Policy number:
Effective date:
Review date:
Procedure relating to the Mental Health Policy
This procedure is designed to be read and used in conjunction with the University of Bradford
Mental Health Policy. It provides guidance primarily for staff, but students might also find it
useful.
1. Telling the University / Applications and Admissions
It is not compulsory for students to tell the University about an impairment or existing mental
health difficulty when they apply, but students should be encouraged to share information at the
point of application so that the University is able to make arrangements for any adjustments that
might be necessary.
The University of Bradford should not and will not discriminate against people on the basis that
they have shared information about existing or past mental health difficulties on their application
forms. In selecting students, an offer of a place will be made on academic qualifications and the
potential of the student to successfully complete the programme.
Sharing information about the impact of an impairment or mental health difficulty will allow for a
realistic assessment and help the School / Department to make reasonable adjustments which
may assist the student in gaining their qualification. By sharing information the student can also
be offered appropriate support during their time at university e.g. from a Mental Health Adviser
and / or the Counselling Service.
In a minority of cases, and for some courses that have professional body accreditation, the
presence of past or existing mental health difficulties may require further investigation with
regard to ‘fitness to practice’. It is the responsibility of the School / Department to ensure that,
on admission, all students are aware of the University of Bradford Fitness to Practice
procedures and that, if a fitness to practice issue exists, their qualification may not be
recognised by the relevant regulatory body for registration purposes. Students also need to be
made aware that a fitness to practice issue may also prevent them from undertaking
compulsory learning in the practice setting (placements), which would preclude the award of the
registered qualification. Please see the university’s procedure relating to Fitness to Practice:
www.bradford.ac.uk/legal-andgovernance/media/LegalandGovernance/Allfiles/Documents/Breaches/Fitness_to_Practice_Dec
_2010.pdf
2. What to do if you are worried about a student’s mental health
or well-being
If a student’s well-being or behaviour causes concern in the Teaching & Learning environment
initial support should be provided through the tutorial and support systems that exist within the
student’s School / Department. Pastoral care provided by the School / Department enables
minor problems to be addressed and is the most appropriate way of resolving practical or
academic problems.
For students experiencing more severe emotional and psychological difficulties it may be more
appropriate for the student to be referred to a Mental Health Adviser (through the Disability
Service) or the Counselling Service. The student would need to give their permission for a
referral to take place. (see section on Sharing Information)
On very rare occasions, a student’s behaviour, as a result of their mental health difficulties, may
become disruptive, stressful or dangerous to staff and other students. When dealing with such
behaviour staff should balance the needs of the student experiencing mental health difficulties
with the need to operate a fair and consistent code of conduct for all students. The fact that a
student has mental health difficulties in no way lessens the duty of care that the University owes
to other students, and as a result it may still be appropriate to refer to the University disciplinary
procedures.
Concerns expressed about students on courses that have professional body accreditation may
require further investigation in regard to ‘fitness to practice’. For further details please see the
university’s procedure relating to Fitness to Practice. – www.bradford.ac.uk/legal-andgovernance/media/LegalandGovernance/Allfiles/Documents/Breaches/Fitness_to_Practice_Dec
_2010.pdf.
3. What to do if a student has a mental health crisis on Campus
The vast majority of students with mental health difficulties are unlikely to present any disruption
or threat to anyone. In a minority of cases a crisis situation may arise whereby a student’s
emotions have reached a point outside of their control and are being expressed in a manner
which suggests they might pose a danger to themselves or others.

The level descriptors below may help you decide what action you need to take. However,
if you have any doubts or are not sure how serious the situation is, please contact the
Disability Service (Mental Health Advisers), the Counselling Service and / or the Student
Safety & Welfare Co-ordinator for advice:Level One – the student’s behaviour suggests
there is an imminent danger of them doing some harm to themselves or others. In this
situation staff should contact University Security and inform them there is a mental health
crisis. Security will then immediately contact the police who will detain the individual and
take them to a place of safety i.e. the police station until they can be assessed. The
Mental Health Adviser should be informed as soon as possible.

