Written Evidence Jan. 24 2024
Inquiry: The Coroner Service: follow-upFound: Four hours prior, in a phone call with his University Student Liaison Officer, (SLO) he was told
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2023 to Question 149 on Universities: Mental Health Services, what information her Department holds on the (a) number and (b) proportion of universities that have amended their practices in line with the recommendations in her Department's letter.
Answered by Robert Halfon
It is a priority for this government that students are provided with the mental health support they need. The opportunity to enter, thrive and graduate from university should be open to everyone with the ability to do so. To achieve this, the department is taking an approach based on three pillars:
On 5 June 2023, the department wrote to all higher education providers asking for their strongest possible commitment to the mental health of our students, including by showing ownership of mental health at an executive level. The department has set a target for all universities to sign up to Student Minds’ University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024 so that they take a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing and follow the principles set out in the Charter. This programme is about continuous improvement from universities so that standards are raised within the sector.
61 universities had joined the programme by the 2022/23 academic year. Following the 5 June 2023 letter, nine HE providers wrote back to the department on action being taken to improve practice. A significant number of universities then applied to the Charter Programme during the summer 2023 application window. The programme has seen a greater than 50% increase in membership and now has 96 members for the 2023/24 academic year. The full list of members is available at: https://hub.studentminds.org.uk/charter-programme-members-23-24/.
The Higher Education Mental Health Taskforce is looking at the application of best practice among HE providers. The Taskforce will deliver a final report by May 2024 and will provide an update ahead of that early in 2024.
I continue to raise the value of Charter Programme membership with universities and sector representatives and hosted a roundtable on the mental health of students with university leaders at Leeds Trinity University on 23 November 2023. This roundtable addressed the important role that executive leadership have in setting the culture and practice around wellbeing for students on campus. We also confirmed at this roundtable that the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health, a renowned centre of expertise on suicide prevention, will lead the National Review of HE Suicides. This will ensure lessons from tragic instances of student suicide are shared widely across the sector.
This roundtable followed a speech I delivered at the UUK Mental Health Conference on 21 November 2023 where I asked the sector to come together and finish the job of embedding best practice.
Nov. 04 2008
Source Page: Defence instructors handbook. 108 p.Found: is safer not to talk about suicide with someone considering it.
Mentions:
1: Ross, Douglas (Con - Highlands and Islands) record lows in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s programme for international student - Speech Link
2: Swinney, John (SNP - Perthshire North) In September 2022, with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, we published our 10-year suicide - Speech Link
3: Stewart, Alexander (Con - Mid Scotland and Fife) The association is seen as possibly the most effective suicide prevention and life-affirming movement - Speech Link
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides for education settings to help students experiencing (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.
Answered by David Johnston
The mental health of children and young people is an absolute priority for this government.
The department supports education settings through a range of guidance on mental health and wellbeing, including to support schools and colleges to establish a whole school/college approach to mental health, promoting positive wellbeing among students: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing.
This guidance is supported by the opportunity for all state schools and colleges in England to access a senior mental health lead training grant by 2025, with over 14,400 settings having claimed a grant so far. The department is also continuing to roll-out Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) and extending coverage of MHST to an estimated 44% of pupils and learners by the end of this financial year, and at least 50% by the end of March 2025.
The department has also commissioned two new resources to help providers that have been published this year, a targeted pastoral support toolkit and a resource hub for mental health leads, which are intended to help colleges to identify the most appropriate and effective support at the early intervention stage.
School-specific resources include guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions, including conditions relating to mental health, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3. Additionally, the department has published guidance on mental health problems manifesting themselves in behaviour, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.
The department is supporting the mental health of higher education (HE) students through an approach focussed on three pillars: funding and resourcing vital services, spreading and implementing best practice, clear responsibilities for providers and protection for students.
The department has seen impressive progress with the target for all universities to join the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024, with 96 members now signed up. Members follow a process of continuous improvement as they embed the principles which ensure that student wellbeing is supported in all aspects of university life.
