Whole university approach

• Curriculum and pedagogy: review the design and delivery of the curriculum, teaching and learning to position health gain alongside learning gain.
• Learning communities and environments: develop collaborative, safe and supportive environments – including digital environments – that have a positive impact on mental health.
• Self-belief and confidence: support students to develop the skills they need to thrive in everyday life.
• Academic staff: clarify the role of academic staff in student mental health through appropriate training and development.
• Assessment: make sure that assessments stretch and test learning without imposing unnecessary stress.
• Fitness to study and fitness to practice: embed mental health support in all fitness to study/practice processes and ensure that there is consistency of approach across the university.

Support services should be: 

• set within a whole university mental health strategy, alongside wider support for staff and students such as support for disability, harassment and bullying, faith, housing, and finance, learning and work
• designed through co-production with students and staff, delivered according to need, and responsive to changing needs
• safe and effective interventions that are regularly audited for safety, quality and effectiveness
• properly resourced, staffed and managed accessible to all members of the university community, and appropriate to culture and context
• prepared for a mental health crisis and suicide by having clear plans in place
• working in partnership with local NHS and care services with effective working relationships and information sharing agreements in place

• Develop and implement a strategy that aligns staff and student mental health.
• Promote mentally healthy workplaces.
• Build mental health into performance regimes.
• Champion open conversations.
• Deploy effective wellbeing interventions.
• Train line managers and research supervisors to promote mental health.
• Ensure that support is easy to access.

Training for staff to be aware of mental health difficulties and to respond appropriately must be set in a wider framework that sets out roles, boundaries and support available.

Training should develop communities that are aware and compassionate and which enhance mental health as well as responding to crises.

Promote ways to improve staff and student wellbeing to encourage healthy behaviours (physical activity, healthy eating and sleeping) and to discourage unhealthy behaviours such as abuse of alcohol and drugs.

Create safe and open cultures that encourage inclusion and diversity and actively oppose bullying, harassment and marginalisation.

Design work, learning and living spaces that promote good mental health, encourage access to nature and reduce physical risks.

Work in partnership with students’ unions and guilds to actively support the social integration of students, support academic achievement and retention, and reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing.

Many of the above issues come together in student accommodation. Universities must work closely with accommodation providers and local authorities to ensure safety, good design standards, staff training.