SMART Wellbeing Information for Senior Tutors

1. SMART WellbeingInformation for Senior Tutors Helen Groenendaal Head of Student Advisory & Wellbeing Julie Wright Head of Disability & Dyslexia Services Lee Fellows Head of Student Wellbeing Wednesday 10 September 2019

2. Session outline • Student Advisory & Wellbeing Helen • SMART Wellbeing Helen • Expectation of referrals Julie • Managing disclosure Lee • Case studies Julie & Lee • Questions & comments All

3. Overview of Student Advisory & Wellbeing Helen Groenendaal Head of Student Advisory & Wellbeing

4. Supporting Students at Royal Holloway • Student Advisory & Wellbeing • The professional services department responsible for advising and supporting students with managing all aspects of their health and wellbeing. • As a department we: • Assistwith transition to and adjustment*to university life. • * Managing disability & dyslexia adjustments where appropriate • Empower students by enabling them to successfully continue their studies. • Support students to embrace opportunities & make the most of their time at Royal Holloway.   • Encouragestudents to seek help and advice when needed - before the issue becomes overwhelming. DISABILITY & DYSLEXIA SERVICES INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT & INCLUSIVITY STUDENT COUNSELLING STUDENT WELLBEING

5. Student Advisory & Wellbeing

6. Areas of support • What can we support students with? Homesickness Anxiety Visa advice Depression Mental Health Registering a disability Procrastination Reflection, faith & Spirituality Sexual & Domestic violence Substance misuse Budgeting & financial assistance Maintaining good wellbeing And lots more ..including triage to specialist services internally and externally

7. Student Advisory & WellbeingFacts & figures (2018/19) 225 visas processed (with 100% success rate) 2,047 students engaged with Student Wellbeing in 2018/19 Each year over 500 students seek advice about financial difficulty ~30% of students experience mental health issues at university Over 980 students accessed Student Counselling in 2018/19 Around 30% of our students are International students 70% of students report feeling homesick (new & continuing) Over 12% of students are registered with Disability & Dyslexia Services We assist thousands of students with all kinds of issues every year and enable them to access appropriate support, advice & guidance.

8. Our teams • Disability & Dyslexia Services • Financial Wellbeing • disability-dyslexia@royalholloway.ac.uk • Head of Disability & Dyslexia Services: Julie Wright • moneymatters@royalholloway.ac.uk • Student Financial Advice Manager: Tina Barnard D&DS support dyslexic students, disabled students, and those with mental health or chronic medical conditions to demonstrate their academic abilities. The team arrange support packages, assessments and are accredited to supply DSA (Disabled Students’ Allowance) support. The team aim to ensure university is as financially stress free as possible for students. They are able to assist with any financial issues students may have including hardship funding, budgeting and student loan problems.

9. Our teams • International Student • Support • Multi-faith Chaplaincy • internationaladvice@royalholloway.ac.uk • Head of International Student Support & Inclusivity: Denise Keable • chaplaincy@royalholloway.ac.uk • Anglican Chaplain: Orion Edgar They offer international students advice on visa issues, working in the UK, opening a bank account, processing US federal loans, police registration, and HOST visits to British families. They also organise events and inductions for international students to enable integration and community. The team support spiritual and religious development by religious services, supporting faith societies, and initiating interfaith events. They offer a listening need to anyone in need – whether you have a religious belief or none. Our chaplains are from the Anglican, Catholic and Muslim faith communities.

10. Our teams • Student Counselling • wellbeing@royalholloway.ac.uk • Head of Student Wellbeing: Lee Fellows • counselling@royalholloway.ac.uk • Head of Student Counselling: Pat Simpson • Student Wellbeing Student Counselling provide a chance for students to talk about personal and emotional concerns in a friendly, non-judgemental and confidential setting. They can support students to find solutions to any difficulty effecting their studies and student experience. The service is free to all students. Our advisers offer wellbeing advice and guidance to all students to support them in maintaining a healthy lifestyle to help them make the most of their student experience. They also co-ordinate the ‘Be a Good Neighbour’ strategy with the support of community partners.

