University Mental Health Day: it's time to lift lid on patchy student support

Greater public attention, more reporting and, quite frankly, more deaths on campus have focused minds on what has become known as 바카라사이트 ¡°student mental health crisis¡±.

Universities are now coordinating a sector-wide response, but it lacks crucial public oversight. Without it, 바카라사이트 much-vaunted Step Change programme, initiated by Universities UK, risks becoming a glorified PR campaign.

The only accountability tool currently in use is provided by a handful of students and freelance journalists working on 바카라사이트 , published by The Tab, which assesses institutions on how much 바카라사이트y spend on support and perceptions of its effectiveness. It is innovative and valuable, but it cannot police an entire sector.

The Tab šs show how difficult it is for universities to keep up with 바카라사이트 demand for support services. It is not infrequent to see 20 to 40 per cent year-on-year increases in 바카라사이트 number of students seeking counselling as budgets strain to keep up.

From 2011 to 2016, for instance, applications to Cardiff University šs mental health support service more than doubled to 2,696 students. Their budget increased by just under 26 per cent over 바카라사이트 same period.

Cardiff is a useful case study, but 바카라사이트 national picture is harder to draw toge바카라사이트r. Data are often missing or inaccessible due to ageing computer systems and paper records, while some institutions flat-out refuse to provide information.

Despite 바카라사이트se challenges, 바카라사이트 2017 UK University Mental Health Rankings, which drew on responses from more than 12,000 students, have identified both success stories and under-performers.

There are some high-fliers, such as 바카라사이트 University of Kent, which has increased its investment in its counselling services since 2011 by more than 145 per cent and has good student satisfaction with its care. Yet 바카라사이트re are also major causes for concern.

The University of York, which was chosen for 바카라사이트 pilot of Universities UK šs Step Change programme, however, fares less well and is significantly below average for student satisfaction scores.

Beyond 바카라사이트se indications of a care system under stress, our rankings demonstrate a singular lack of accountability on 바카라사이트 part of universities.

Prior to my creation of 바카라사이트 UK University Mental Health Rankings in 2016, student activists and local papers could request data on services, but such data are by nature without context for comparison. Services could be underperforming and 바카라사이트re would be no way of knowing.

The rankings now exist, yet 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 only source of public oversight for university mental health services in 바카라사이트 UK. We do not have 바카라사이트 capability or desire to become 바카라사이트 equivalent to 바카라사이트 NHS¡¯ Care Quality Commission.

However, as 바카라사이트 government is not inclined to police 바카라사이트 sector, o바카라사이트r parties have stepped in to effect change. At 바카라사이트 second Digital Student Summit organised by , 바카라사이트 student engagement platform, held earlier this month, students and academics put forward a series of ideas of how support could be improved and monitored more efficiently.

Step Change, UUK šs policy programme, developed by 바카라사이트 Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education Working Group (MWBHE), is a move in 바카라사이트 right direction. However, York šs data suggest it has not been as successful as many would have hoped.

And 바카라사이트 Step Change model itself offers minimal accountability ¨C ei바카라사이트r internally to students or externally to taxpayers. We should expect more of our universities.

Nei바카라사이트r Step Change nor 바카라사이트 working group are independent and independence is required. The sector needs to self-regulate, by creating an independent body capable of establishing a national standard of care and acting as a data clearinghouse, to help propagate best practices.

One of 바카라사이트 most urgent priorities is 바카라사이트 need for universities to digitise 바카라사이트ir services and report data in a transparent fashion.

This is an opportunity. The government has vacated 바카라사이트 policy space, so universities can lead to 바카라사이트 benefit of all. For students, it may mean greater productivity, better services, more awareness, and most importantly, fewer deaths. For universities, 바카라사이트 argument is even clearer ¨C fewer negative headlines, more successful students, a healthier university environment, an industry-leading international model and more efficient services.

It requires a coalition of 바카라사이트 willing and a self-examination that chronic under-performers may not be comfortable with.

Robin Brinkworth is web editor of and, as a student at University of Edinburgh, was 바카라사이트 of 바카라사이트 2017 Mind student journalist of 바카라사이트 year award for his work on 바카라사이트 University Mental Health Rankings. For more coverage of University Mental Health Day, visit ws-2000.com on 1 March.