Triage Service
Handles high demand
Triage adds capacity where demand for counselling is high, so a queue does not become the thing that decides who gets seen.
Supports the existing service
It works alongside the university counselling service rather than replacing it, and reports back into that team.
Shortens the wait
Students in need of counselling are seen quickly, or can access specialist mentoring as an alternative route.
What triage is
A clinical assessment that decides what happens next
Triage is completed by experienced clinicians who gather the information that matters about a student’s mental health and wellbeing, and turn it into a clear recommendation.
- Relevant information gathered on mental health and wellbeing
- All types of risk assessed and managed
- Recommendations for treatment passed to the counselling team
- Signposting to relevant services where that is the right route
- Specialist mentoring offered as an alternative where it fits better
How triage works
A short, defined step between a student asking for help and the service deciding what to offer.
01
Referral received
The university passes the student to UMO for triage, within the arrangement agreed with the counselling service.
02
Triage within 24 hours
A clinician speaks with the student and gathers the relevant information about their mental health and wellbeing.
03
Risk assessed
The clinician assesses and manages all types of risk, acting where the situation requires it.
04
Recommendation made
Recommendations go to the counselling team, with signposting or specialist mentoring where that is the better route.
Current hourly rate
Triage service prices
One hourly rate applies to this service. Triage is commissioned directly by universities and colleges alongside their own counselling provision.
Standard rate
Triage service (HEI)
University or college funded, charged per hour of clinician time
£65.50 excluding VAT, per hour
Therefore, the cost of a triage arrangement depends on the volume agreed. Contact UMO to discuss capacity for your service.
What triage decides
Triage is the assessment, not the treatment
A triage appointment establishes what a student needs and how urgently. It is not counselling, and it does not replace the therapeutic work that follows.
It does, however, carry clinical responsibility: risk is assessed and managed at the point of contact, and clinicians act where a situation requires it rather than passing it along with the recommendation.
Who carries out the triage
UMO’s triage clinicians come from across the mental health professions, all working in the higher education sector.
Qualified social workers
Experienced in assessment, risk and coordinating support across services.
Psychologists
Bringing formulation and clinical judgement to what a student presents with.
Mental health nurses
Practised at assessing and managing risk at the point of contact.
Mental health practitioners
Working across the range of concerns students bring to a counselling service.
Occupational therapists
Connecting mental health with the practical demands of study and daily life.
Supervised and registered
All clinicians have regular weekly and monthly supervision and are registered with a professional body.
How triage fits your institution
Triage is designed to sit inside a university’s existing arrangements rather than beside them.
A whole-university approach
All UMO clinicians work in the HEI sector and understand the supporting teams within a university, so a recommendation reflects what is actually available to the student.
Mental Health Charter Framework
The service adheres to the Mental Health Charter Framework of support and its principles of good practice.
Your service keeps the decision
Recommendations go to the counselling team. Triage informs the decision about what a student is offered; it does not take it away.
Trusted information about student mental health
These sources set out the framework university services work within and where anyone can turn at any hour.
University Mental Health CharterThe framework of principles for a whole-university approach to mental health.(opens in a new tab) NHS mental health informationInformation about mental health, treatment and where to get help.(opens in a new tab) SamaritansFree, confidential support at any time, for anyone struggling to cope.(opens in a new tab)
Questions about triage
Answers for counselling services, wellbeing teams and the people commissioning capacity.
The service
How quickly does triage happen?
UMO provides triage within 24 hours, so students can access support when they need it and waiting lists come down.
What does a triage appointment cover?
The clinician gathers relevant information about the student’s mental health and wellbeing, assesses and manages risk, and makes a recommendation to the counselling team.
Does triage replace our counselling service?
No. It supports an existing service under high demand. Recommendations go back to the counselling team, which decides what the student is offered.
What if a student does not need counselling?
The clinician signposts to relevant services, or specialist mentoring can be offered as an alternative route where it fits the student better.
Clinicians and commissioning
Who carries out the triage?
Qualified social workers, psychologists, mental health nurses, mental health practitioners and occupational therapists, all working in the HEI sector.
How are clinicians supervised?
All have access to regular weekly and monthly supervision, are highly qualified and are registered with a professional body.
What does it cost?
£65.50 excluding VAT per hour of clinician time, invoiced to the institution.
How is the arrangement set up?
Contact UMO to discuss expected volume, referral routes and how triage reports back into your counselling service.
Add triage capacity to your service
Contact UMO to discuss expected volume, referral routes and how triage would report back into your counselling team.