This articles contains guidance for both students and staff, to help understand and use the Student of Concern support process.
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If you’re worried about a friend, yourself or another student’s health or wellbeing, whether physical or mental, you can raise serious concerns through referral to the Student of Concern (SoC) team.
When should I submit a Student of Concern referral?
If someone you know is facing difficulties but other support services aren’t able to help and it’s not an emergency, you can submit a referral to the Student of Concern (SoC) team. You can also refer yourself.
This form will be picked up by designated staff in Student Services and you, or the student you referred, will be contacted to offer support.
Important to know:
- The SoC process isn’t an emergency or crisis referral service.
- If you’re in an emergency situation, read our article Emergency and crisis support for students.
- If you’re at all concerned about suicidal thoughts for yourself or a friend, read our article Concerned about suicidal thoughts for yourself or someone else?
What is an emergency situation?
An emergency situation is where there is an immediate risk to life and an instant response is required. Examples of these situations include:
- Someone has collapsed and is unresponsive
- Someone has told you that they intend to make a suicide attempt
These situations will often require support from emergency services, you can find further guidance in our article on crisis support.
Once you have responded to the immediate emergency, please complete a Student of Concern (SoC) referral so that we can ensure appropriate follow-up support is provided.
What is a ‘serious concern’?
A serious concern refers to a situation where your safety or well-being, or that of a friend or peer, is at significant risk. An immediate response isn’t required, in these cases a prompt response, within 48 hours is appropriate.
Here are some examples:
- Posing a serious risk of harm to themselves or others: This includes threats of suicide, self-harm, or violence towards others.
- Serious mental health issues: This could involve experiencing severe depression, psychosis, or an eating disorder.
- Neglect or abuse: If you are, or someone you know is suspected to be, a victim of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, this is considered a serious concern.
- Risk of exploitation or radicalization: This might involve situations where you are, or someone you know is, vulnerable to being taken advantage of or drawn into terrorist activities.
- Sudden deterioration in health or well-being: A significant decline physical or mental health, particularly if it's affecting ability to function daily, can be a cause for concern.
What if it’s not a serious concern?
There’s a wide variety of support available at King’s. For more information, read our article What student support services are available at King’s?
If you’re not sure which service you need, you can book in to speak with your Faculty Wellbeing Advisor. They can provide practical and emotional support if you’re experiencing personal problems, particularly where these might interfere with your academic work. This isn’t a counselling service but they can provide information on sources of professional help and, if appropriate, guide you through the mitigating circumstance process.
What happens when I make a Student of Concern referral?
The referral form has 33 questions, it will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
The form asks a variety of questions, which help the Student of Concern (SoC) team to make a comprehensive safety assessment.
If you can’t answer a question don’t worry, the form allows you to indicate “I don’t know” or “not applicable” as necessary.
The form provides an opportunity to give further information on a situation by completing the “free text” boxes in the following categories:
- Mental Health – question 22
- Welfare – question 33
You will receive automated confirmation of receipt of your referral.
A team of specialist mental health and welfare advisers will assess the referral and identify the most appropriate support.
Where there are significant concerns about risk of harm to self, others or from others, then it’s likely that you, or the student you referred, will be supported by the SoC team. The support provided can involve multiple specialist services both within and outside of King’s.
Access the Student of Concern referral form for yourself or a friend
You can complete the form here, or if you're having issues accessing it please use the link at Student of Concern (SOC) Referral Form.
This is guidance for a member of King's staff looking for guidance for referring a student through the Student of Concern support process.
When should I submit a Student of Concern referral?
If you have a serious concern about a student but other support services aren’t able to help and it’s not an emergency, you can submit a referral to the Student of Concern (SoC) team by filling in the referral form.
This form will be picked up by designated staff in Student Services and you, or the student you referred, will be contacted to offer support.
Important to know: The SoC process isn’t an emergency or crisis referral service.
If you’re in an emergency situation, read our article Emergency and crisis support for students.
What is an emergency situation?
An emergency situation is where there is an immediate risk to life and an instant response is required. Examples of these situations include:
- A student has collapsed and is unresponsive
- A student has told you that they intend to make a suicide attempt
These situations will often require support from emergency services, you can find further guidance in our article on crisis support.
Once you have responded to the immediate emergency, please complete a Student of Concern referral so that we can ensure appropriate follow-up support is provided.
What is a ‘serious concern’?
A serious concern refers to a situation where a student's safety or well-being is at significant risk. An immediate response is not required, in these cases a prompt response, within 48 hours is appropriate.
Here are some examples:
- Posing a serious risk of harm to themselves or others: This includes threats of suicide, self-harm, or violence towards others.
