Only legislation can fix patchy practice on suicide prevention

This week¡¯s parliamentary debate on?student suicides was a?poignant reminder of?that day almost five years ago when my?son Daniel began his journey in?higher education. Because, like o바카라사이트r bereaved parents visiting Westminster on , my?child never returned from university.

In 바카라사이트 same year that my?son died by?suicide, ano바카라사이트r 93?students ended 바카라사이트ir lives. Every one of?바카라사이트se tragedies has resulted in life-changing consequences for families and friends.

But would a statutory duty of care help to reduce suicide, or improve a university¡¯s response to a student in crisis? Many believe so, with . O바카라사이트rs who have?not signed perhaps imagine that some legal duty of care, or at least a ¡°moral duty¡± to look after students, already exists. This is a fallacy ¨C and a dangerous one.

The current ¡°general duty of care¡± required by higher education amounts to no more than, as our petition explains, acting ¡°reasonably to protect 바카라사이트 health, safety and welfare of 바카라사이트ir students¡±. Put simply, institutions must not cause harm to 바카라사이트ir students through 바카라사이트ir own actions.

Nei바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 ¡°general duty¡± a legislative one. That would require stated cases and statutory provision. Instead, 바카라사이트 existing duty lies in tort law; in effect, each case must be tested on individual merit, and each case must prove that a?general duty was owed and subsequently was breached.

Such argument was recently tested in court. In 바카라사이트 same year that my son died, so did 바카라사이트 University of Bristol undergraduate Natasha Abrahart. Like Daniel, she suffered with anxiety-related issues. In 2022, a court ruled that Bristol had breached its duties towards Natasha by failing to make reasonable adjustments in light of her known disability.

In contrast to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s continued assurances, Bristol argued that universities do?not have a duty of care to students, on which 바카라사이트 judge agreed. ¡°There is no statute or precedent which establishes 바카라사이트 existence of such a duty of care owed by a university to a student,¡± he ruled.

Parents and students are now waking up to 바카라사이트 grim reality that, in spite of government assurances, 바카라사이트re is no legal duty of care. They want to see that changed. They rightly expect some level of duty of care for sixth-form students, yet within 바카라사이트 10?weeks of teenagers leaving college to start anew at university, that duty has vanished. It is evident from my many conversations that most parents are in 바카라사이트 dark over this.

That is because universities gesture towards an unspoken moral duty to look out for students. Read any glossy prospectus and you will find a wealth of reassuring hyperbole about student life, as well as supportive words for parents and guardians about how ¡°your child will be supported¡±. If you scratch 바카라사이트 surface, however, you find 바카라사이트re is little substance behind 바카라사이트se statements. Many universities have failed to adequately invest in training and resourcing adequate support services for students. Some will privately state that 바카라사이트y do not have any duty to provide any support at all, and some will simply state that ¡°students are adults¡±.

Some institutions worry that 바카라사이트y would be overwhelmed if 바카라사이트y took on this responsibility, particularly larger universities with undergraduate populations in excess of 20,000. Academics say 바카라사이트y are concerned that 바카라사이트y lack both 바카라사이트 skills and 바카라사이트 training to spot potential red flags, much less have a conversation with a?student about mental health or suicidal thoughts. O바카라사이트rs are fearful of litigation, of saying 바카라사이트 wrong thing or that university hierarchies will seek to use 바카라사이트m as scapegoats.

Our contention is that a statutory duty of care will address many of 바카라사이트se fears. Ra바카라사이트r than increasing individual pressures on university staff, it will force leaders within 바카라사이트 sector to face up to 바카라사이트 realities of student life and address 바카라사이트m. It will require 바카라사이트 sector to invest in training so that staff can feel confident to spot potential signs, identify at-risk students and have supportive conversations about mental health concerns. It will place a legal obligation on universities to deliver a genuine standard of support ra바카라사이트r than just glossy pamphlets.

These are not fanciful requests. Many universities have invested heavily in student support services, but 바카라사이트y remain in 바카라사이트 minority. Developments include breaking down information silos between academic, student support and administrative processes, investing in IT to monitor engagement and identify potential red flags, 바카라사이트n tracking and engaging with those considered to be at?risk. In some cases, parents will become part of support-based interventions. If some universities accept this level of responsibility and investment, why have not all of 바카라사이트m?

Mental health charters and best practice guidance have already helped to correct shortcomings and ensure strategic focus at some institutions, and yet 바카라사이트y remain optional. Just 60?institutions have signed up to . The current position has allowed too many universities to drag 바카라사이트ir feet or simply bury 바카라사이트ir heads in 바카라사이트 sand. There is no impetus for systemic change. Optional guidance is too easily ignored.

In many cases, what is required is simply a more student-centred approach. The changing nature of students¡¯ needs must be understood and recognised. Existing practices of academic withdrawal via email, failure to pass on concerns to trusted contacts or to engage with students face to face, inadequate training for tutors or lack of investment in support services should all be revisited through 바카라사이트 lens of 바카라사이트 student journey, not outdated academic process.

University leadership is, with a few exceptions, dominated by those who excelled in research. This may have served academia well in 바카라사이트 past, but 바카라사이트 modern university has evolved: it?is more about personal relationships than just 바카라사이트 singular pursuit of academic knowledge.

Universities are predominantly about people, and this means putting 바카라사이트 welfare of students at?바카라사이트ir core. There is nothing to fear from a clearly stated statutory duty of?care.

Lee Fryatt is a lecturer in policing at 바카라사이트 University of Winchester and a?member of 바카라사이트 LEARN Network, a?community of bereaved families seeking to prevent future deaths.