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  5. Suicide-safer universities

Sharing information

Illustration of two students walking up campus steps

Our information sharing guidance is to help universities decide when and how to involve families, carers or trusted contacts when there are serious concerns about a student’s safety or mental health.

Publication

Suicide-safer universities: sharing information with trusted contacts

Download the full guidance

The Universities UK Information Sharing Taskforce, Chaired by Professor Julia Buckingham CBE, was established to address how and when universities share information to support students in mental health crisis. We've developed this guidance to ensure a whole university approach to sharing information and supporting students wellbeing. 

Why should universities adopt a proactive response to suicide prevention?

We know that suicides are preventable and that universities can help to save lives when they adopt a proactive not a reactive approach to student suicide. This means giving confidence to our communities to reach out to students at risk and having plans and people in place to respond effectively, quickly and with compassion.

Families, carers, and trusted others can play an essential part in supporting a student who is at risk or about whom there may be serious concerns. Referred to as the Triangle of Care, this asserts that care is best delivered when trusted carers, people needing support and professionals/practitioners work together to ensure the best outcome.

Our recommendations

Asking students about their trusted contacts

There are steps all universities can and should take to support as many students as possible to provide the right information including:

  • being clear about who counts as a contact

  • telling students how their contact information will be used

  • building questions about trusted contacts into the enrolment process

  • refreshing trusted contact information regularly

  • gaining consent from contacts

Starting normal conversations early

Universities can play an important role in opening up early conversations about sharing information with their trusted contacts by: 

  • supporting students to express their preferences around sharing information

  • recording relevant conversations

  • considering what information should be shared with other health professionals

Sharing information in an emergency

It can be difficult to know when to approach trusted contacts, especially in circumstances when gaining consent is not possible. Universities should:

  • decide who can take the decision to share information in an emergency

  • develop a policy on sharing information in an emergency

  • consider the individual context behind each decision

  • share information internally to build a full picture

  • mitigate any risks associated with sharing information

  • keep clear records

Supporting families, carers, and friends

Universities should consider how they can best support students and their contacts by ensuring they are: 

  • communicating with respect, compassion, and transparency
  • planning for emergency contact liaison

  • supporting trusted contacts who are students themselves

  • giving designated staff flexibility over how they support students and their contacts

Making a whole-university commitment to sharing information responsibly

Universities should support all staff who work with students to know the signs that a student may be at risk and to share those concerns with the appropriate people by: 

  • giving staff clarity about their roles and responsibilities

  • developing a university-wide approach to referral

  • providing training appropriate to staff members’ levels of responsibility

Case studies

University of Bristol

  • have put in place a policy which requires students to provide a designated contacted, which is updated yearly, who can be contacted without the student’s consent if the university believes that doing so is in their ‘vital interests’  
  • since the policy was introduced in 2017, levels of opting-in have remained above 90%

University of Manchester

  • have put in place a Student Emergency Contact statement which sets out the circumstances under which the University may share information
  • the statement also provides a list of example circumstances in which the University may share information with an emergency contact without consent

The University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol

  • have developed a set of competencies around Critical Incident Liaison providing a consistent point of contact for family, friends and students during and following a critical incident 
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Suicide-safer universities

  • What are universities doing?
  • Main guidance
  • Supporting placement students
  • Sharing information
  • Responding to a suicide: advice for universities

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Related

6 October 2022 Media releases
6 October 2022 Media releases

Universities to involve trusted contacts when there are serious concerns about a student’s safety or mental health

Universities need to have clearer policies on how and when they should involve family, carers and trusted friends when there is considered to be a serious risk to the welfare of a student.

Supporting placement students

How can universities better support students in difficulty with their mental health before, during and after going on placements?

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