Kingston University is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our community. We aim to create a supportive and inclusive environment where students are provided with a range of accessible services, activities and interventions to help them succeed while studying with us.

We recognise there are times when students may struggle due to the demands of studying and other pressures in their lives. We have developed this Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework to set out our whole institution commitment to protecting the wellbeing of students and staff. Our framework is aligned with the Student Minds University Mental Health Charter for which we are a Programme Member.

Our approach includes resources and interventions to enhance mental fitness, encourage healthy behaviours, and empower students to manage their own mental health and wellbeing. Students are enabled to access appropriate wellbeing support if they need it through a combination of internal services and external partnerships.

The health and wellbeing of our students is a top priority. We recognise our legal duties and responsibilities in relation to health and safety regulations, the Equality Act 2010 and the safeguarding of children and adults at risk.

However, we also believe it is important for our students and their supporters to have absolute clarity about the boundaries of what we can and cannot provide as a university.

University self-referral services

Our Student Life, Health and Wellbeing team offers a range of services to students on a self-referral basis. This means students must usually request and engage with these services to benefit from them.

• Emotional and wellbeing support is available in the form of short-term counselling (up to 6 sessions), listening sessions, time/stress management and drop-ins. Students have access to self-help guides covering a variety of common issues from Anxiety to Sleeping Problems.
• Mental Health and Disability Advisers recommend adjustments based on medical evidence, and support students with a diagnosed disability or mental health condition to fully engage with their studies.
• Students can access money advice, financial support and faith and spirituality services, and we have in place tailored support for groups that face specific challenges in accessing and succeeding at university, such as our KU Cares programme for students who are care experienced, estranged from their family, young adult carers or sanctuary scholars.
• We have a robust safeguarding process, which can be used by staff, students, visitors and other parties to report concerns about a student.

Liaison with external providers

The University adheres to guidance and sector best practice in its delivery of our internal services. However, our in-house provision is not an emergency service, and does not seek to replicate or replace statutory services such as the NHS.

There are times when it is most beneficial for our students to receive specialist care or intervention directly from these services, either instead of, or alongside our internal support. This is particularly true when there are complex health or risk factors, or when individuals need emergency or crisis support. In these circumstances, we will help our students access relevant services outside the university. This may include signposting to specialist charities and third sector organisations, as well as statutory services.

We believe that providing internal services within the bounds and remit of our role as a university, and working as closely as possible with the NHS, local authorities, and other external organisations, is the best way to ensure our students have access to the broadest range of support, the most positive outcome for their care needs, and the best chance of success at university.

Information sharing

At a time of crisis, our primary concern is for the wellbeing of the student. In line with our data privacy policy, if a student is a risk to themselves or others, our priority will be to inform relevant emergency services to enable appropriate intervention by professionals with the necessary skills and expertise.

We will only ever involve a student’s emergency contact in conversations about their wellbeing with the student’s explicit consent. The only exception is in an emergency, to protect the student’s vital interests. In these cases, we will use the most recent emergency contact information provided to us by the student.

Whole university approach

We are a signatory of the University Mental Health Charter, which sets out principles of good practice that universities can follow to achieve a whole-university approach. The Charter’s 18 themes are mapped against the 4 domains of the UUK Mentally Healthy Universities model:

Learn

• Transition into university
• Learning, teaching and assessment
• Progression

Key action for 2023/24 – Implement the Navigate module in all courses as part of the Future Skills workstream of the Town House Strategy.

Support

• Support services
• Assessing risk
• External partnerships
• Information sharing

Key action for 2023/24 – Successful delivery of the Student Hubs project to deliver accessible and seamless provision of services that will enhance the satisfaction, welfare and success of all students.

Work

• Staff wellbeing
• Staff development

Key action for 2023/24 – Improve awareness of and access to staff guidance, learning and development in relation to student wellbeing.

Live

• Proactive interventions
• A health physical and cultural environment
• Social integration
• Residential accommodation

Key action for 2023/24 – Complete a review of student accommodation provision and develop an accommodation roadmap that will ensure a high quality and consistent experience for students across all university halls of residence.

This framework provides examples of activities, services and interventions to support the mental health and wellbeing of students at Kingston University across each of the 4 domains and identifies a key action in each area for delivery in 2023/24.

Our strategic aims

Prioritise

The health and wellbeing of our community is perceived by students and staff as a priority.

Encourage

Healthy behaviours are actively encouraged and promoted.

Embed

Curriculum design and development includes consideration of how learning, teaching and assessment practices may impact student health and wellbeing.

Govern

Support services are well-governed, appropriately resourced, safe, effective, and accessible to all students.

Care

Support staff are approachable and interactions with students are underpinned by care, compassion, trust, and respect.

Listen

Students feel they are listened to and have autonomy over decision making regarding their support needs.

Support

Students can access information and support at a time and via a channel that is most suitable for them.

Improve

Institutional research and the evaluation of services and interventions inform decision-making and ensure continuous improvement.

Norlina Sexton, PhD research candidate, Psychology department, Kingston University.