Wellbeing Services

Advice for family and friends

There are many reasons why parents, carers, friends or relatives may be worried about a student while they’re at the University of Exeter. Students can feel far away from home and you may not be sure how best to help them.

The following question and answers offer steps you can take to help your loved one in accessing support, as well as providing information about what Wellbeing Services can – and can’t – do to support you and your loved one. 

What we can do:

  • Listen to your concerns and respond/take action accordingly, where appropriate
  • Talk through the support Wellbeing Services can offer
  • Discuss next steps to take in supporting your loved one
  • Explain the wide range of support available to students
  • Request your consent to inform a student of your concerns for them
  • Talk with a student about giving us consent to share with you
  • With a student’s consent, we can work in partnership with all parties to provide support

What we can’t do:

  • Discuss any personal information about students at Exeter without the student’s explicit and informed written consent – other than in exceptional circumstances as outlined in our Confidentiality statement. We recognise that this can be distressing and frustrating to friends and relatives, but we will still do our upmost to help while maintaining confidentiality.
  • Inform you of any actions we take without the expressed consent of your friend or relative. This sometimes means we are unable to provide you with an update on our actions. Please be assured we take all concerns shared with us seriously and will always act in the most appropriate way to support the wellbeing and safety of our students.
  • Force students to give us consent to share with their parents, friends or relatives. We do however have conversations with students about how giving consent to share can be helpful in ensuring they have support from their loved ones. Students who are based in Devon can complete a Consent to Liaise Form at any point during their studies – including as a prospective student. Students in Cornwall may have provided consent in advance of various interactions with our Wellbeing Specialists or our Education Welfare Team.

Some common concerns from parents/relatives/friends include:

There are lots of reasons why students may reduce contact with loved ones while at university including a busy study schedule, settling into new friendships, being more involved in clubs and social activities or part-time work alongside study. You may want to try:

  • Contacting them by different means – text, Whatsapp, social media and email may be more likely to get a response than a call
  • Contacting them at a different time of day
  • Messaging about something “light” – a funny picture of their pet for example
  • Asking other close family or friends if they have heard from them

If you are very concerned, if the lack of contact is very out of character, coincides with a distressing event or a perceived change in their physical or mental health, you are welcome to contact us. 

For students based in Devon contact Wellbeing Services. 

For students based in Cornwall, you can contact Student Support by completing our ‘Raising a concern form’. 

We will listen to your concerns and can discuss some next steps.

Samaritans suggest the following indicators can be important signs of distress, particularly when they start interfering with everyday life. If you feel your loved one is starting to display some of these signs, they may be experiencing emotional distress and benefit from some support.

  • A persistent lack of energy, and tiredness
  • A lasting feeling of restlessness and agitation
  • Regularly being tearful or overwhelmed 
  • Avoidance of or withdrawing from people
  • Not wanting to do the things they usually enjoy
  • Using drugs or alcohol to manage their feelings
  • Finding it difficult to manage everyday life

If your loved one is showing these signs, do listen and let them know you’re there for them. Encourage them to reach out for some support from their Doctor and advise them  to get in touch with the relevant wellbeing team:

If your friend or relative is struggling to access support, you are welcome to call us.

We will listen to your concerns and suggest some next steps.

Sometimes distressing events happen – either to our students, or to people around them. When distressing things happen, students may benefit from some additional support. 

If your friend or relative is living in University accommodation in Devon, they can contact their Residence Life Team or if they are living in our accommodation in Cornwall, they can contact ResLife. You can also encourage your loved one to book an appointment with one of our experienced practitioners to explore a support plan – 

We also keep a list of local and national services which support people in specific situations.

If your loved one feels unable to make contact with us themselves, you are welcome to contact us.

If your friend or relative is struggling to access support, you are welcome to call us.

We will listen to your concerns and suggest some next steps.

While the majority of students stay well at University, research shows that at least 25% of students experience a mental health difficulty during their time studying.

The University of Exeter is committed to supporting students with a health condition while they study. You may find that being there for your friend or relative and listening to them is all that they need, but if you feel they need further help, you can recommend they do one or more of the following:

If they are in Exeter, they can phone the NHS Urgent Mental Health Line, available 24/7 on 0808 196 8708 (free) or 0300 555 5000. 

If they are in Cornwall, they can phone the NHS Urgent Mental Health Line, available 24/7 on 0800 038 5300

They will be able to speak with a mental health professional and get advice on the best course of care. As their friend or relative, you can also call the Urgent Mental Health Line for advice on how to best get your loved one some help.

If your loved one is unable to follow the above steps, or you are very worried about a decline in their mental health, you are welcome to call us.

We will listen to your concerns and suggest some next steps.

We recognise the importance of timely and appropriate support when things are difficult for students.

Wellbeing Services (Devon) and Student Support (Cornwall) offer a wide range of support including counselling, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mental health mentoring, autistic spectrum conditions mentoring, Education Welfare support, residences support and welfare support.

If students are struggling longer-term with their learning, we really encourage students to book an appointment. If a student is already engaged with Wellbeing Services (Devon) or our wellbeing specialists in Student Support (Cornwall), they can always discuss any additional support they need with the team supporting them.

We also recognise that we cannot replace the expertise of local statutory services – including doctors and specialist NHS provision – and therefore we work closely with partner agencies to support students in accessing the best and most appropriate support.

If you are concerned about the support your loved one is receiving, you are welcome to call us. 

For students based in Devon, call Wellbeing Services. 

For students based in Cornwall, call Student Support on 01326 370 460 or complete our ‘Raising a concern form’.

While we will not be able to discuss individual circumstances without consent , we can explain the support options available to all students at Exeter.

...with their course: Students may struggle with their course for lots of different reasons. It may be temporary or it may be linked to a specific trigger. Do encourage your friend or relative to speak to their Education Welfare Advisor if their course is impacting on their health or vice-versa. 

...with their housing situation: There are many reasons why a housing situation may be difficult – landlord disputes, challenges with housemates, location or noise disturbances. Please encourage your friend or relative to speak to their Students’ Union/Guild who can offer support and advice around housing contracts and landlord issues.

If the situation is impacting on their health and wellbeing:

...with relationships with other students: Forming new relationships is an important and exciting part of the university experience but sometimes these relationships cause challenges. There is support out there:

  • In University accommodation, the Residence Life Team in Devon and our ResLife team in Cornwall, have good knowledge of the support and services on offer at the University.
    • Residence Life in Devon provide support via instant message from 6pm – 9pm every night. If your loved one requires support during the day, you can email them at residencelifesupport@exeter.ac.uk.
    • ResLife in Cornwall can be contacted by emailing reslife@fxplus.ac.uk
  • Visit the Speak Out pages for advice and support on bullying or harassment.
  • Loneliness – lots of departments offer Buddy Schemes where new students are paired with other students in the department. The Residence Life Team also offer a range of events designed to beat isolation and build friendships, including quizzes, day trips and cookery sessions. 
  • There are several support groups that meet online and in person, 
  • If your loved one is being impacted by another student's behaviour, they can report it to:

If you have further questions, you are welcome to contact Wellbeing Services.

For students based in Cornwall, call Student Support on 01326 370 460.

We will listen to your concerns and discuss next steps.