Research in 2019 by the NUS and Unihealth.uk.com revealed that up to 80-90% of students within HE experience reported symptoms of stress and anxiety, and with the current Covid situation ongoing for most of 2020 it is highly unlikely that this figure will have dropped. As LJMU staff, we will all feel a responsibility to help wherever we can, and this in turn can lead to our own symptoms of anxiety: "What if I say the wrong thing", "what if I misjudge the situation", "how can I make a difference?". At these times, it is important to be able to offer assistance whilst remembering the boundaries of our roles and the wide range of internal and external support that we can link our students to.

This workshop, designed and delivered in collaboration with the LJMU Student Wellbeing team, is aimed at increasing staff confidence and developing strategies when supporting students who are exhibiting signs of distress. It will examine the varying levels of distress that student may display, looking at practical tips, examples, and highlighting where specialist is available. This workshop will be of particular relevance to personal tutors and those providing frontline services to students, though is also open to anyone who would like to learn more.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognise the physical and behavioural signals of distress
• Identify appropriate responses and approaches to differing levels of distress
• Describe the role-appropriate boundaries when supporting students, with additional consideration given when supporting remotely
• Increase awareness of the various specialist support provided by SAW and other appropriate groups