- Serious mental health issues: This could involve experiencing severe depression, psychosis, or an eating disorder.
- Neglect or abuse: If a student is suspected to be a victim of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, this would be considered a serious concern.
- Risk of exploitation or radicalization: This might involve situations where a student is vulnerable to being taken advantage of or drawn into terrorist activities.
- Sudden deterioration in health or well-being: A significant decline in a student's physical or mental health, particularly if it's affecting their ability to function daily, could be a cause for concern.
The Student of Concern (SoC) team is best placed to help:
- Students whose safety/well-being is at a significant (but not immediate) risk of harm
- Students who have struggled to access support for themselves
If you have a serious concern about a student, please complete a SoC Referral.
What if it is not a ‘serious concern’?
The University has a wide variety of support available to students. We are keen to ensure that students get to the right service as quickly as possible, this is often achieved most efficiently by going directly to the service.
Our other support services can offer guidance on a range of issues including:
- Housing
- Financial worries
- Counselling
- Physical wellbeing
- Visa & international student advice
- Disability Support & Inclusion
- Report + Support
For more information, read our article What student support services are available at King's?
If you are a member of staff and want to discuss how you can support a student, you can contact the Staff Advice & Guidance Team by email.
How to support a student
There is support for staff wanting to discuss how best to support a student.
Designated Safeguarding Officers (DSO)
Each faculty has a DSO with whom you can discuss concerns about students. They are particularly well-placed to advise on students who may be struggling with academic issues. Find out who your DSO is on the Safeguarding Policy webpages.
Staff Advice & Guidance Team
Staff can contact the Staff Advice & Guidance Team to get advice on supporting students. This team can also guide on what assistance is available for staff seeking support for their own well-being. The team can offer:
- 1:1 meetings for advice on student cases/situations/processes
- Introducing and signposting staff to internal personal wellbeing programmes and platforms
Staff can also contact the Staff Advice & Guidance team by email.
How to complete a Student of Concern referral form for a student
The referral form has 33 questions, it will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Please try to obtain the student's consent before submitting this referral. Students are much more likely to engage in offers of support when they have been consulted beforehand.
It may not always be possible to get a student’s consent. In these circumstances, we ask that you contact the student and let them know that you are worried for their safety and have referred them to a specialist support team.
The form asks a variety of questions, which help the Student of Concern (SoC) team to make a comprehensive safety assessment.
Please don’t worry if you cannot answer a question, the form will allow you to indicate “I don’t know” or “not applicable” as necessary.
The form provides an opportunity to give further information on a situation by completing the “free text” boxes in the following categories:
- Mental Health – question 22
- Welfare – question 33
You can complete the form here, or if you're having issues accessing it please use the link at Student of Concern (SOC) Referral Form.
What happens after I make a referral?
One of two pathways of support can result from a Student of Concern (SoC) referral.
A team of specialist mental health and welfare advisers will assess the referral and identify the most appropriate support pathway.
Pathway 1: Student of Concern Pathway
When there are significant concerns about a student’s safety they will be contacted by either the Welfare Team or the Mental Health Team. If necessary, referrals will be made to external specialist services such as:
- Community Mental Health Team
- GP
- Children/Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Teams
- Local Authority
The Student of Concern Management Group provides further support. This group meets weekly to review cases. It has representatives from across Student Support & Wellbeing Services and together they will:
- Discuss a student’s existing support
- Consider what other assistance could be beneficial.
Pathway 2: Student Support Pathway
When there are no significant concerns about safety, the SoC team will identify the most appropriate University support service for the student. The student will be contacted by that team and offered an opportunity to meet.
All students escalated via SoC will be contacted and every effort will be made to engage them with support.
When will I be told the outcome of a referral?
All referrers will receive an automated message confirming receipt of a referral.
Once a safety assessment has been completed, the referrer will be told which Support Pathway is being offered to the student.
The Student of Concern (SoC) team provide a trauma-informed response to students. This way of working recognises that trauma can negatively impact individuals and their ability to feel safe and build trusting relationships with support services and their staff.
A trauma informed way of working means that we will usually seek a student’s consent prior to sharing information about their engagement with our services. If a referrer wants information about a student's engagement with a service, then we recommend you ask the student to provide consent to share this information.
When there are significant concerns around the risk of harm to self, to others, or from others, consent will not be required.
If you’re worried about a King’s student you can:
- Call Student Services on (+44) (0)207 096 9984 from 08.00–18.00, Monday to Friday
- Log a case using our online system.
For more information, read our article I'm a parent, guardian or other supporter of a current King's student, what support can they access?
Visit our crisis support page for help outside of these times or if a student needs urgent support.