COVID-19 has intensified dislocation amongst campus communities, propelled healthcare students onto the front line of a global pandemic and upended traditional expectations of the university experience. This CPD-accredited conference will explore the diverse impact(s) and disruption of lockdowns and COVID-19 measures on university students - as well as breaking-down the cultures, economic factors, social and institutional pressures that contributed to dramatic rises in disclosures of mental health issues and student suicides at universities in the UK prior to COVID-19; providing delegates with the knowledge and tools to ensure that students return to campuses better equipped to support them after the pandemic.
This conference is the third in a series of national events bringing together HE leaders, strategic and wellbeing staff, students, academic/policy researchers, health, social care and counselling services to develop responses to the student mental health crisis. Conference delegates will take away the following benefits of attending:
Persecutory perfectionism is a blight on the mental health of students. In his presentation at the previous Student Mental Health conference, Alan Percy introduced delegates to his 'Committee Theory of Self'; a concept that positions the 'Self' as Chairperson of an unruly, conflicted committee that, unless appropriately disciplined, will be overrun by the dominant, persecutory voice of the 'dictator'.
In the conference keynote, Alan, Head of Counselling at Oxford University and Visiting Professor in Psychology at Fudan University, Shanghai, will expand on his committee metaphor - discussing how the pursuit of a balanced, democratic resolution to marginalise the aggressive voice of the committee's persecutory 'dictator' is essential in improving student mental health.
Disabled students are less likely to complete their course, are lower paid as graduates and are more likely to experience loneliness. Despite hard-fought improvements to equalities legislation in recent years, disabled students remain under-represented, frustrated by their experience and achieve outcomes below their potential. Megan Hector leads on operations and research for the Higher Education Commission - an independent research commission made up of leaders from the education sector, parliamentary representatives from the major political parties and relevant stakeholders. The HEC has launched an inquiry into the experience of disabled students at university, co-chaired by Lord David Blunkett, former Secretary of State for Education; Commission Chair Lord Norton and Vice Chancellor of the University of Derby, Kathryn Mitchell.
The inquiry is seeking to explore and uncover the reasons why the disparities exist, so as to advise government and the HE sector on how to remove barriers and give disabled students the support they need. This presentation will look at the challenges and possible solutions to issues faced by disabled students within the three strands of student life that the inquiry focuses on; teaching and learning, living and social, transition and employment.
White university students in the UK are, on average, more likely to leave university with a First or upper Second-Class degree than those of other ethnicities. This is referred to as the BME attainment gap. Afua Acheampong conducted research into the experiences of BME students at Nottingham Trent University and contrasted the results with the institutes existing data in order to develop an approach to addressing the gap. The research, comprised of one-to-one interviews with BME undergraduate students, submissions from 98 academic representatives of mixed ethnicities, consultations with Nottingham Trent University staff and SU officers, as well as reviewing feedback from attendees of the NTSU's Black History Month event - informed a 23,000 word report, concluding with recommendations for the university to proactively tackle attainment issues. Afua's work has been made available to the university's governance in order to align it with the institute's Race Equality Charter and form an action plan.
This presentation will cover the findings from Afua's research project - exploring how the attainment gap impacts the mental health of BME students and propose recommendations to expand knowledge, strengthen representation and raise awareness of issues restricting BME attainment.
At the Safeguarding Students: Addressing Mental Health Needs conference in 2019, Megan offered insight into the benefits of utilising peer support as a means to tackle the growing demand for improving student wellbeing. In this presentation, Megan will build on her recent first hand experience of being a student and unpack the University culture and problems that can arise, such as peer pressure, bullying and cliques, attainment issues and isolation of minority groups. The presentation will also delve into the emotional pressures and stress that staff are under and how the use of screening can ensure students access the right support.
Lee Fryatt is an Inspector at Hampshire Constabulary with 30 years of operational experience, including responding to critical incidents, youth offending and police custody management. He has broad experience of responding to people suffering with mental health conditions who are at a point of crisis in their life. Lee’s family has been personally affected by the devastating impact of suicide, when in September 2018 his eldest son, Daniel, ended his own life just after starting University.
