Advice for staff

Guidance on where to refer or signpost students to according to the urgency of their situation is available in our Signposting and Referral Routes for Students document. Please use this document to help you assess how urgent the situation is and what support is available. 

Download Signposting and Referral Routes for Students.

Urgent concerns

If you have very urgent concerns for a student who is suicidal and there is immediate threat to life contact the Emergency Services (999) and in Devon call Estate Patrol on 01392 723999 or in Cornwall call the Safety and Support Team on 01326 253503.

In Devon, if you have urgent concerns for a student (not requiring immediate response) please complete the Student Concern Referral Form. In this form you can share the situation, and leave a message stating you require a call back regarding a student of concern and who may be at risk. On week days, the Welfare team monitors these form responses between 09:00 and 17:00 and will get back to you in 3 hours. Enquiries received after 17:00, at the weekends or on University closure days will not receive a response until the next working day. We encourage you to use this form to enable adequate liaison and reassurance for you and to ensure the student has access to appropriate support.

In Cornwall academic colleagues should inform the student's tutor about welfare issues and contact Student Support at studentsupportadmin@fxplus.ac.uk or 01326 370460 (open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00). Welfare concerns outside of these hours should be directed to the Penryn Campus Safety and Support team:

• email safetyandsupport@fxplus.ac.uk
• call 01326 253 503

In a non-urgent situation, encourage the student to contact Wellbeing Services themselves 

Your encouragement to access Wellbeing Services (Devon) or Student Support (Cornwall) can make a real difference if a student has never considered accessing support before, or feels that their concerns are not important enough. We often see students who feel that they need to be experiencing a crisis to justify accessing support. However, there is no concern too small. 

If the student can be encouraged to make contact with the relevant service themselves, their personal motivation to engage and attend appointments will be enhanced. It can also create a sense of empowerment for taking responsibility for themselves and help them to feel in control of their own health needs. 

Please follow the basic guidelines below. You will also find the Helping Distressed Students booklet useful.

If the student will accept help 

• discuss with the student where they would like to get support. 

If you feel you could help the student you must ensure that 

• You have the time
• It does not conflict with your role
• You are clear on your boundaries
• You have access to support and advice
• You are able to listen to the student’s concerns
• You can offer practical advice
• You can provide reassurance
• You’re able to show your concern by following up your conversation at another time.

If you feel someone else should help the student 

• What does the student need?
• Inform the student about the services available. Support them to access the services themselves. Check later with the student if this has been done.
• Colleagues in Cornwall can use the resources in the ‘When to refer’ guide on the Cornwall hub (only colleagues based in Cornwall have access to this content).
• If you are unsure then seek further advice from a relevant colleague in your Department or Faculty or speak to Wellbeing Services (Devon) or Student Support (Cornwall) or another appropriate service for example the Education Welfare teams in Devon or the Education Welfare team in Cornwall.

If the student will not accept help

• You can make it clear that you will help if the student changes his or her mind.
• Ensure the student understands the implications of not accessing help e.g. they will not be able to access reasonable adjustments such as special exam arrangements.
• Explain issues of confidentiality especially in relation to passing on information in exceptional circumstances.
• Seek advice from the Senior Personal Tutor in your Faculty/Department, or Wellbeing Services/Student Support.

In all situations 

• If you are feeling overwhelmed, please know that support for you is also available.
• Devon-based colleagues: make sure that you debrief by talking to a colleague in Wellbeing Services - if you have completed the Student Concern Referral Form you will be contacted for a debrief.
• All colleagues: you can contact Occupational Health. and you can also read about support for you on our Colleague Wellbeing Site.
• Make sure you follow the University guidelines regarding confidentiality
• Record the meeting by emailing the student a brief note of your conversation, the services you have discussed and any actions agreed
• In Cornwall, academic colleagues should inform the student's tutor about welfare issues. If you are not sure what to do contact compassadmin@fxplus.ac.uk or call Student Services on 01326 370460 (open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00). Welfare concerns outside of these hours should be directed to the Penryn Campus Safety and Support team:
  • email safetyandsupport@fxplus.ac.uk
  • call 01326 253 503

