Maintaining a healthy body and mind
Our students have full access to CareerHub, our employability platform, which offers hundreds of expert articles, videos and course content that deal with different aspects of wellbeing, from mindfulness, multitasking and menopause to sleep problems, anxiety, stress management and burnout.
Our Mental Health First Aiders
Rob Dudley
Hi, my name is Rob! and I have been working at BARBRI since 2015. I’ve held multiple roles in that time and now head up our employability function. I am passionate about creating a healthy workplace for our teams and our students. Living on the south coast of England gives me the opportunity (when I’m not in the London office!) to enjoy my early mornings going for a run to breathe in the sea air, which helps me with headspace and general wellbeing.
Book an appointment with Rob HERE (current students only)
Natalie Bushell
Hi my name is Natalie! I have been working at BARBRI and Altior for 16 years. My role within course delivery allows me to ensure we offer our students the best possible learning experience. I live in South Wales with my husband and 4 children. We have a busy life and trying to manage it can be overwhelming, but I feel better equipped mentally when I take some time for my own wellbeing. I enjoy hiking with my friends and aim to get back into running (and be able to keep up with my children) with the Saturday morning Park Run.
Book an appointment with Natalie HERE (current students only)
Megan Yarwood
Hi, my name is Megan! I have been working at BARBRI since 2018. I work closely with students each day, ensuring everyone has the best chance of success in their exams! I am based in the North West of England and my favourite form of self-care for my mental health is fresh long walks with my dog, followed by some (not always particularly good) baking!
Book an appointment with Megan HERE (current students only)
Our Mental Health First Aiders are trained and certified and have:
- an in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
- practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
- confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
- enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
- knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether thats self-help resources, external counselling services, the NHS, or a mix of these.
Our mental health support service is entirely free and if students need to make an appointment, they can do so through the CareerHUB wellbeing section, or by using the Calendly links above.
Our wellness policies and support
Safeguarding measures
At BARBRI we are committed to ensuring we fulfil our responsibilities in safeguarding any vulnerable adults who may be at risk of harm or exploitation, including abuse or concerns over students being drawn into terrorism (the Prevent Duty). Any student who is concerned about themselves or another vulnerable adult should directly contact a BARBRI Mental Health First Aider on the links above for advice on how we can assist with any safeguarding issues.
Read our Safeguarding and Welfare Policy.
Disability Support Inclusion
BARBRI provides a confidential, professional, and accessible service for disabled students or those requiring adjustments for other reasons, eg pregnancy. We set out to provide advice and guidance for prospective and current disabled students, and to ensure equal opportunity, access and attainment for our disabled students.
We support individuals with any impairment, disability, medical condition or injury, including those with learning difficulties, Asperger’s syndrome and autism, physical or mobility impairments and injuries, sensory impairments, mental health difficulties, long-standing illnesses or health conditions, temporary disability that lasts for (eg a broken arm or glandular fever), pregnancy, and trans students in medical transition.
Please contact BARBRI for further information, a confidential chat, or to arrange an appointment. Please contact our BARBRI London Team at +44 20 3855 0162 or international@barbri.com or BARBRI Altior Team at +44 2920 451000 or infoaltior@barbri.com.
Find out more:
On the Disability Support Inclusion page you’ll find information about Disability Support Agreements. Click here to apply for reasonable adjustments.
Also read our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Student Support Policy.
Student’s health service
If you live in the UK, register with the National Health Service (NHS) to find a GP and access free health services near you. You can also download the NHS app to manage your GP appointments, prescriptions and referrals: NHS App and your NHS account
International SQE Prep students can find information about accessing mental health support in the UK here: UKCISA: International student advice and guidance
Bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct
We take a strong stance against bullying and harassment and sexual misconduct at BARBRI. We have set out our policies and procedures in these documents:
Bullying and Harrassment Policy
Bullying and Harassment Internal Procedure
Should you experience any such conduct at BARBRI, immediately report this.
If you’re experiencing bullying and harassment outside of BARBRI SQE Prep, do contact our Mental Health First Aiders for help.
Discrimination
We don’t tolerate any form of discrimination and ask that should you experience it at BARBRI, that you report it immediately. Here’s our Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
If you experience discrimination elsewhere, whether it’s at home, at work or anywhere else and it affects your mental health, please book a call with our Mental Health First Aiders to support you.
Domestic violence, hate crime or physical assault
No person should accept any form of violence directed at them or their loved ones. Should you be in a dangerous position or be subjected to harassment or assault, please use the emergency contacts below. Also book a call with our Mental Health First Aiders to offer ongoing support.
Reporting unacceptable behaviour
Our Student Voice Policy aims to empower students to raise concerns that are in the public interest. We want to encourage students to report suspected wrongdoing as soon as possible, knowing that their concerns will be taken seriously and investigate appropriately. Our detailed complaints procedure and the form are available here: Student Complaints Form and once completed, the form should be emailed to ukstudentservices@barbri.com.
What to do in an emergency
Should you require emergency or crisis support, please contact a BARBRI Mental Health First Aider in the first instance or one of the following organisations who are experienced in helping people in times of crisis:
Wellness support available
BARBRI has identified a number of external support services, detailed below, which students can access free of charge and confidentially. These services offer a range of online and telephone services, including discussion groups, access to self-help materials and support helplines.
International Bar Association’s International Guidelines for Wellbeing in Legal Education
The IBA’s ground-breaking report is a comprehensive resource designed to embed and promote wellbeing in the lawyers of the future while they are studying. BARBRI is proud to be one of a handful of global law schools that are early adopters of the new IBA guidelines, demonstrating our commitment to implementing best practices and comprehensive support in this space.
The guidelines set out 10 recommendations, which BARBRI endeavour to implement in stages:
- Acknowledge the importance of, and actively promote, wellbeing in legal education.
- Abandon a view that wellbeing issues should be seen as signs of weakness.
- Raise awareness of the different ways in which wellbeing can be addressed and prioritised.
- Make a commitment to evidence-based, long-lasting change in addressing wellbeing and the challenges faced in legal education.
- Continually assess and evaluate the efficacy of changes and initiatives designed to promote wellbeing.
- Ensure policies and procedures reflect the importance of student, faculty and staff wellbeing.
- Foster an open dialogue between students, faculty and staff, promoting a culture of trust and inclusivity.
- Commit to addressing systemic problems, such as excessive competitiveness and lack of empathy.
- Recognise intersectionalities, including the benefits to wellbeing of embracing equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Share best practice examples in an ongoing dialogue both internally and externally.