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Your University Mental Health Charter is here

9/12/2019

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We are delighted to share the University Mental Health Charter with you, co-created with staff and students with one shared goal: to shape a future in which everyone in higher education can thrive.

Together, over the past year thousands of students, staff and researchers from over 200 different universities, students’ unions and higher education organisations across the UK have co-created the Charter. It provides a set of principles of good practice that challenge universities to go beyond baseline requirements and mental health a university-wide priority. 

Data shows that over 70% of universities do not currently have a strategy for mental health yet many report more than a 25% increase in demand for counselling services over the last five years (IPPR, 2017). Similarly, staff referrals for counselling have risen by 77% between 2009 and 2015 (HEPI, 2019).

The Charter encourages universities to provide consistently high-quality services and be proactive in promoting good mental health, ensuring the needs of all staff and students, including BAME, LGBTQ+, and widening participation population groups, are met. It will form the basis of the upcoming Charter Award Scheme, being developed in 2020, which will recognise and reward universities that promote good mental health and demonstrate good practice.

Its 18 themes cover a broad range of university activity that can have a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing. These have been organised into five sections:

  • Section 1 – Learn: Explores the aspects of the student experience most influenced by the curriculum and student learning and development, in their broadest sense.
  • Section 2 – Support: Explores support for mental health, including university service provision, responding to suicide and severe mental illness and collaborating with NHS, external services and families.
  • Section 3 – Work: Outlines the importance of supporting staff wellbeing and development.
  • Section 4 – Live: Sets out how the physical and social environments in which we live and work can promote positive wellbeing.
  • Section 5 – Enabling themes: Outlines a number of enabling themes – leadership, cohesive working across the organisation, student voice, inclusivity and research – that are fundamental to ensuring good practice across every other area.

The Charter has been supported by grants from the UPP Foundation and Office for Students (OfS) and has been developed in partnership with key bodies within the sector, including the National Union of Students (NUS), The Universities UK (UUK) and AMOSSHE, in addition to the Department for Education (DfE). Find out more here.

“The University Mental Health Charter is the result of many dedicated individuals across the higher education sector coming together with the aim of transforming the lives of over 2.5 million staff and students across the UK. Although there is still a lot of work to be done, the Charter is a key tool for universities to improve how they respond to mental health challenges and promote wellbeing across every aspect of university life. Co-creating the Charter with students, staff and higher education organisations has given me every confidence that, together, we can shape a future in which every member of the university community can thrive and that the higher education sector can be an example to others.” Rosie Tressler OBE, CEO, Student Minds

“The UPP Foundation has funded several projects which support student mental health but our £100k grant to Student Minds to develop and implement the University Mental Health Charter is our biggest single grant to date. We welcome today's publication of The University Mental Health Charter. This represents a major milestone in the development of the Charter Award Scheme, which will ultimately enhance mental health in higher education by rewarding best practice in our institutions. We now look forward to continuing our work with the brilliant coalition of organisations involved in the development of the Charter and call on all universities to sign up once the pilot phase has concluded.” Richard Brabner, Director, UPP Foundation

AMOSSHE welcomes the arrival of the Universities Mental Health Charter and  is privileged to have worked with Student Minds and other sector bodies on this important endeavour. Jayne Aldridge, Chair of AMOSSHE said: “The introduction of this critical document signals an important step in supporting the wellbeing of everyone who studies or works within UK higher education.”

We look forward to people using the Charter together to make mental health a university-wide priority and shape a future in which the whole university community can thrive.
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  • Find Support
    • Support for me >
      • Our Peer Support Programmes >
        • Thrive
        • Our confidentiality commitment
        • Support for specific difficulties
      • Support at your university and further
      • University staff-run workshops
    • Support for a friend >
      • Starting a conversation
      • Looking after yourself
    • Support for parents
    • Help through Coronavirus >
      • Coronavirus - Looking After Your Mental Health
      • Coronavirus - Student resources >
        • Assessments and exams from home ​
        • Managing digital communication
      • Student Space FAQs
    • Resources >
      • Men’s Mental Health
      • The Wellbeing Thesis
      • Transitions >
        • Transition into University
        • Know Before You Go
        • Transitions for staff
      • Starting University
      • Exam stress
      • LGBTQ+
      • Looking after your mental wellbeing
      • Year Abroad
      • Student finance
      • Support through a family health crisis
  • About
    • What we do >
      • Our impact
    • Our team >
      • Trustees
      • Clinical Advisors
      • Student Advisors
    • Our supporters
  • Get Involved
    • Student volunteering >
      • Charter Student Resources
      • University Mental Health Day
      • Write for us
      • Peer support groups >
        • Apply to be a peer support facilitator
        • Set up a peer support group
    • University staff >
      • Mental Health in Sport >
        • Mental Health in Sport Online
      • Look After Your Mate >
        • Look After Your Mate Online
      • Setting up a peer support group >
        • Students Minds peer support set up
        • Peer support Train the Trainer
    • Charter
    • Students’ Unions >
      • Mentally Healthy SUs Framework
      • Introduction to Student Mental Health Online
      • Look After Your Members Online
      • Campaigning and Creating Positive Change
    • Accommodation Providers
    • Research
  • News and Publications
    • Latest news
    • Research and publications >
      • International Students
      • Supporting Male Student Mental Health
      • Co-producing Mental Health Initiatives With Student Volunteers
      • Podcasting About Mental Health
      • Student Mental Health in a Pandemic >
        • Life in a pandemic: Wave II findings
        • Life in a Pandemic
      • Supporting Students with Eating Disorders
      • Co-producing mental health strategies with students
      • The Role of an Academic
      • LGBTQ+ Research​
      • Student Voices
      • Graduate Wellbeing
      • Student Living
      • Grand Challenges
      • University Peer Support
      • University Challenge
      • Looking After a Mate
      • Summary of HEFCE’s Report
    • Materials and resources
  • Support Us
    • Donate >
      • Online shopping
      • Payroll giving
    • Fundraise >
      • Step into Spring
      • Virtual Fundraising
      • Plan Your Own Event
      • RAGs and Student Societies
      • Celebrate with Student Minds
      • Challenge Events
      • Paying in money
      • Fundraising Resources
    • Corporate Partners