Covid-19 and mental health in higher education

18 Nov - 19 Nov 2020, 09:30 - 16:30

Online

Book here

Overview

Covid-19 has brought unprecedented challenges for both students and staff. Dislocation from campus communities, feelings of loneliness and isolation, bereavement, and loss can all have an impact on our wellbeing and mental health.

Under these circumstances and as we look beyond the pandemic, how do we support those experiencing mental illness or mental health difficulties, promote good mental wellbeing for students and staff, and embed a whole university approach to mental health? How can we deliver effective mental health support online or with a blended approach, and make sure that those who need help are able to get it?

Why should you attend?

Our annual mental health conference is a unique opportunity for you to hear from sector-leading experts and practitioners about the latest developments in supporting mental health in higher education, and to network with peers to learn about emerging best practice. The conference will be chaired by Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England. Other headline speakers include:

Dr Sandeep Ranote, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Lead, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership
Professor Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester
Jesper Madsen, Psychologist and Head of Development and Prevention, Student Counselling Service, Denmark
Catherine McLaughlin, Member of the RCN Student Committee for Northern Ireland, Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
Anne Marie Graham, Chief Executive, UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)

This conference will be held online over the course of two days. Alongside eight hours of informative, timely content from the most pertinent speakers on the topic, we will also be providing a wide range of opportunities to network, discuss, and make connections with colleagues within the sector.

You will also be able to access the recordings of all sessions after the event, including breakout sessions which you were unable to attend.

Who should attend?

This conference will be useful for all university staff thinking about developing, renewing, or implementing their mental health strategies. This conference will also be tailored to respond to the unique and new challenges that have emerged as a result of Covid-19. Anyone with an interest in this subject area is welcome to attend. Some job titles who may find the event particularly useful are:

Deputy Vice-Chancellors
Pro-Vice Chancellors Education or Student Experience
Director/Head of Student Services
Director/Head of Student Support and Wellbeing
Student mental health researchers
Head of Counselling/Counselling Manager
Safeguarding and Wellbeing Managers
Mental Health and Wellbeing Adviser/Co-ordinators/Officers
Lecturers/senior lecturers, or other teaching roles
Student unions
Technology companies
NHS

If you have any questions about this or any other of our events, please contact us on events@universitiesuk.ac.uk or 07500 441505.

We have a range of sponsorship opportunities available. Please contact Esther Dudley, Head of Events and Engagement for more information: esther.dudley@universitiesuk.ac.uk

If you want to stay up to date with our events, news, and publications, you can sign up for our newsletters here.

