Gain the skills needed to effectively support students around their mental health and wellbeing.

Student mental health and wellbeing has become a key concern that is being underpinned in many university strategies, enabling the organisation to create appropriate support and service structures. The technical workforce within universities and colleges have significant contact time with students, who often provide a great deal of pastoral care to the student body. At HEaTED regional networking meetings and other technical initiatives across the UK, technicians have highlighted the lack of guidance and understanding of mental health and wellbeing support.

This one day, interactive CPD session aims to increase confidence around having helpful, supportive conversations about mental health and wellbeing; and will be an opportunity for participants to learn and practice the skills needed to handle these conversations effectively.

The course will provide participants with the chance to discuss the sorts of ‘pastoral’ care conversations that they find most challenging and will focus on the key skills needed to provide the type of support that is appropriate within their role as a technician.

Objectives of the session include the following:

- clarify the roles and responsibilities of technicians in relation to the mental wellbeing of students.
- develop practical skills and helpful approaches to handling conversations around mental health and wellbeing.
- explore the ways that technicians can better support these type of conversations without overstepping the remit of their role.
- enable participants to identify what they can do to find out about the types of support available within their own institutions.

This session has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from group discussion and individual reflection on their current practice. The participants will be encouraged to implement learnt skills within their work.