Mental Health and suicide awareness (supporting students) training – we have developed this training programme as part of a community approach to mental health and suicide safety. The level 1 training aims to: 

• Raise your awareness of mental health issues and understanding of suicide 
• Help you to identify potential warning signs of mental ill-health and indicators of increasing risk 
• Gain an introductory understanding of the skills you need to speak with someone who may be at risk 
• Raise awareness of how and where to access appropriate support for yourself after contact with someone who has raised a concern or is experiencing suicidal thoughts.  

If you are interested in taking part, please read more about it on the training website. The training is not compulsory. 

Students who are finding it difficult to cope with exams can apply for exam adjustments (such as extra time, laptop usage, specific room provision).

Supporting evidence is usually required so, depending on the circumstances, you may need to direct the student to their Doctor in the first instance, but the student may already have the required evidence (for example a previously diagnosed neurodiversity or health condition, or evidence of attendance at Wellbeing Services).

Exam adjustments are a temporary solution, if the student could benefit from longer term support, please direct them to Wellbeing Services to discuss an Individual Learning Plan which will last the duration of their studies and include exam adjustments as needed.

There are deadlines for applying for exam adjustments. If a student is not currently working with Wellbeing Services, they should make an appointment before the deadline. If they are currently working with us then they should discuss their needs with their practitioner.

Read more about mitigation on:  

• Our wellbeing mitigation page 
• The Info Point mitigation process site 

The Health Wellbeing and Support for Study Procedure is a supportive procedure used when a student’s health and behaviour is having a detrimental impact on their ability to progress and function at university. 

The aim of the procedure is to: 

• Ensure the best interests of the student are being considered in relation to their personal situation, health and/or any disability they experience 
• Ensure that the student is receiving adequate support 
• Ensure that reasonable adjustments have been considered and, where appropriate, put in place 
• Enable the student to progress, meet the required learning outcomes and complete their course 
• Identify a plan of how to progress with clear boundaries and expectations, including continuing their course with adjustments, interrupting, repeating a year of study. 

The Health Wellbeing and Support for Study Procedure is used as an alternative to any disciplinary procedure where there is sufficient concern that a student’s behaviour could be the result of disability, ill health or have an impact on the health and safety of the student or other people. 

Staff who have any level of concern about a student’s health or behaviour should consider the use of this procedure. 

If staff based in Devon are unsure about whether to implement this procedure, they can seek advice and discuss their concerns, anonymously and in general terms with Wellbeing Services and the Student Health Centre. Staff based in Cornwall can contact our wellbeing specialists in Student Support to do the same. 

Some examples of when it may be appropriate to use Health Wellbeing and Support for Study include: 

• When a student is struggling to keep the required academic deadlines or requirements and there is concern that their health, behaviour or disability is contributing to their progression. 
• When a student has not engaged with study for a period of time without reason given. Absence is often an indication that there is an underlying difficulty occurring for the student. 
• When there has been a significant change in the student’s academic achievement and/or engagement at university. 
• When there may be a number of third party reports about a student, from departments in the University or from friends of a particular student. These again may be an indication that there is a need to address. 
• When there is concern about how well a student may manage their learning experience on a year abroad/placement/field trip. Students may have been receiving support and staff may be concerned as to how well a student may cope in an unusual environment even when support issues have been addressed.

Academic and support staff may initiate use of the procedure if concern for the student is sufficient. Consultation with Head of Department/Line Manager would be recommended. 

For full details of the procedure: 

Health Wellbeing and Support for Study Procedures (HWSSP) – Exeter and Penryn Campuses (Formerly Health Wellbeing and Fitness to Study Procedure) 

Download our ‌Dyslexia Marking Guidelines

Information on alternative formats that are available for students and staff.