In a civil hearing last year, Bristol University had to pay £50,000 in damages to the parents of Natasha Abrahart – a student who committed suicide back in 2016 due in part to the lack of allowances the university made for her anxiety.

It was a stark reminder for the government and the higher education sector that work on student mental health support still had a long way to go. But it’s since driven everyone to double down their efforts.

Universities step up and join new charter programme
The University Mental Health Charter (UMCH) Programme is a prime example where the sector is driving meaningful change. In partnership with Student Minds, the UMCH brings together universities that are committed to a ‘whole university’ approach to wellbeing and mental health – a method that includes the whole institution in mental health and wellbeing support, promoting a long-term cultural impact.
To push universities even further, the educational minister has also set a target for institutions to sign up to the programme by September 2024. There’s also an award for the universities demonstrating excellent practice, setting an extra incentive for organisations to go the extra mile.

New funding goes to online platforms and resources
On top of the Charter Programme, the Office for Students (OfS) is providing an extra £15 million in funding for mental health causes in 2023/2024. They’re using part of this sum to create Student Space, a supporting wellbeing hub.

It’s well on its way to becoming a leading online platform, providing a valuable resource to students who are less confident reaching out about mental health in person. This could be for a number of reasons. For example, they might not believe their issues are big enough, or be worried that what they disclose won’t stay confidential.
According to the Springtide Research Institute, 33% of all students feel this way. But Student Space is free and confidential, and makes speaking out less daunting.
It gives students quick access to information and advice while highlighting the services available at their universities. They can choose to contact via webchat, email, or a 24-hour text message support service. And they’re all managed by trained volunteers.

Student Support Champion to help spread best practice
Online resources can only go so far, so the rest of the government’s funding is focused on continuing to build better partnerships between universities and the NHS, which means clearer signposting and smoother routes into local services.
In 2022, the Department of Education also appointed Edward Peck (former vice-chancellor of Nottingham Trent University) as its first ever Student Support Champion. As part of his role, Peck will regularly speak to bereaved parents to understand where the sector can make improvements.
He’ll now chair the new Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce – a board of bereaved parents, students, mental health experts, charities and sector representatives.
By May 2024, the board will draw up a final report with three core plans:
1) A way to better identify student risk.
2) A University Student Commitment on dealing with students sensitively on disciplinary issues.
3) A set of clear targets for improvements in practice by providers.

The DofE will also carry out a national review of university student suicides to make sure they keep learning from mistakes and prevent more tragedies from happening.
It’s clear universities are upping their game and prioritising mental health more than ever. Continuing on this track will keep mental health right at the centre of the higher education conversation, and make for a much more optimistic future ahead.

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/may/20/bristol-university-found-guilty-of-failings-over-death-of-student-natasha-abrahart
https://universitymentalhealthcharter.org.uk/the-charter/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-65766951
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/06/09/how-supporting-university-students-mental-health/

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