Guide for Practice Educators — Supporting student mental health
during placement
Introduction
Student placements are a valuable learning experience, but they can also be a source of stress and anxiety for students.
As a practice educator, you play a crucial role in supporting their wellbeing and fostering resilience. This guide provides information on common mental health conditions, warning signs, and resources available to you and your students.
Common mental health conditions and warning signs
1. Anxiety
Warning signs:
Excessive worry, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, irritability, fatigue, muscle tension, sleep problems.
How to help:
Encourage open communication, promote relaxation techniques, create a supportive environment.
2. Depression
Warning signs:
Low mood, loss of interest in activities, problems with memory and concentration, changes in sleep or appetite, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts.
How to help:
Express concern, offer to listen, encourage professional help.
3. Stress
Warning signs:
Irritability, difficulty concentrating, headaches, stomach aches, fatigue, changes in sleep or appetite.
How to help:
Discuss workload and expectations, encourage time management, model self-care strategies.
4. Social anxiety
Warning signs:
Excessive fear of social situations, self-consciousness, blushing, sweating, difficulty speaking in public.
How to help:
Provide opportunities for gradual exposure to social settings, offer positive reinforcement, encourage mindfulness techniques.
Supporting student wellbeing
Many students find it difficult to talk about their mental health at work or in placement, and sometimes fear that talking about it will impact their career. We encourage students to talk about anything which might impact their wellbeing, including mental health, as soon as they notice a problem. However, we know that many students feel ashamed of admitting that they might be struggling and so fail to ask for help. Placement teams can support by being willing to listen, making reasonable adjustments and signposting to relevant support if needed.
Trust your instincts: if a student doesn’t seem themselves or if you sense something is wrong, encourage them to access support.
Create a safe and inclusive environment:
Promote open communication, normalise conversations about workplace wellbeing, respect diversity, and model positive mental health practices.
Set clear expectations and provide regular feedback: Ensure students understand their role and responsibilities, offer constructive criticism in a supportive manner. Use one-to-ones to encourage students to discuss anything which might affect their practice.
Recognise signs of distress:
Be mindful of the warning signs listed previously and encourage open communication.
Promote a healthy workload:
Ensure workload is manageable and deadlines are fair, encourage students to seek help if they are struggling.
Direct students to support services:
Provide information about University of Suffolk resources (see below) and national support organisations. Inductions or welcome packs would be suitable locations for this information.
Report any concerns to the University:
This could be via the link lecturer, PAC (Personal Academic Coach) or by contacting Student Life or Safeguarding directly.
University of Suffolk support services
Call: Student Life
Email our Mental Health Advisers at mentalhealth@uos.ac.uk or share this link with students if they wish to self-refer: brightspace.uos.ac.uk
Email: Safeguarding
Contact the link lecturer directly
National support resources
Mind
NHS — Every Mind Matters
Samaritans or call 116 123 (free)
Student Minds
Local support resources (Suffolk)
Suffolk Mind
Suffolk Wellbeing Service
Call NHS 111 — option 2 for urgent mental health support
Remember
You are not expected to provide treatment or therapeutic support. Your role is to provide a supportive environment, identify potential problems, and direct students to appropriate resources.
Talking openly about mental health can help reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking behaviour.
Self-care is important for you too! Prioritise your own wellbeing so you can best support your students.
Additional resources
Advance HE — Fostering wellbeing in UK higher education
Sexual Safety in Healthcare
Responding to emergencies
For example, suicide, expressed risk of harm to self or others, hallucinations, and delusions.
If you suspect a student may be in a mental health crisis, please speak to them in the first instance to gather more information and confirm that they require support.
If you are confident that a student is in a mental health crisis, for example if they have told you they have plans for suicide, to harm others or are experiencing hallucinations/delusions, you can:
Support them to contact a trusted friend or family member.
Encourage them to contact their mental health support worker, care coordinator or GP (if already under mental health services).
Encourage them to access A&E or NHS 111, option 2, for an emergency mental health assessment and/or treatment.
Inform the University of your concerns and actions taken. You should contact your link lecturer or PEF and University of Suffolk Mental Health Advisers and/or Safeguarding as appropriate.
How the University can help
Disability and Mental Health Advisers can support students in the following ways:
Discussion around the impact of mental health conditions on study and in placement.
Supporting students to develop self-awareness and management strategies.
Risk assessment and safety planning.
Advise on how to support students on placement, including advice on reasonable adjustments.
Onward referral for specialist support, assessment, or treatment.
Safeguarding Officers will assess any safeguarding risks, offering relevant advice, signposting, and onward referral as appropriate.
By working together, we can create a positive and supportive learning environment for all students on placement at the University of Suffolk.
