Helping distressed students

As a member of staff, if you feel you need, or are requested, to give a student extra assistance while they are experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties, it is important to help within the boundaries of what you feel able to do.

The Helping Distressed Students Guide is the main reference point for staff seeking guidance on how to response to a range of different student situations from mild to severe, and provides information on where to seek support for the student or yourself. 

This guide has been produced to:

  • Help you to recognise when a student may be in difficulty
  • Provide advice to help you respond/refer appropriately and effectively
  • Remind you of the sources of support within the University
  • Raise awareness of issues relating to student mental health
Helping Distressed Students (217.08 KB / DOCX)

Student Counselling Service

You may wish to contact the Student Counselling Service (SCS) for advice regarding students’ mental health and wellbeing.  SCS work closely with other members of the University and are available for consultation if you’re concerned about a student.  

They cannot discuss a specific student with you without the student’s explicit permission. 

Staff awareness training

We run regular staff awareness training about Mental Health with the Student Counselling Service.  The training has been developed to help staff react to students who present with mental health issues and to help students get effective support. 

You can book a place on this training via the Events channel in MyEd

You can also access resources for University staff who offer first line support to students who may have mental health issues.  They have been developed by the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust

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