Student Minds SUs

What is Student Minds SUs?

Student Minds SUs is a community designed to empower you and your students union (SU) to become leaders in mental health. The programme exists to support students’ unions that are committed to implementing a whole union approach to mental health and wellbeing,working towards the principles of good practice in the Mentally Healthy SUs Framework.

We believe students’ unions play a vital role in ensuring universities are places that support the positive mental health and wellbeing of their communities. They can be role models for the sector and  a force for good, advocating for and empowering students to create change locally and nationally.

Through Student Minds SUs, we partner with a cohort of amazing SUs with the aim to equip, support and develop them  to tackle challenges relating to mental health in higher education.  With our support, we hope that SUs can play a leading role in shaping a better future for student mental health, but also those sabbatical officers, volunteers and staff members who are leading the change.

We know that student and staff mental health is a complex issue that is better addressed by bringing the collective knowledge of the sector together. Different approaches will fit different contexts. The Student Minds SUs programme has been designed to connect unions that are committed to working towards change. We bring together members of the programme to share their experiences, expertise and work together to build a better understanding of the unique challenges that students’ unions face.

Read the Mentally Healthy SUs Framework

Access the Digital Community

Student Minds SUs Member benefits:

• Access to our full calendar of webinars and network events
• Access to our sabbatical officer drop in sessions where sabbatical officers on the programme can connect and share experiences with each other.
• Access to our jisc mail to connect with others, ask questions and share ideas
• Progress review sessions with the Student Minds Sector Improvement team
• An opportunity for lead staff to come together to meet and share experiences
• Regular policy briefings and insights from our national research, listening and programmes such as the University Mental Health Charter to inform your activities
• Access to our online course “Introduction to Mental Health in HE” for 10 people.  ​

Optional add ons:

• A range of tailored training and support opportunities, such as our peer support train-the-trainer course and an appraisal with a recommendations report to support you to improve your whole-union approach to mental health

​For more information and full fees download our information pack. 

Do you have any questions about our Student Minds SUs programme? Book in a chat with our team.

Student Minds SUs Information Pack

“Student Minds’ Mental Healthy  SUs Framework is a fantastic opportunity for us to carry out a ‘self-check’ on what we do as a students’ union already to support mental health and wellbeing as well as areas to focus on going forwards. We know that our activity is really proactive and supports our members and staff to a high standard. By using the framework we are able to identify any gaps in our offer to ensure that we are doing our absolute best for our staff and students to promote and encourage positive mental health and wellbeing”
​Natasha Neal, Vice President Education and Welfare at Bucks SU

 We have been working with Students Minds helping since 2019 when a group of students’ union partners worked with them to create a program that helps us help our students and promote opportunities for good mental health. They have supported us to understand our potential, building a clearer understanding of what we do that influences mental health so that we can best embed this within our future strategy. Now, perhaps more than ever, being able to support our students is critical to our organizational purpose and working with the Student Minds partnership helps us to deliver on that need.”
Ben Vulliamy CEO, University of York Students’ Union