At UCEM, we are an online-only provider of higher education specialising in the built environment. This means we don’t have a physical campus and all our support and professional practice is contextualised and specific for online students and learners.

Following the introduction of the taskforce and the appointment of Professor Edward Peck as the Higher Education Student Support Champion in July 2023, we were very keen to be involved. As Director of Student Experience, I attended a number of key events and roundtable meetings. This proved to be a fantastic opportunity to share practice and ideas.

The four main aims of the taskforce are to:

1. Develop a plan for better identification of students in need of mental health support and a clear user journey for accessing that support.
2. Support the adoption of common principles and baselines for approaches across providers, including through charter memberships.
3. Develop a ‘Student Commitment’ for more sensitive student-facing policies, procedures and communications in the sector.
4. Support sector engagement with the national review of students suicides in higher education and explore methods for achieving greater timeliness and transparency on suicide data.

Post events and meetings, I disseminated the details to relevant peers and colleagues at UCEM, involved staff and students, and worked closely with the Director of Academic Registry and the Disability and Welfare Manager to develop and implement initiatives to fit the four main aims of the Taskforce.

Our first initiative was to develop a plan for better identification of students in need of mental health support and a clear user journey for accessing that support. Working with one of our Senior Data Analysts, we developed an Early Intervention and Monitoring Tool which includes a short wellbeing survey to be sent to students as part of their registration and re-registration. The completed survey forms part of an algorithm that includes engagement and involvement data, alongside other indicators. UCEM will be piloting this tool with our Autumn intake of students and will ensure that robust evaluation is in place to support its effectiveness.

To address aims two and three of the taskforce, we’ve registered with the Student Minds Mental Health Charter, which will sit alongside our existing Mental Health Strategy.  We also developed a set of 10 Compassionate Communications Principles and a five-point Checklist, designed by our in-house graphic designer. Posters of both have been placed strategically around the building and screen savers have been uploaded to all PCs and laptops to remind staff.

We delivered a comprehensive roll out which included delivery to a weekly SLT meeting (where we also provided a wider update on all related work), a weekly all staff briefing, a monthly line manager meeting and an update in the staff bulletin with links to key documents.

At all delivery opportunities, we explained the background to the initiative and the importance of improving and supporting student mental health. We are also incorporating our five-point checklist into our equality impact assessment. All staff are now tasked with making full use of the tools when communicating with students and our Director of Academic Registry is using the tools, alongside an IAG review of all policies, procedures and communication that she is responsible for.

For aim four of the taskforce, we have ensured that we are fully compliant with recording and reporting deaths of students within this category and have developed a Policy and Procedure to ensure compliance when dealing with this.

Karen James, Director of Student Experience, University College of Estate Management 

For further details, please contact Lynne Downey, Pro Vice Chancellor Student and Registry Services [email protected]