Combining his professional capabilities and lived experience, Lee has developed a considered approach to the role of confidentiality and data sharing between universities and families based on the principle of public interest to protect outweighing institutional fears of breaching data sharing policies. This presentation will cover:
Representative from The UPP Foundation Student Futures Commission (invited)
The pandemic and restrictions introduced to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 have compounded existing problems and presented a series of new issues that will have a diverse impact across the current and next cohort(s) of students. Together with Wonkhe and Public First, the University Partnerships Programme are launching the UPP Foundation Student Futures Commission to understand where the most damage has been done to the academic progress of students as well as their mental health, extra-curricular activity and graduate prospects, in order to accumulate best practice around interventions - however small, designed to quickly help students get back on track towards successful outcomes; rebuilding expectations young people have of university and returning a sense of agency over their own experience.
Addressing a well-documented service gap in mental health support, Inner Purpose is the first app to deliver the key components proven to elevate user’s mental health needs. Working in partnership with leading authorities and experts, Inner Purpose provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ for mental health services and support.
Through cutting-edge technology and driven by professional guidance, Inner Purpose delivers mindfulness content through a variety of digital formats, provides a platform for healthy nutrition, service locator technology, links to helplines and self-help tools. The customisable space to track and monitor your own progress makes mental health support efficient, judgement free and accessible for all, allowing users to deal with their challenges and regain control over their lives.
Presentation synopsis coming soon...
Lee Fryatt, Inspector, Hampshire Constabulary (confirmed)
Max Carletide, Founder, Inner Purpose (confirmed)
Pamela Orr, Training and Wellbeing Manager, Validium (confirmed)
Representative from The UPP Foundation Student Futures Commission (invited)
We'll be working with venues to ensure lunch at our events is as delicious as ever and caters for a range of dietary preferences - whilst being served in a safe and seamless manner. Some of the new measures we will be introducing to this effect are:
We will request food is sourced locally to reduce food miles, seasonal vegetables are used, as well as red tractor certified meat and eggs from free range hens.
Speaker TBC
There is a lack of understanding about the experiences, motivations and needs of students in Higher Education (HE) who are also engaged in sex work.
This panel discussion will bring together people who have used their university experience(s) to develop resources, ideas and networks that support people from a diverse cross section of the student population.
Oxford University Press - Epigeum (confirmed)
Epigeum is a leading provider of exceptional online courses that support the core activities of universities and colleges in four areas: teaching and development, research, studying, and support and wellbeing. Founded at Imperial College London in 2005, Epigeum has been part of Oxford University Press since 2015.
Each interactive, online course is developed through a unique process of global collaboration between world-class subject experts, partner institutions, and in-house specialists, and then made available to higher education institutions on a subscription basis - delivering active learning experiences that are rich, coherent, and memorable, whilst making consistent, cost-effective training achievable for all.
Dr Leah Moyle, Lecturer, Royal Holloway University of London (invited)
Dr Leah Moyle has worked on two research papers that spotlight the changing nature of drug markets, drug dealing and cultures of drug use amongst young people. Leah's articles '#Drugsforsale: An exploration of the use of social media and encrypted messaging apps to supply and access drugs' (the first academic investigation into mobile apps in drug markets) and 'Student transitions into drug supply: exploring the university as a risk environment' asses multiple factors in how young people access drugs and how university can compound cultural and environmental conditions that lead students to becoming regular drug users.
This presentation will integrate findings from both papers, including:
The largest mental health survey ever conducted with UK university students found that of those reporting a serious problem they felt needed professional help, 81.6% reported their symptoms started at secondary school – not university. This suggests they arrived at university predisposed to mental health problems, meaning action is needed BEFORE students start university.
Our research suggests that:
Fortunately, our research suggests a number of ways of reversing these trends, drawing on both new and established approaches, from both the UK and other countries – to help ensure a smoother transition to university and reduce the risk of mental health problems.
Dr Leah Moyle, Lecturer, Royal Holloway University of London (invited)
Michael Baber, Director, Health Action Group (confirmed)
Speaker TBA
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Offering breathtaking views across Russell Square the hotel is within easy walking distance to the British Museum. Well located with Russell Square underground station a 2 minute walk away.