The sector is active in developing best practice which supports HE student mental health and wellbeing. I have written to all HE providers to ensure they are implementing guidance produced by the sector and third sector charities, including around suicide prevention and actions to take following a death by suicide, and information sharing with trusted contact of students.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects data on the number of students declaring a disability, including mental health conditions: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15.
From 2022/2023, students with multiple disabilities will disclose each of their disabilities instead of falling under a catch-all "multiple disabilities" category. Depression, bad nerves, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other mental health conditions will continue to be included under one mental health category.
The department also collects data on various aspects of children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health, presenting key sources from the department and other stakeholders through the annual State of the Nation report on Children and Young People’s Wellbeing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-nation-2022-children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on students who self report (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.
Answered by David Johnston
The mental health of children and young people is an absolute priority for this government.
The department supports education settings through a range of guidance on mental health and wellbeing, including to support schools and colleges to establish a whole school/college approach to mental health, promoting positive wellbeing among students: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing.
This guidance is supported by the opportunity for all state schools and colleges in England to access a senior mental health lead training grant by 2025, with over 14,400 settings having claimed a grant so far. The department is also continuing to roll-out Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) and extending coverage of MHST to an estimated 44% of pupils and learners by the end of this financial year, and at least 50% by the end of March 2025.
The department has also commissioned two new resources to help providers that have been published this year, a targeted pastoral support toolkit and a resource hub for mental health leads, which are intended to help colleges to identify the most appropriate and effective support at the early intervention stage.
School-specific resources include guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions, including conditions relating to mental health, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3. Additionally, the department has published guidance on mental health problems manifesting themselves in behaviour, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.
The department is supporting the mental health of higher education (HE) students through an approach focussed on three pillars: funding and resourcing vital services, spreading and implementing best practice, clear responsibilities for providers and protection for students.
The department has seen impressive progress with the target for all universities to join the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024, with 96 members now signed up. Members follow a process of continuous improvement as they embed the principles which ensure that student wellbeing is supported in all aspects of university life.
The sector is active in developing best practice which supports HE student mental health and wellbeing. I have written to all HE providers to ensure they are implementing guidance produced by the sector and third sector charities, including around suicide prevention and actions to take following a death by suicide, and information sharing with trusted contact of students.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects data on the number of students declaring a disability, including mental health conditions: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15.
From 2022/2023, students with multiple disabilities will disclose each of their disabilities instead of falling under a catch-all "multiple disabilities" category. Depression, bad nerves, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other mental health conditions will continue to be included under one mental health category.
The department also collects data on various aspects of children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health, presenting key sources from the department and other stakeholders through the annual State of the Nation report on Children and Young People’s Wellbeing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-nation-2022-children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing.
Make it compulsory for universities to record student suicide rates
- Final Signatures: 40
Half of U.K. universities do not record their rates of student suicide, which we believe is concerning. This information could help identify where students are struggling and the reasons for this. I am asking the government to make it compulsory for universities to record student suicide rates.
Found: Suicide is the biggest killer of under 35s in the U.K. and university is a time when students are potentially
Nov. 21 2023
Source Page: Robert Halfon UUK Mental Health conference speechFound: Because we have all been deeply affected by the loss of bright, capable and loved young people to suicide
May. 01 2024
Source Page: Updating the domestic homicide review statutory guidanceFound: This will provid e more information on conducting Domestic Homicide Review s in instances of suicide
May. 16 2024
Source Page: I. Draft Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health education: Statutory guidance for governing bodies, proprietors, head teachers, principals, senior leadership teams, teachers. 44p. II. Review of the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health education statutory guidance. Government consultation. 27p. III. Letter dated 16/05/2024 from Gillian Keegan MP to the Deposited papers clerk regarding the above documents for deposit in the House libraries. 1p.Found: you responding as (please select all that apply): [ ] A parent or carer [ ] A teacher [ ] A student