11. Current challenges Academic Services • Increasingly complex casework e.g. domestic violence, sexual violence, personality disorders. • Responding to the changing demands, needs & expectations of students (and parents). • Being expected to ‘plug the gap’ or hold students between us and NHS / specialist services • Seeking to ensure - through mostly non-clinical services - appropriate & proportionate crisis management responses. • Increasing disclosures (all varieties) year on year. • Ministerial questions of ‘in loco parentis’. • GROWING DEMAND FOR SERVICES AND LONG TERM SUPPORT. * This provision is managed by the NHS & not the university

12. Increased demand

13. SMART Wellbeing • Royal Holloway has a reputation as a caring institution and key to this is being alert to when one of our students is in difficulty.  • We are committed to supporting vulnerable adults & promoting the wellbeing of all students and staff. • Recognition of the ‘safe’ campus and community environment as an important part of the Royal Holloway experience.

14. SMART Wellbeing • To support a whole institution response to supporting student mental health and wellbeing we’re seeking to embed SMART Wellbeing over the next academic year • What should you do? Signpostingstudent to support. • What should you look out for? MakingAssessments of immediate risk and alerting services as required. • What happens next? Referring To Wellbeing. Signposting - Making Assessments – Referring To Wellbeing

15. SMART Wellbeing Signposting- Making Assessments – Referring To Wellbeing • There will soon be a guide for all staff to help students access the right support at the right time • The guide will outline key signs, cues and behaviours to look out for to help you spot a student who may need additional support. • It then provides practical guidance on immediate action you need to take, as well as some further information about what is likely to happen after you take this action. • It will also provide a summary of services a student can be signposted to internally and externally • Separated into key categories including mental health difficulties; homesickness, victim of crime, harassment, financial worries, visa issues, susceptibility to radicalisation, student death, interruptions & withdrawals etc.

16. Expectations of referrals Julie Wright Head of Disability & Dyslexia Services

17. Expectation of referrals – making referrals • What do we need • Telephone, email or in-person referrals • wellbeing@royalholloway.ac.uk • disability-dyslexia@royalholloway.ac.uk • Student details • Reason for referral • Confirm whether the student knows you are making a referral and if they have given their consent

18. Expectation of referrals – what will happen What will happen • Acknowledgement of referral • Outline steps to be taken or agreed with student • Update on support provided

19. Expectation of referrals – Formal warnings • School Administration to forward copies of formal warning letters to Student Wellbeing (wellbeing@royalholloway.ac.uk) • Student Wellbeing will check for any D&DS registered students • Support offered by Student Wellbeing or D&DS • D&DS will check that student is accessing all of the support they are entitled to

20. Expectation of referrals – extensions • D&DS & Student Wellbeing cannot authorise extensions – this is a school administration & academic decision. • Being registered with D&DS does not automatically entitle a student to extensions. • Student Wellbeing will only provide an impact statement when they have ongoing supportive engagement with a student. • Self certify for 5 day extensions / evidence required for 10 day extensions. • For referrals at extension request stage, Student Wellbeing & D&DS can only start the process to identify ongoing support (not retrospectively provide evidence for an extension).

21. Expectation of referrals – Extenuating Circumstances • Being registered with D&DS is not a reason for Extenuating Circumstances • Student Wellbeing impact statement • The team must have already seen the student to provide evidence for applications for EC – they can not retrospectively provide evidence if support was not sought for the issue

22. Expectation of referrals – Alternative Assessments • Can be requested by the student, School or D&DS Disability & Dyslexia Services will: • Confirm disability related reason for alternative • Request proposal from School • Submit to AQPO for approval • The School are to advise the student once approved

23. Expectation of referrals – Reasonable Adjustments • Reasonable adjustments are available for all students registered with Disability & Dyslexia Services • Exams • Library • Teaching & Learning • Accommodation • If you identify a need for adjustments - refer to D&DS if the student is not already registered

24. Managing Disclosure Lee Fellows Head of Student Wellbeing

25. Disclosure • When a student sees you they may highlight or let you know of concerns and worries that may not be academic but is having an impact on their studies, for example: • Anxiety • Stress • Assault • Mental Health concerns • Personal issues • It is really important that you let the student know you cannot promise confidentiality

26. Cause for concern • Student Advisory & Wellbeing manage a Cause for concern list. The senior team meets weekly to review live student cases and to co-ordinate and manage actions for the coming week. • Not everything that comes through will be added to the C4C • Manage ongoing wellbeing / medical issues • Medium and high level concern / risk. • Live list • Discusses ongoing support plan and where necessary academic issues • Its purpose is to join up information • Concern comes from different routes including you • Gives us historic knowledge on someone’s wellbeing

