A city-wide approach to cross-boundary working with students with mental health needs.

The aim of the research was to study a city-wide approach to meet the mental health needs of UK students involving a range of professional and non-professional support. The creation of a network for agencies and individuals concerned with the mental health of students in further and higher education offered an opportunity to examine issues of access to services, transitions between services and the need for inter-agency working. The attitudes and experiences of a range of professional and non-professional providers of support were explored using semi-structured interviews within a multiple case study methodological approach. Inter-agency working across professional and organisational boundaries was believed to offer the best means of enabling students with mental health needs to continue with their studies. However, issues of resources limitations, professional identities, work boundaries, role confusion, codes of ethics and confidentiality presented barriers to integrated support and inter-professional collaboration.