Assessment and referrals

Following your self-referral or initial contact with the service, you will be offered an appointment with a practitioner best suited to your needs. This may be a counsellor, a mental health practitioner or another member of the support team. You will receive more information when a practitioner is assigned to you.

During your initial appointment, you will have time to talk about your situation, share any concerns, and help us understand your needs. If you agree, we can connect you with other support available at the University, such as:

• Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS)
• Advice and Response Team

Whether you're experiencing ongoing mental health challenges or are simply concerned and seeking advice, we’re here to help. While we do not offer formal diagnoses or prescribe medication, our practitioners can provide appropriate advice and support.

If additional or specialist support is needed, we’ll discuss the options with you and ensure you're informed about what to expect, including potential waiting times. We can consider making referrals to external services such as; NHS Manchester Talking Therapies-The Big Life group, 42nd Street or another specialist service.

Please note: to access referrals to external services, you generally need to be registered with a General Practitioner (GP). We strongly encourage you to register with a GP before engaging with our service. If you’re facing barriers to doing so, please let us know - we’re here to support you. If you're currently on a waiting list and finding things difficult, let us know. We’ll explore what interim support may be available to you.