27. How does this information come to us • Self referral • Tutor/department • Parent/supporter • Friend • Partner • Professional services • Email, drop in, telephone • Emergency services/external agencies • We then asses, meet, triage, monitor, inform and review

28. What makes a good and bad meeting • Bad • Judgement • Showing discomfort • Accusing • Not enough time • Uncomfortable space • False promises • Sending them away immediately (walk over with them) • Good • Comfortable space • No panic • Optimism • Understanding • Sign posting • Making future plans • Agreeing the best approach • Practical • Listening

29. Disclosure to you • What you should do is dependent on the situation, each disclosure can be different and requires you to make an assessment on how much risk there is. You have to decide how comfortable you are • We have created 2 flow charts for you on how to receive and what to do when wellbeing concerns are presented • Receiving Disclosures • Flow charts\Receiving Disclosures and Cause for Concern2.pdf • High RiskDisclosures • Flow charts\Suicide & Crisis Flow chart and numbers.pdf

30. What we do with the disclosure • After a disclosure is passed to us we will put a support plan together • Safety plan - in cases of suicide ideology • Refer to other services in Student Advisory & Wellbeing e.g. student counselling, multi-faith chaplaincy, financial wellbeing • Register with Disability & Dyslexia Services where appropriate • We will contact school / tutor to update • Add C4C if needed • Consider referral to other teams in RH- Hall Life, Volunteering, RHSU • If no improvement we can look for other options e.g. inter-departmental meetings with the student • Comprehensive follow up email to student summarising issues, what appointments have been made, what external services can be used, safety plans etc.

31. Hints and Tips • Don’t take on what you cannot deal with • Be honest in what you can do, don’t over promise • Always keep notes • Refer and seek advice • Listen- students know key words, don’t be afraid to ask what they mean or get more information if they make a worrying disclosure. The extra information sometimes takes it from serious to medium • Look after yourself, speak to colleagues, use the EAP- listening to others concerns can be tiring and distressing for you too • Communicate - this is a rule for all of us!

32. Case Studies Julie Wright, Head of Disability & Dyslexia Services Lee Fellows, Head of Student Wellbeing

33. Case Study 1 You are meeting with a student at 6pm. The student discloses suicidal thoughts, tells you they are depressed and that they have self-harmed in the past. They also said they recently split up with their partner. You have noticed that their attendance has been poor recently. • What do you do? • Do you consider them to be a high, medium or manageable concern? • Do you need some additional information to determine this?

34. Case Study 1 suggestions • Have you made an attempt on your life – if yes when? • Have you got a plan to take your life? • Have you spoken to anyone else about this? • Follow high or moderate concern process depending on responses to questions.

35. Case Study 2 A student tells you they are depressed. They are having problems with attendance as they keep oversleeping and they are struggling to meet deadlines. You can see from Dashboard that they are registered with Disability & Dyslexia Services. • What do you do? • Do you consider them to be a high, medium or manageable concern?

36. Case Study 2 suggestions • Assess level of concern. • Make a referral to Disability & Dyslexia Services to establish if they are accessing all of the support they are entitled to. • Ask if they have sought help with their depression - encourage them to see their GP. • Ask what sources of support they have i.e. friends and family • Discuss what academic support you can provide

37. Case Study 3 A student has missed a few lectures and hasn’t submitted some of their assignments. They seem quite anxious. They tell you that there is a lot going for them as they worried about a sick grandparent and they are having problems with noisy flat mates. They had a first formal warning last academic year and are worried about getting a second formal warning. • What is the level of concern? • How can you help?

38. Case Study 3 suggestions • Take lead on assessing situation. • Suggest speaking to flat mates. Refer directly to Hall Life re noise issues. • Contact Student Wellbeing regarding dealing with anxiety and stress. • Let them know about the extensions process and what can be done if things don’t improve. • Let them know about attendance requirements.

39. Questions, comments or advice • If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please feel free to ask now or contact us directly. • Helen Groenendaal, Head of Student Advisory & Wellbeing • helen.groenendaal@royalholloway.ac.uk • Julie Wright, Head of Disability & Dyslexia Services • julie.wright@royalholloway.ac.uk • Lee Fellows, Head of Student Wellbeing • lee.fellows@royalholloway.ac.uk • Student intranet pages for help and advice • https://intranet.royalholloway.ac.uk/students/help-support/help-and-support.aspx • Staff directory • https://intranet.royalholloway.ac.uk/students/help-support/wellbeing/staff-directory/staff-directory.aspx