Student suicide duty of care to be debated in Westminster

#Forthe100 calls on universities to have a legal duty of care to students

Author: Rosanna Robins & Sophie SquiresPublished 7 minutes ago

A campaign to try and lower the number of students dying by suicide is being debated in parliament today.

The #ForThe100 campaign wants to make universities more accountable for student’s wellbeing.

It’s being supported by the family of 21-year-old Cornish student Harry Armstrong Evans (pictured above), who was a third-year Physics and Astrophysics student at the University of Exeter. He died in June 2021 at his home in Launceston.

Mum Alice told Pirate FM: “Universities are expecting so much more of their students and various rules and regulations are quite rigid. That’s why I think universities should have that duty of care.

“From my experience, students are not treated seriously at universities, they are literally there to pay in their money and lecturers are there to do their research.

“I hope this parliamentary meeting has a profound effect on how universities treat their students.”

The #ForThe100 campaign calls for universities to have a legal duty of care to protect students from reasonably foreseeable harm.

It would bring them in line with schools and make them more accountable for students’ wellbeing.

The campaign will be debated by MPs this afternoon after an online petition gained more than 128,000 signatures.

Harry’s parents previously launched a separate parliamentary petition “Harry’s Law” to try and stop other families experiencing grief like theirs.

Alice and dad Rupert are continuing to call on the Government to adopt a new piece of legislation, making it a requirement for universities to publish annually, their student suicide rates.

Rupert said: “We’ve got to be very precise about this if we’re going to come up with a solution.

“Amazingly, none of the 160 universities contacted wanted to be sent copies of coroner’s reports and recommendations following the suicide of an enrolled student.

“We believe a change in the law is necessary to bring about change.”

At the conclusion of Harry’s inquest, Mike Shore-Nye – Registrar at the University of Exeter – said:

“We are deeply saddened by Harry’s death and the family’s loss. Everyone who knew Harry is devastated by his suicide at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We continually review and improve the wellbeing support we provide based on evidence and learnings, including from tragic cases such as Harry’s. We will consider the Coroner’s detailed conclusions in this case and make sure we learn the lessons to enhance our support and operations further, specifically in the areas recommended by the Coroner.

“We are acutely aware of the current mental health challenges for young people and the difficulties accessing external services and have invested significantly in student welfare and wellbeing support in recent years.

“We have set up a bespoke partnership with local NHS and support services for students with complex mental health needs, depression and anxiety. We provide student support services seven days a week both on campus and in the community, including throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Student health and wellbeing is always the University of Exeter’s top priority. We also welcome and support the recent Universities UK guidance on suicide prevention and their recommendation on a trusted student contact when there are serious mental health concerns.

“A number of the UUK recommendations have already been implemented at the University of Exeter, and we will implement all the recommendations.

“On education, during the pandemic all students were supported with a no disadvantage guarantee to ensure their assessment marks didn’t suffer as a result of the difficult circumstances surrounding the pandemic.

“And we continue to take a compassionate and supportive approach to all students who are struggling with personal circumstances and the societal pressures we face today.”

Universities spokesperson says the duty of care would be the best way forward

Professor Steve West CBE, President of Universities UK, said:

“Universities prioritise the mental health of students and staff and are particularly focused on preventing student suicide. Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy and we are committed to working with bereaved families to learn from these deaths.

“Record numbers of children and young adults are now experiencing poor mental health and this is reflected in growing student need. Although universities are investing in student support and developing partnerships with NHS services, their primary role is as settings for adult learning not health care.

“We do not believe the proposed additional statutory duty of care, beyond the existing duties that already apply to universities, would be practical, proportionate, or the best approach to supporting students.

“We continue to work with the government, and its Student Support Champion Professor Edward Peck, on proposals to improve outcomes for students.”