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Further training, resources, and guidance for Personal Academic Tutors from UCL and external providers.
Along with the workshops and online course offered by the UCL Arena Centre, there are a range of additional resources for new and experienced staff working in Personal Academic Tutoring roles – including summaries of support provisions, toolkits, case studies and offerings from external organisations (e.g., UKAT, MHFA England, Charlie Waller Memorial Trust).
This page also provides information about staff support for Personal Academic Tutoring, including wellbeing support.
- Student Triage and Referral Tool (STaRT)
Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) have developed a digital tool, the Student Triage and Referral Tool (STaRT) [UCL sign-in required], to help UCL staff members worried about the wellbeing of a current UCL student.
Students come to us with a range of difficulties or personal problems and it's not always clear what the best way to support them is. SSW have developed STaRT as a guidance tool designed to help you if you're worried about the wellbeing of your students, to help them address these challenging situations.
STaRT provides tailored guidance and signposting, allowing staff to direct students to the most appropriate information and services depending on their individual situation.
- Student of Concern form
If you are a member of the UCL community, and are concerned about a student's wellbeing or safety, we encourage you to complete the Student of Concern Form to inform Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW), providing as much information as you can. This would enable us to offer support to the student as soon as possible. We will not be able to take an action if the student’s details are kept confidential.
Some of the circumstances in which the Student of Concern Form is most often used include (but are not limited to):- A student has stopped engaging meaningfully or completely with their study, and you believe that this may be due to health and wellbeing issues
- A student has shared suicidal feelings with you and you need to ensure they receive the appropriate support.
- A student’s behaviour is disrupting the learning process in class and you believe that this may be due to a health or wellbeing issue.
- A student is showing signs of risky behaviour which may involve alcohol or drugs.
The Student of Concern Form and the SSW email accounts and phone number are monitored between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday. Within these hours, we aim to respond to any concerns as soon as possible within a 48-hour timeframe. The form is not monitored during weekends, bank holidays and the university’s closure periods.
- Student Study Skills hub
The Student Study skills hub presents the various academic and professional development skills support available across UCL in one place. This was produced as part of a student partnership (ChangeMakers) project.
Resources are presented for specific student groups. Alternatively, Personal Academic Tutors may find it useful to look at the general study skills or discipline-specific page for help signposting students to the right option for them (e.g., academic writing, presenting, criticality, group work, research).
- Mental Health training and staff wellbeing support
Looking after your own mental health and wellbeing
The Personal Academic Tutoring role can, on occasion, feel hard to manage. This can depend as much on you as your students: how easy or hard you find it to remain detached from your tutees' challenges, and whether you might be more prone to sharing your tutees' feelings of distress or frustration.
In either case, you should try to be mindful of the effects of your work on your health, and of your health on your work: sometimes, aspects of your job can have a negative effect on your health and wellbeing, and poor health can diminish the quality of your work and the pleasure you take in it.
Wellbeing support options for UCL staff
- Reach out to your Departmental (Graduate) Tutor or Line Manager;
- Speak to your local Wellbeing Champion or Mental Health First Aiders;
- Visit the Being Well at UCL webpages for resources for health mind, body and work;
- Access the Employee Assistance Programme: Staff Support Service (free confidential advice and counselling services)
- Online psychoeducational and cognitive behavioural therapy programmes;
- and UCL wellbeing events, courses and campaigns.
Mental Health First Aid training
If you would like to increase your mental health awareness or to enhance your skills in supporting others with their mental health you might find UCL Human Resources’ Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training options of interest. MHFA England offer three courses they can deliver to departments:
- Adult Mental Health First Aid – two-day course to qualify as a mental health first aider.
- Mental Health First Aid for Higher Education – intensive one day course to qualify as a Higher Education MHFA champion.
- Mental Health Aware – four-hour session raising awareness of mental health.
Mental Health First Aid is an online version of the MHFA England course, endorsed by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Royal Society of Public Health. This course is designed to develop mental health awareness and improve knowledge of common mental health conditions so that we can provide the best support to our students.
Charlie Waller Memorial Trust resources
The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust was created in 1997 in response to the loss of son and brother Charlie to suicide after suffering from depression. They are now one of the UK’s most respected mental health charities, which has offered high-quality, evidence-based mental health training and advice for colleges and universities for many years.
Their resoures include:
- A free E-learning package designed to give non-specialist Higher Education staff the skills, knowledge and confidence to offer first line of support to students who may have mental health issues. The package is composed of six sessions, designed in easy-to-follow 20-minute modules; including signs to look out for, key helping skills, and knowing who else to involve and when.
- Four short (one minute), accessible, animations to help Personal Academic Tutors support students’ mental health. Animations include ‘You can help’, ‘Keeping calm’, ‘Being prepared’, and ‘Your wellbeing’.
- United Kingdom Advising and Tutoring (UKAT) association events and resources
The United Kingdom Advising and Tutoring association (UKAT) is a body of professional practitioners and researchers interested in all aspects of student advising and Personal Academic Tutoring in Higher Education in the UK.
UKAT offers a range of events, resources, and Special Interest Groups to support staff in their tutoring and advising roles. All UCL staff can join UKAT as an Affiliate Member for free (If you click this registration link to join, please put your organisation as 'UCL'). As an Affiliate member of UKAT you can gain direct access to all the member-only resources and information on their website, and you are also entitled to register as a member of any of the UKAT Special Interest Groups.
UKAT offers professional recognition for Personal Academic Tutors, academic advisors and other staff involved in Personal Academic Tutoring in Higher Education. The UKAT Professional Recognition Scheme is referenced against the UKAT Professional Framework for Advising and Tutoring. It provides independent recognition of effective practice and a measurable way to evidence the valuable work of tutors and advisors’ in supporting student success and makes them feel valued and recognised for performing this role effectively.
- Student guide and Things to talk about
Student facing summary of Personal Academic Tutoring at UCL. Summarises the role and use of a Personal Academic Tutor with two useful documents.
‘What you need to succeed’ – Personal Academic Tutoring student guide. ‘Things to talk about…’ – guide to conversations with your tutor (suggested topics/questions for tutors and tutees at different times in their academic journey at UCL).Student support and wellbeing webpages for students – signposts the UCL team of expert wellbeing, disability and mental health staff who provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space in which students can discuss any issues that may be affecting their ability to study. All support services are free of charge and open to all UCL students of all levels.
- Teaching Toolkits
UCL Teaching Toolkits that might be of interest to staff in Personal Academic Tutoring roles include:
- Creating safe spaces for students in the classroom
- Creating a sense of community online (coming soon).
- Discussing feedback
- Supporting student mental health and wellbeing
- Academic integrity
- Academic writing
- Personal Academic Tutoring case studies
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- UCL Access and Success Guide
The UCL Access and Success Guide aims to help academic and departmental colleagues support prospective and current students from underrepresented/widening participation (WP) backgrounds.
Find spotlights of the different student profiles – and the barriers they face within higher education – as well as contextual information, advice and resources. The guide provides you with the information you need to help support students in your department. There is also a briefing sheet to provide further information.