the Students' Union Advice Team, who can offer free, confidential, impartial advice on all of these topics. They can offer support for students who have been asked to attend a Stage 1 or Stage 2 meeting. For more information on these processes, please see the Advice Team's Help Centre.

"I need some careers advice / support in developing employable skills."

• Northumbria University Graduate Futures Team: Specialist careers guidance, employability advice and careers clinic appointments.

For all other queries, please use your Student Portal.

"I'm an international student with a visa / welfare / funding issue."

The University's Student Advice Team (formerly known as Welfare, Immigration and Funding Team (WIFT); not to be confused with the Students' Union Advice Team) deals with queries about visas, CAS, and BRP international student finance. Contact WIFT through your Student Portal.

"I have an IT issue."

All IT queries should be raised via your Student Portal.

"I have a question about finances or hardship funding."

All finance queries should be raised via your Student Portal.

"I have a specific question about my programme."

Speak to your Programme Leader in the first instance, or your Personal Tutor, or Module Leader if the issue concerns a specific module. 

"I'm a PGR student and I have an issue related to my PhD."

The Graduate School Intranet contains a wealth of information on PGR queries. You can also contact your supervisor, subject PGR Lead or graduateschool@northumbria.ac.uk. 

"A member of staff has acted inappropriately to me." / "I'm being bullied by another student." / "I want to report something bad that I saw."

If you experience, witness or are aware of unacceptable behaviour involving any person connected with your work, study or time at Northumbria, you are strongly encouraged to report it to the University's Unacceptable Behaviour platform. 

"I need some support with my health and/or wellbeing."

The Students’ Union Wellbeing Team offers Mental Health First Aid, free period and sexual health products, or even just a friendly ear.

Your VP Welfare for 2025-26 is Isaac Akakpo (isaac2.akakpo@northumbria.ac.uk).

For all other non-urgent queries, including mental health support, counselling, faith and disability support, please use your Student Portal. 

If you are concerned about a student's safety or wellbeing, you can make a safeguarding report to the SU at su.reps@northumbria.ac.uk or another member of trusted university staff.

Urgent wellbeing support: If you have urgent concerns about your own safety, or the safety of another student, you can contact University Security on (+44) 0191 227 3200.

You can also use the Safezone app to contact University Security.

FOR EMERGENCIES OFF-CAMPUS ALWAYS CALL 999.

If the issue a student has raised with you is not covered by this list, please email su.reps@northumbria.ac.uk and we can advise you on how to signpost them.