Level Two – the student’s behaviour suggests that if the situation is not dealt with in the
next couple of hours, there is a danger they will do harm to themselves or others. Staff
finding themselves in this situation in office hours should contact a Mental Health Adviser
or if not available, the Counselling Service who will organise for an assessment of the
situation to take place.
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If the crisis occurs outside office hours, including weekends, staff should contact
University Security who will contact the police. Once the crisis has been dealt with, staff
should pass the details on to a Mental Health Adviser.
If possible staff should get consent from the student before they share information. If the
student does not consent but it is deemed to be in the interest of the public or the student
to share information the staff member should record the reasons for overriding the
student’s confidentiality.
Level Three – the student’s behaviour is deteriorating at such a rate that if some
intervention is not carried out, they will potentially end up harming themselves or others
within the next few days. In this situation staff should seek permission from the student to
inform a Mental Health Adviser of their circumstances. If they refuse this permission, and
the member of staff is sufficiently concerned that the student may be a danger to
themselves or others, then the staff member should contact a Mental Health Adviser or if
not available the Counselling Service who will arrange for an assessment of the
circumstances as soon as possible.
If possible staff should get consent from the student before they share information. If the
student does not consent but it is deemed to be in the interest of the public or the student
to share information the staff member should record the reasons for overriding the
student’s confidentiality (see below).
4. Sharing Information and informing colleagues
Information concerning any individual’s mental health difficulty should be treated sensitively and
should only be passed on with the student’s consent. If, when and who informs staff about the
mental health difficulty should be agreed with the student.
Keeping it confidential - The Legal Position
Within disability equality law, if one person in an organisation is made aware of another
person’s impairment or disability, the ‘organisation’ is deemed to know. At that point the
organisation has a legal duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to ensure that person is not
disadvantaged.
If a student shares information about their impairment or mental health issues with a member of
staff but does not want the information to be passed on, the member of staff should explain the
consequences of this to the student. The consequences may be that no reasonable
adjustments will be made which could result in the student being disadvantaged. If the student
still wishes the information to remain confidential they should be asked to complete a ‘NonDisclosure of Information Regarding a Disability’ form’:
www.bradford.ac.uk/disability/media/DisabilitiesOffice/Documents/form.pdf.
Information about a student’s mental health difficulty should only be shared without the
student’s consent if it can be justified either in the public interest or as duty of care owed to the
individual or to other students and staff. For example if a member of staff is concerned that by
not sharing this information the student could present a risk of harm to themselves or other
people.
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Unless the student is in crisis and as a general rule, if staff are concerned about a student’s
safety, they should contact the Mental Health Adviser, without breaching confidentiality for
advice and guidance about appropriate action.
5. Making Reasonable Adjustments
5.1 Teaching and Learning Environment
The University has a duty to make reasonable adjustments in the teaching environment to
ensure that students with mental health difficulties are not disadvantaged. The nature of the
adjustments will depend on the impact of the student’s mental health difficulty but might include:

Consideration of the impact some mental health difficulties might have on the student’s
ability to attend lectures / seminars at certain times of the day, or the impact their
medication may have in this area.

The effect the mental health difficulties may have on the student’s ability to concentrate
for long periods of time.

The importance to some students of routines / familiar surroundings and the impact of
short notice change to timetables / venues.

The confidence to present to large groups of fellow students in seminars.
5.2 Assessment and Examinations
The University recognises mental health difficulties may affect the student’s ability to undertake
the examination or assessment for the course in its standard format. A number of adjustments
can be considered reasonable. The type of reasonable adjustments which can be made for
examinations can include:

Extra time.

Taking examinations in a separate room in isolation from other candidates.

Supervised breaks / time – out in examinations.
To ensure that reasonable adjustments can be put in place, students will need:

Medical evidence of their mental health difficulties.

