This workshop is currently only available for institutional registration. Institutions interested in having this workshop delivered should contact curriculum@ukat.ac.uk for more information.

This interactive online session invites tutors and academic support staff to explore how to respond when a student presents in distress. Using live actors and audience polling, participants observe a realistic student–tutor scenario unfold, then make decisions at key moments that shape the outcome. Grounded in trauma-informed practice, the session offers a safe, reflective space to examine professional boundaries, emotional responses, and effective communication. Whether managing disclosures of low mood, vulnerability, or crisis, this activity helps staff develop confidence, insight, and practical strategies to respond with compassion and clarity.

1.    Define indicators of student distress and apply the Student Distress Thermometer to differentiate levels of concern (e.g. important, urgent, emergency).
2.    Demonstrate appropriate communication approaches for engaging with students in distress, using psychologically safe, trauma-informed language.
3.    Identify the professional scope and limitations of the tutor role in responding to disclosures, including referral and boundary setting.
4.    Discuss institutional procedures and support pathways relevant to managing student distress, including signposting, documentation, and collaborative responses.

• Tutors can recognise and assess levels of psychological distress and consider how this impacts the tutor–student relationship.
• Empathic and psychologically safe communication strategies are essential for supporting a student while maintaining professional boundaries.
• An effective response involves both individual and organisational responsibility, including appropriate assessment, management, documentation, and referral within the scope of the tutor role.