In the course of our work we can encounter students with complex personal academic needs, whose circumstances and/or behaviour will give cause for concern. On this page find out what to do when you're concerned for a student.
The links below will take you directly to the section.
For situations that aren’t critical, refer to the Student Support page for information on supporting the wellbeing and academic experience of students.
You can now use the Specialist Advice and Support for Students (Red Book) AI Assistant to ask specific questions about student situations and support. Single Sign On (SSO) is available or you can use your University of Sydney email address to 'Log in with Microsoft'.
A student of concern is any student who displays behaviours that may indicate that they are at risk, or may interfere with their ability to be successful at the University.
Examples that might be a cause for concern include:
When assisting a student experiencing difficulty, consider whether they are a danger to themself, or others, or whether they may need immediate emergency assistance.
There are three levels of response outlined on the Student Support page and we encourage you to choose the one which is most appropriate to the presenting issue.
This service operates in business hours only. If you believe the student requires more urgent support (after hours), consider if the situation meets the definition of a Student Critical Incident.
The Student Critical Incident Procedures 2024 support University actions and decision-making in response to critical incidents involving students and apply to all critical incidents involving students, occurring on University lands, anywhere in Australia and overseas.
Student Critical Incident Procedures - Quick Reference Guide (pdf,29k)
A critical incident is an event or situation (or the imminent risk of such) which causes serious illness, fear, harm, injury, extreme stress, or other trauma to the person. This may include:
After following the above steps consider if you need to Report a hazard, incident, or injury - Intranet - The University of Sydney
Further resources are available in Canvas to assist staff in recognising when a student may be experiencing difficulty, and helping students with referrals to appropriate internal and external resources.
A one-hour Identifying and Responding to Students of Concern presentation is available for staff. The presentation is run by the Student Life - Student Wellbeing teams and clarifies why, when and how to respond when you identify a student of concern or critical incident.
The University is committed to the wellbeing of students and staff. As a staff member a number of resources and supports are available to support your wellbeing.
Supporting students of concern or experiencing a critical incident, regardless of how serious the situation or consequences, may result in experiencing emotional and physical reactions to the stress of the experience. The University offers a range of information, counselling, coaching and support services which you may wish to consider engaging with. If you require support following an incident, please contact the University’s counselling and coaching provider, Converge International. Contact Converge on 1300 687 327, support is available 24/7
For further information go to Health and Safety. Any questions - click on 'Health and Safety Partnering Services' for the contact details of the relevant Health and Safety Partner.
Thoughts about suicide can occur when people feel trapped with no way out or feel that their situation is hopeless. When a student discloses thoughts of suicide, stay calm, listen empathetically, and hear their concerns. Let the student know that you are concerned about them and that you would like to connect them with support. If the person does not want you to get help, you should advise them that you need to because you are legally obliged to do so as you are concerned for their safety.
The student's behaviour is clearly and imminently reckless, disorderly, and dangerous. The student is threatening self-harm and/or possible harm to others.
When calling 000, provide the operator with any information you have about the student’s current location and contact details, and what the student has reported to you.
The student shows signs of being in difficulty but I am unsure how serious it is. My interaction with the student has left me feeling uncomfortable and/or concerned for their wellbeing.
During business hours:
After hours, weekends and public holidays:
If you are not sure, complete a Care Report during business hours, or call Protective Services to report the incident if concerns are raised outside of business hours - +61 2 9351 3333/ 1800 SYD HLP (1800 793 457)
Additional resource:
The University’s three levels of response is likely to be of assistance in determining next steps.
NSW Health also offers helpful information about responding to a disclosure of suicide intent.
Students of Concern - where possible we recommend seeking consent for referrals; this will assist our team to engage the student in help seeking.
Student Critical Incidents - No. You can disclose information about a person without their consent if you are concerned about them. We will act on the information without their consent to highlight appropriate support services and, if we believe it is necessary, to further assess, prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of the individual concerned or another person.
If our activities have impacted the safety of our students, the relevant managers need to know about it and take preventative action. Report a hazard, incident, or injury - Intranet - The University of Sydney
For more information visit https://intranet.sydney.edu.au/services/safety-wellbeing/report-hazard-incident-injury.html
If you have any questions, contact your Health and Safety Partner.
1. Make a referral to Wellbeing Services by completing a Student Wellbeing Care Report.
The University can respond to students of concern and critical incidents for students who are located offshore. If the situation meets the definition of a critical incident, review that section and ensure all required actions are completed.
2. Recommend student downloads and engages with Sonder.
All University of Sydney International Students have free access to Sonder, a 24/7 on-demand safety and wellbeing app, to get you the support you need whenever you need, wherever you are.
Learn more: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/sonder.html
If you are concerned for the welfare of a student who has ceased contact or stopped attending classes, and multiple attempts have been made by faculty staff to contact the student using available contact details, please make a referral to Wellbeing Services by completing a Student Wellbeing Care Report. If the situation meets the definition of a critical incident, review that section and ensure all required actions are completed.
Prioritise your safety and end the interaction with the student if possible. Call Protective Services on +61 2 9351 3333 if you feel unsafe on campus or want to flag a safety and security concern. Ensure details of the incident are reported to your manager and logged inRiskware.
If you have concerns for the student’s wellbeing, please make a referral to Wellbeing Services by completing a Student Wellbeing Care Report.
If you require support following an incident, please contact contact the University’s counselling and coaching provider, Converge International on 1300 687 327 (available 24/7).
Call 000 when:
If the student is on University grounds, also:
In the rare event that you discover, or are the first notified, that a student has died, there are some actions you need to take.
If you are notified that a student has died off-campus:
Protective Services can be contacted after hours on +61 2 9351 3333 regarding critical incidents and will escalate to the Incident Manager, Wellbeing Services where appropriate.
For non-urgent concerns complete a Student Wellbeing Care Report, or email [email protected] and the concern will be responded to the next business day.
If the situation does not require an emergency response, please use the same referral pathways to notify our team.
For support in business hours:
For after hours support:
If you discover a student who requires emergency accommodation:
"I find the Student Wellbeing Care Report an easy to use tool, as there is just one central place for us to go to that asks simple questions anf provides prompts for the necessary information. It is helpful that if there are other people in the University who have had interactions with the student and also lodge a report, the information is collated, allowing the Wellbeing team to have a more holistic approach. Initially I was concerned that not having a phone number or email might cause a delay or give a compassionless auto response, but I have found the opposite to be true. I would encourage all stakeholders in the University to use the Care Report to give support to students."
SUPRA’s Postgraduate Advocacy Service offers confidential, independent advice and advocacy to postgraduate students on academic and welfare matters. Our service is staffed by five professional caseworkers.
Our service has had an extremely positive experience using the Student Wellbeing Care Report. Caseworkers have found the process easy, accessible and the critical incidents staff to be very responsive. In our experience the critical incidents staff have worked collaboratively to ensure the student receives immediate support, including contacting other key support services and doing regular follow up. The response is fast, and we feel the students have appreciated the support they have received.