Day 1

09.30	Platform opens for self-navigation and exploration
10:00- 12:00	Morning plenaries
10:00	Welcome and setting the scene Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England
10:05	Covid-19 has challenged us, so where are we now? Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England John de Pury, Assistant Director, Universities UK Covid-19 has had significant impact on our daily lives, heightening issues with mental health and wellbeing. Setting the scene for the day, we take a contextual look at the journey we have been on since the start of the pandemic and delve into where we are now and what we have learnt to best support our university communities.
10:25	Co-creating support services in partnership with students Professor Nic Beech, Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University Mark Holton, Chief People Officer, Middlesex University David Malpas, Director of Student Affairs, Middlesex University Tahmina Choudhery, Vice-President, Middlesex University Students Union Ed Marsh-Rowbotham, CEO, Middlesex University Students Union With traditional methods of teaching being disrupted and most universities delivering either blended or online learning, student support services have had to follow suit. How have services adapted? What have we learnt and what strategy has been implemented in the new academic year as we navigate this new way of supporting students? In this session, we hear from Middlesex University on how they have developed a strategy for University leadership and students to work together to address the problems that they face.
10:55	Using data and analytics to personalise mental health support Professor Peter Francis, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Northumbria University Sally Rennison, Vice President of Sale, Patients Know Best Mara Richard, VP, International, Civitas learning Dr James Newham, Senior Fellow and Academic Lead, Northumbria University Unfortunately, Alan Davies, Innovative Programmes and Partnership Director Health Education England is no longer speaking due to a family emergency. This panel will discuss how using innovative analytics and technology can help to identify students in a mental health crisis. By using data, this approach aims to identify patterns and themes to personalise support and early interventions.
11:35	A whole university approach to mental health: improved information sharing Professor Julia Buckingham, Vice-Chancellor, Brunel University London, President, Universities UK Dr Clare Lamb, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Vulnerable students could be showing signs of depression or anxiety, which may be seen by multiple people at different times. Improved collaboration across departments, information sharing and a whole university approach to mental health may ensure greater opportunities for intervention and suicide prevention.
12:00	Closing remarks Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England
12:00- 14:30	Break from sessions and virtual conference café
14:30- 16:00	Breakout sessions Choose one session to attend. Small group discussions to follow each session.
	Dealing with bereavement and loss Caroline Smelt-Webb, Senior Wellbeing Practitioner (Counselling), Leeds Beckett University Andrea Lungay, Artistic Director, HiddenViewz Productions, former Vice-President, University of Essex Students’ Union Beth French, Founder and Director, Let's Talk About Loss Sadly, with coronavirus taking so many lives, members of university communities may find themselves grief stricken with the loss of friends, family or colleagues. Bereavement can affect people in different ways and symptoms can arise unexpectedly any time. How can we support those members of our community who are dealing with grief?
	Addressing the hardships of vulnerable international students Anne Marie Graham, Chief Executive, UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) Mohanish Borana, President, National Indian Students and Alumni Union Nicholas Edwards, Acting Deputy Director of People and Head of Student Support, University of Aberdeen Katrina Allan, Head of Alumni Relations and Regular Giving, University of Aberdeen Doug Little, Project Manager - International Student Mental Health Project, University of Nottingham The global pandemic has increased the vulnerability of many international students who have been unable to return home, lost their jobs and faced an increased risk of hate crime and harassment. How do we best support them through these unique adversities?
	The mental health impacts of domestic abuse Ella Harvey, Public Affairs and Communications Officer, SafeLives Dr Nina Burrowes, Founder, The Consent Collective Jennifer Holly, Project and Training Manager, AVA (Against Violence and Abuse) Chair: Fiona Waye, Policy Manager, Universities UK Being locked down or self-isolating with an abuser or in a household with domestic violence can have huge physical and mental impacts on individuals and families. As the UK emerges out of lockdown and tries to get back to some kind of normality, what can universities do to keep the survivors in their community safe and care for their mental wellbeing?
	End of Day 1