An assessment of their examination needs to be carried out through the Disability
Service.
When the students needs have been identified, the Disability Service will liaise with the
Examinations Office to put any recommended adjustments in place. (Please note: The Disability
Service can only request that adjustments / alteration to adjustments are put in place if the
student informs them of their requirements before the deadline set by the Exams Office. The
Disability Service will e-mail all eligible students with details of the deadline well in advance).
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For non-examination assessment the flexibility of deadline dates is likely to be the most
important way of enabling the student to present their work for assessment without the standard
of work being affected by their mental health difficulties. The student should discuss extensions
to deadlines with their School / Department (supported by a Mental Health Adviser if needed).
For students who have suffered circumstances which were unavoidable and unexpected they
may make a claim of extenuating circumstances. Students should ask their School / Department
how to apply for extenuating circumstances.
5.3 Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)
Some students with Mental Health Difficulties are eligible for funding called the DSA. DSA is
administered through Student Finance England and can be used to pay for adjustments and
support in the form of equipment or ‘people’ support (Non-Medical Helper NMH). For example:
A Study Coach can provide specialist study support to help develop students’ academic and
personal skills. Although generally funded through DSA, NMH support may, on a limited basis,
be available for students not eligible for DSA, for example International Students.
6. Managing Mental Health Difficulty Related Absence
In some instances it will be in the student’s best interests to have some time away from study to
receive appropriate care and treatment. This should be requested by the student to their School
/ Department in writing along with medical evidence. The length of time the student may take
should be discussed with the student and their School / Department based on individual
circumstances. It is then the School / Department’s responsibility to inform the Hub of any
changes to the student’s status.
Students should be encouraged to seek advice before they decide to take time off from their
studies. Sources of advice may include:

Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) – will be able to explain any implication for assessment
and progression on the course. They may also be able to advise on transfers to other
programmes or to part time study.

Counselling Service / Mental Health Adviser – will be able to suggest ways in which the
student might manage their mental health difficulties which may enable them to continue
with their studies and where appropriate the student may be able to access counselling
support during this time.

The Hub – will be able to provide information on the possible financial implications of
various options.
6.1 Hospitalisation
A minority of students with mental health difficulties may require a period of hospital in-patient
treatment. For guidance on the procedure if a student is hospitalised please refer to: Procedure
for supporting students in the event of serious illness / hospitalisation.
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If the student does not wish their School / Department to know the nature of their stay in
hospital, the Student Safety & Welfare Co-ordinator will not disclose details, however at an
appropriate point, the student may have to produce medical evidence to support their absence
from their course.
6.2 Returning to Study
Where possible a return date should be agreed before the student takes time off from their
studies. It is then the School / Department’s responsibility to inform the Hub. The student should
contact their School / Department well ahead of their proposed return to discuss any support
they may need. The Mental Health Adviser should also be contacted to help during the
preparation for returning to study.
The student’s School / Department may need medical evidence to confirm that the student is
well enough to return to studies.
7. Support and Pastoral Care
The University strives to offer the best possible support and pastoral care to all of their students.
Both students and staff may find the details below useful:
University Support

Mental Health Adviser (Disability Service):
www.bradford.ac.uk/disability/students/mentalhealth/. Or contact a Mental Health Adviser
via the Disability Service on (01274) 233739.

Counselling Service: www.bradford.ac.uk/counselling/. Or contact the service on (01274)
235750.

Student’s Union: www.ubuonline.co.uk/. Or contact UBU on (01274) 233300.

Student’s Union Advice Centre:
www.ubuonline.co.uk/content/30585/advice_and_safety/advice_centre/ or contact the
Advice Centre on (01274) 233300.

The Hub: www.bradford.ac.uk/thehub/. Money Adviser: (01274) 236504, International
Student Welfare Adviser: (01274) 233080, Accommodation: (01274) 234963.

Chaplains and Faith Advisers: www.bradford.ac.uk/hub/faith-matters/.

Bradford Student Health Service: www.bradfordstudenthealth.co.uk/. Or contact the
Health Centre on (01274) 234979.
External Support

Mind in Bradford – provides support and advice for those experiencing mental health
difficulties: www.mindinbradford.org.uk/. Mind also has a national website offering advice:
www.mind.org.uk/.
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Staff who have been involved in supporting students with mental health difficulties or in crisis
may experience feelings and emotions that are difficult to deal with. The Counselling Service
can provide support (see contact details above).
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