Mental wellbeing causing concern

Supporting your role as a personal tutor

Responding to Mental Wellbeing emergencies is fully detailed in the document Guidance: Staff /Student Mental Wellbeing and Students Causing Concern, from which the following guidance is taken (Sections 10-12, pages 6-7). Page 12 of this document provides a helpful summary of levels of response and actions to take.

In an emergency

There may be evidence of: suicidal tendencies, risk of serious harm to self or others, serious physical illness, alcohol or substance abuse or addiction, hearing voices or holding fixed irrational beliefs, a complete lack of functioning academically or in other areas of the life.

Do not avoid the situation or pretend nothing is wrong:

If there is a risk to life and limb, immediately contact University Security (internal extension 3418 or Emergency extension: 3333) who will call the Emergency Services and direct them to your location.

In all emergency situations you must ensure your own safety and that of others, including the person involved. This is paramount.

With this in mind, some of the following actions or behaviours may be useful:

• Take threats of suicide seriously.
• Remain calm, be sympathetic and adopt a non-threatening approach.
• Do not approach the individual from behind without warning, stare or occupy a close physical space.
• Explain your actions before you act, reassure the student about what is happening without being patronising.
• If you have any anxieties about your own personal safety, make sure that you are not left alone with the student.
• Keep yourself between your tutee and the exit.

Disclosure

Under exceptional circumstances it is legitimate to release confidential information to a third party, specifically in this context where there is immediate and serious threat to personal safety of an individual and/or others. In such a case of exceptional disclosure, the consent of the student will not be sought where it is likely to increase the level of risk to that student or to a third party. More general guidance on Data Protection can be found here.

In non-emergency situations

Unless it is an emergency situation, there is little that can or should be done if your tutee is not prepared to talk to you about his or her problems, or is not prepared to seek help from others. However, it is good practice to make sure that there is a note of your concerns in the appropriate departmental files, and that you have made the Senior Tutor/Head of Department or Associate Dean (Students) aware of the situation.

If your tutee is willing to talk about their problems and/or to seek help from others, subject to having their permission, contact can be made with the duty Wellbeing practitioner on 023 9284 3466 for further guidance. Your tutee can also make a self-referral using the online form. See the Student Wellbeing information in this section.

Associated resources:

• Student Mental Health Wellbeing Policy
• Guidance: Staff /Student Mental Wellbeing and Students Causing Concern
• elearning package for staff to support students who may have mental health issues
• Student Mental Health: The role and experience of academics
• For further information see the Student Wellbeing Service website for staff