Advice for staff

As well as being here to support students, the wellbeing team can also offer advice for staff.

If you have concerns about a student, please contact us and we will be happy to provide you with practical advice and information on our specialist support services. You do not necessarily have to give us a student's name; we can provide some general advice on how to manage a situation.

We are also more than happy for you to refer students to us - it is not usually our policy to contact a student directly, so please encourage them to make the initial contact with us. If you are dealing with a student in distress and feel you need support, please contact us; a wellbeing adviser will always be on hand to speak to you and/or the student.

We have also compiled a useful document to assist in dealing with a crisis:

Staff practical guide to dealing with a crisis situation

Our specialist services also have specific advice for staff supporting students:

Counselling service

Access Solent disability service

Academic Toolkit

The academic tool kit details scenarios academics may face in regards to student support and advises on next steps to take in terms of response and where support is available. The flow chart shows how staff can access support for different types of queries.

Should you wish to refer a student to Student Services please ensure the referral form is completed. Student Services will not be able to take any action on referrals without permission agreed by students.

SU Tool kit 201819

Referral to Stu Services permission form

Student Services group referral form 18-19

Confidentiality and duty of care

A word about confidentiality and duty of care:

be aware of your boundaries; if you are supporting a student and feel it is beginning to fall outside of your remit, or you feel concerned for their welfare, please contact us.
we recommend that where possible you avoid contact with students out of hours, e.g. via Facebook when there is no support on hand if a difficult situation arises.
the welfare of an individual may override confidentiality; if you have serious, immediate, concerns for someone's welfare, i.e. suicide, a child protection issue, or serious risk to another, it would be appropriate to breach confidentiality and raise your concerns. Be honest with the student, and be clear with them that you have a duty to act upon certain information given.
due to our service's confidentiality policies, unless a student has given explicit permission, we are unable to confirm to you whether a student is accessing support.
please remember that our students are adults and they have a right to decide whether or not they wish to take up support. We can provide them with all the relevant information, but they have a right to choose whether or not to engage with our services.
when a student comes to you in a distressed state, often they just need somebody to talk to - do not feel that you have to solve all of their problems. Just listen, give them time to talk and be empathetic, that may be all they need.
counselling offers a safe place for students to explore their feelings. It requires commitment, and the student must feel ready to engage. For more information, visit the counselling pages on the portal. Please note: this is not an emergency service, and they are usually operating a waiting list.

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