Day 2

9:30	Platform opens for self-navigation and exploration
10:00-11:30	Morning breakout sessions Choose one session to attend. Small group discussions to follow each session.
	Healthcare students on the front lines of Covid-19 Professor Simon Gregory, Deputy Medical Director for Primary and Integrated Care, Health Education England Professor Nigel Harrison, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean for Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University and Education Impact Lead, Council of Deans of Health Catherine McLaughlin, Member of the RCN Student Committee for Northern Ireland, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Taiwo Oki, Co-founder and Outreach and Programmes Director, BME Medics and Current Medical Student, University of Bristol Chair: Clare Owen, Assistant Director, Medical Schools Council Healthcare students in training were propelled into the reality of a global pandemic when they joined NHS staff and key workers to help save the lives of individuals with Covid-19. This session will explore the impacts of this early release into their chosen careers and how their heroic actions could take a toll on their wellbeing.
	Autistic students: coping with change Dr Jonathan Vincent, Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Languages, and Psychology, York St John University Lauren Alex Hooper, Current MA student, Singer-Songwriter, Blogger (Finding Hope) Dr Eilidh Cage, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Stirling Dr Marc Fabri, Senior Lecturer in Creative Technology, Leeds Beckett University Life in lockdown for students on the autistic spectrum would have proven especially difficult. Autistic people rely on structure and routine as a coping mechanism and suddenly without much notice or planning, their study patterns would have dramatically changed. Now with blended and digital learning more permanently in the mix, how do we ensure that autistic students are fully supported to engage and participate in university life?
	Safeguarding against technology-mediated abuse Professor Andy Phippen, Professor of IT Ethics and Digital Rights, Bournemouth University Professor Emma Bond, Director of Research and Head of Graduate School and Professor of Socio-Technical Research, University of Suffolk Dr Emma Short, Associate Professor in Psychology, De Montfort University Violet Alvarez, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Suzy Lamplugh Trust Chair: Fiona Waye, Policy Manager, Universities UK Technology was deemed a saviour amidst the corona virus pandemic. Students can study remotely, staff can work from home, meetings can take place virtually and it is possible to chat instantly. However, what happens when the very thing that is connecting us to the wider world is also increasing the opportunity for online harassment? With technology being at the heart of ensuring that students and staff can access what they need, how can we ensure that we are all operating in a safe virtual environment?
11:30-14:30	Break from sessions and virtual conference café
14:30-16:30	Afternoon plenaries
14:30	Opening remarks from the chair Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England
14:35	Working in partnership with the NHS Dr Dominique Thompson, Founder, Buzz Consulting Dr Sandeep Ranote, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Lead, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership Jesper Madsen, Psychologist and Head of Development and Prevention, Student Counselling Service, Denmark Students can find it difficult to access NHS mental health services away from home. To address this, this session will highlight partnerships that have been formed between NHS services and Universities to meet the increasing needs of students and prevent them from falling between the cracks.
15:05	Staff mental health and wellbeing Andrew Berrie, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Programmes (Delivery), Mind Professor Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester Professor Basia Spalek, Honorary Professor in Conflict Transformation, University of Derby and Director, Mental Wellbeing Services UK University staff present their own unique support needs do the very best for their students. Many will face demanding and conflicting priorities which can take a toll on their mental health and wellbeing. Universities must have a whole institutional approach that promotes good mental health for staff as well as students.
15:45	The Impact of Loneliness Fred Cooper, Research Fellow, University of Exeter Dr Jennifer Lau, Reader in Adolescent Mental Health, King’s College London Chloe Tear, Disability Blogger and Freelance Writer Emily Coleman, Welfare and Wellbeing Officer, University of Nottingham Students’ Union Life as we knew it changed and we have all now lived through and continue to live through a very different world due to the corona virus pandemic. Some people may have been alone for months. Some people may have found that the pandemic has exasperated existing experiences of loneliness. This panel, made up of individuals with various perspectives, addresses how loneliness and isolation can affect anyone with the potential for hugely detrimental effects and what universities can do to combat it.
16:25	Closing remarks Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England

Speaker biographies

Speakers

Please note that this page is being continuously updated.

	Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England Professor Steve West CBE, DL is Vice-Chancellor, President and CEO of the University of the West of England, Bristol. He is Non-Executive Director for the Office for Students and Chair of the UUK Mental Health in Higher Education Working Group. He is Chair of the West of England LEP, Chair of the West of England Academic Health Science Network and Non-Executive Director for the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. Professor West is a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Gloucestershire and was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2017, for services to Higher Education.
	Alan Davies, Innovative Programmes and Partnerships Director, Health Education England Alans responsibility at Health Education England is to establish and build collaborative partnerships focused on shared areas of work between the AHSN network and Health Education England. These are focused in the first instance on the HEE Star & Workforce Transformation, Digital Readiness, Patient Safety, Technology Enhanced Learning, Library Knowledge Services and Genomics. Prior to joining Heath Education England, Alan was the Director of Digital Health for the Innovation Agency AHSN; he led on strategic digital themes across the AHSN Network and was a member of steering groups for high profile pieces of work including the NHS multiagency Empower The Person steering group and the Topol review. Alan’s preceding roles to joining the Innovation Agency include strategic exec directorship roles in the multinational MedTech / assistive technology industry (Philips & Tunstall Healthcare) and prior to that had a long career in multinational management consultancy (Partner PA Consulting, PwC and Gemini Consulting).
	Anne Marie Graham, Chief Executive, UKCISA Anne Marie joined UKCISA in 2019 from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, where she was Director of Chevening, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s flagship global scholarship scheme. Prior to that, Anne Marie has led on a range of educational programmes and projects promoting international mobility and intercultural exchange. At Universities UK International, she developed the first government-funded UK Strategy for Outward Mobility, and established the Go International programme to build capacity and influence institutional change in UK universities to increase the proportion of UK domiciled students with international experience. Before moving into the education sector, Anne Marie spent several years in the language services industry managing high profile accounts with multinational engineering and pharmaceutical companies. Anne Marie is a linguist, with a first degree in Modern Languages from Anglia Ruskin University and a postgraduate translation qualification from University of Westminster.
	Andrew Berrie, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Programmes (Delivery), Mind Andrew Berrie is the Head of Workplace Wellbeing Programmes at Mind, the mental health charity. He leads the Mentally Healthy Universities Programme. Time to Change Employers Programme, Blue Light Programme and Workplace Wellbeing Content Team. Time to Change is the UK's foremost campaign looking to change the way people think and act about mental health, ending mental health stigma and discrimination. To date over 1600 organisations, employing over 4 million persons have taken the Time to Change Employer Pledge. This includes a number of higher education institutions. Prior to his role at Mind, he was Marketing & Communications Manager at the University of Northampton Students’ Union. He is passionate about working with organisations to develop their wellbeing and mental health programmes, campaigns and initiatives and the role of communications as a catalyst for social change.
	Professor Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester Cary L. Cooper is the 50th Anniversary Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Manchester Business School, University of Manchester. He is a founding President of the British Academy of Management, President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), former President of RELATE and President of the Institute of Welfare. He was the Founding Editor of the Journal of Organizational Behavior, former Editor of the scholarly journal Stress and Health and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Management, now in its’ 3rd Edition. He has been an advisor to the World Health Organisation, ILO, and EU in the field of occupational health and wellbeing, was Chair of the Global Agenda Council on Chronic Disease of the World Economic Forum (2009-2010) (then served for 5 years on the Global Agenda Council for mental health of the WEF) and was Chair of the Academy of Social Sciences 2009-2015. Professor Cooper is the Chair of the National Forum for Health & Wellbeing at Work (comprised of 40 global companies eg BP, Microsoft, NHS Executive, UK government, Rolls Royce, John Lewis Partnership, etc>). Professor Cooper is the author/editor of over 250 books in the field of occupational health psychology, workplace wellbeing, women at work and occupational stress. He was awarded the CBE by the Queen in for his contributions to occupational health; and in 2014 he was awarded a Knighthood for his contribution to the social sciences.
	Professor Simon Gregory, Deputy Medical Director for Primary and Integrated Care, Health Education England Simon is HEE’s Deputy Medical Director (Primary and Integrated Care) with responsibility for GP/ Primary Care, Dentistry, Mental Health and Wellbeing. He was previously Director and Dean of Education and Quality (DEQ), Health Education England (HEE), Midlands and East and HEE Lead for Primary Care, prior to that the Postgraduate Dean East of England and before that GP Dean, East Midlands. Simon is a GP at King Edward Road Surgery, Northampton and chairs the Royal College of General Practitioners Committee on Medical Ethics also serving as a College Trustee and Council member. He is Honorary Professor at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia (UEA) and Visiting Professor at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), and a Fellow of Homerton College Cambridge. In this latter role he also chairs the University of Cambridge, East of England Military Education Committee on behalf of the Vice Chancellor.
	Dr Dominique Thompson, Founder, Buzz Consulting Dominique is an award-winning GP, young people's mental health expert, TEDx speaker, author and educator, with over 20 years of clinical experience caring for students. She was named Bristol Healthcare Professional of the Year in 2017. She is author of The Student Wellbeing Series (Trigger Press), a short series of guides for young people aged 16-25 about mental health, wellbeing and life at university, and co-author of How to Grow a Grown Up (PenguinRandomHouse), a book for parents, carers, teachers and anyone working with young people, about raising independent and resilient young adults ready for the challenges of the 21st century. She is also a chapter author of Student Mental Health & Wellbeing in Higher Education: A practical guide (Sage). Dom is a Clinical Advisor for NICE, the Royal College of GPs, the Anorexia Bulimia Care charity, and for Student Minds, the UK's student mental health charity. Dom is lead clinical advisor for online course Bring Well, Living Well produced by Epigeum (OUP).
	Chloe Tear, Disability Blogger and Freelance Writer Chloe Tear is a 22-years-old disability blogger and freelance writer. She graduated from Leeds Trinity with a First Class Honours degree in Psychology and Child Development in 2019. Whilst at university she was the Disabilities’ Officer for the Students Union and built up a portfolio of freelance work alongside her studies. Currently, she works within the charity sector as a forum moderator, with a particular interest in content creation.

