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Listen "S08E04: Emerging trends in student mental health"
Episode Synopsis
Content note: This episode contains discussion of sensitive topics including suicide. If you need support with the topics discussed in this episode, there are organisations such as Mind (0300 123 3393), Samaritans (116 123) or Student Minds that can help you in complete confidence.
More and more students are seeking support for their mental health, and in response, we’ve seen a whole host of new initiatives to better meet that need. The creation of a Higher Education Student Support Champion. The Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. A suite of guidance on suicide-safer universities. An innovative scheme in which Manchester’s universities collaborate with the NHS to improve student mental health outcomes.
But what are these initiatives, where have they come from and what do student accommodation teams need to know? We’re getting into it in this month’s episode of Accommodation Matters.
Our expert guests aren’t just talking about the work that’s happening to support student mental health – they’re leading the work themselves. Hosted by Jenny Shaw, this month’s panel includes:
Professor Edward Peck, Vice Chancellor at Nottingham Trent University and the Government’s Higher Education Student Support Champion for England
Professor Jo Smith OBE, Emeritus Professor in Early Intervention and Psychosis at University of Worcester
Dr Simon Merrywest, Director for the Student Experience at University of Manchester
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 30th April and 1st May 2024 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
Resources
You can find out more about the role of the Higher Education Student Support Champion here, and the Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce here.
The University Mental Health Charter can be found on Student Minds’ website.
Universities UK’s Suicide-safer Universities guidance document can be downloaded here.
about the Greater Manchester Universities Mental Health Service here.
Learn more about R;pple’s suicide prevention technology from their website.
A number of mental health and suicide awareness charities are referenced during the episode – we have listed links to their websites below:
James’ Place
Papyrus
Olly’s Future
The Mary O’Gara Foundation
More and more students are seeking support for their mental health, and in response, we’ve seen a whole host of new initiatives to better meet that need. The creation of a Higher Education Student Support Champion. The Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. A suite of guidance on suicide-safer universities. An innovative scheme in which Manchester’s universities collaborate with the NHS to improve student mental health outcomes.
But what are these initiatives, where have they come from and what do student accommodation teams need to know? We’re getting into it in this month’s episode of Accommodation Matters.
Our expert guests aren’t just talking about the work that’s happening to support student mental health – they’re leading the work themselves. Hosted by Jenny Shaw, this month’s panel includes:
Professor Edward Peck, Vice Chancellor at Nottingham Trent University and the Government’s Higher Education Student Support Champion for England
Professor Jo Smith OBE, Emeritus Professor in Early Intervention and Psychosis at University of Worcester
Dr Simon Merrywest, Director for the Student Experience at University of Manchester
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 30th April and 1st May 2024 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
Resources
You can find out more about the role of the Higher Education Student Support Champion here, and the Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce here.
The University Mental Health Charter can be found on Student Minds’ website.
Universities UK’s Suicide-safer Universities guidance document can be downloaded here.
about the Greater Manchester Universities Mental Health Service here.
Learn more about R;pple’s suicide prevention technology from their website.
A number of mental health and suicide awareness charities are referenced during the episode – we have listed links to their websites below:
James’ Place
Papyrus
Olly’s Future
The Mary O’Gara Foundation
More episodes of the podcast Unite Students Accommodation Matters
S09E06: Wellbeing and the class of 2025
20/08/2025
S09E05: Joint venture partnerships
26/06/2025
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