UNIVERSITIES are being urged to step up their efforts to prevent student suicides.
New recommendations include the option of involving trusted contacts such as parents or others even without agreement from the student, in situations where there are serious concerns about the person’s safety or mental health.
The guidance, which has been published by Universities UK (UUK) in partnership with the Papyrus suicide prevention charity, is the first time a consistent practice has been proposed for the sector.
UUK represents 140 universities across Scotland, Wales and England. It said the recommendations place the student at the centre of decisions about their safety and care.
However, it said that, whilst it may be preferable to get agreement from the student, if there are serious concerns about their safety or mental health then universities can decide to involve trusted contacts without their agreement.
It advised that those decisions should be taken by appropriately qualified staff and supported by senior leadership and made with the best interests of the student in mind.
The guidance includes making it mandatory for students to give a trusted contact – not necessarily a parent – when they register at university, and “starting a conversation about when and how these contacts might be involved”.
UUK said there should also be “check-ins” at the beginning of every academic year for this to be updated if necessary.
Universities are also being urged to review their suicide prevention plans and policies to keep students safe, working closely with NHS services.
UUK president Professor Steve West said the sector “must do everything we can to reduce the risk of suicide and serious self-harm”.
He said: “Universities are committed to putting students who may be in difficulty at the centre of decisions about their care – including who they want involved.
“But this commitment must be balanced with a duty to protect a student when there are serious concerns about their safety and welfare.
“Universities can help save lives when they adopt a proactive response to suicide prevention, and an important part of that proactive response is making proportionate, risk-based decisions around involving trusted contacts.”
Ged Flynn, chief executive of Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide, said: “Students have a right to think we always have their best interests at heart.
“This guidance aids the discernment of when to put those best interests at the forefront of decisions on sharing information when emotional crises may loom larger.
“Suicide in university populations is relatively rare but can devastate a community when it happens.
“Together, aided by this guidance, we can all play our part to ensuring it is rarer still.”