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Covid-19 and mental health in higher education

Overview

​Overview

Why should you attend?

Who should attend?

Day 1

09.30

Platform opens for self-navigation and exploration

10:00-

12:00

Morning plenaries

10:00

Welcome and setting the scene

10:05

Covid-19 has challenged us, so where are we now?

10:25

Co-creating support services in partnership with students

​10:55

​Using data and analytics to personalise mental health support

​11:35

​A whole university approach to mental health: improved information sharing

​12:00

​Closing remarks

​12:00- 14:30

​Break from sessions and virtual conference café

​14:30-

16:00

Breakout sessions

Dealing with bereavement and loss

Addressing the hardships of vulnerable international students

​The mental health impacts of domestic abuse

End of Day 1

Day 2

​9:30

​Platform opens for self-navigation and exploration

​10:00-11:30

Morning breakout sessions

​

Healthcare students on the front lines of Covid-19

​

Autistic students: coping with change

​Safeguarding against technology-mediated abuse

​11:30-14:30

​Break from sessions and virtual conference café

​14:30-16:30

​Afternoon plenaries

​14:30

Opening remarks from the chair

​14:35

Working in partnership with the NHS

​15:05

​Staff mental health and wellbeing

​15:45

​The Impact of Loneliness

​16:25

​Closing remarks

Speaker biographies

​Speakers

​

Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer, University of the West of England

Alan Davies, Innovative Programmes and Partnerships Director, Health Education England

Anne Marie Graham, Chief Executive, UKCISA

​Andrew Berrie, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Programmes (Delivery), Mind

Professor Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester

​Professor Simon Gregory, Deputy Medical Director for Primary and Integrated Care, Health Education England

​Dr Dominique Thompson, Founder, Buzz Consulting

​Chloe Tear, Disability Blogger and Freelance Writer

Sponsored by:

Esther Dudley

Blog

Supporting care experienced students through university

Higher education policy priorities for the new prime minister

News

A commitment by Universities UK to students’ wellbeing

Principles for emerging from lockdown

Overview

10:55

Using data and analytics to personalise mental health support

11:35

A whole university approach to mental health: improved information sharing

12:00

Closing remarks

12:00- 14:30

Break from sessions and virtual conference café

14:30-

The mental health impacts of domestic abuse

9:30

Platform opens for self-navigation and exploration

10:00-11:30

Safeguarding against technology-mediated abuse

11:30-14:30

Break from sessions and virtual conference café

14:30-16:30

Afternoon plenaries

14:30

14:35

15:05

Staff mental health and wellbeing

15:45

The Impact of Loneliness

16:25

Closing remarks

Speakers

Andrew Berrie, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Programmes (Delivery), Mind

Professor Simon Gregory, Deputy Medical Director for Primary and Integrated Care, Health Education England

Dr Dominique Thompson, Founder, Buzz Consulting

Chloe Tear, Disability Blogger and Freelance Writer