The University Mental Health Charter is an initiative led by UK student mental health charity, Student Minds.
The announcement coincides with World Mental Health Day today, an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma, led by the World Health Organisation.
The charter provides a set of evidence-informed principles to support universities across the UK in making mental health a university-wide priority. The Charter Programme brings together universities committed to working towards these principles to share practice and create cultural change.
This includes a commitment to working with staff and students to provide adequately resourced and effective support services, as well as creating an environment and culture that reduces poor mental health and promotes good mental health for the whole university community.
Students' mental health and wellbeing is prioritised by Sheffield Hallam as it is fundamental to being able to thrive at university and beyond, and the Student Wellbeing Programme is the university’s commitment to this.
Sheffield Hallam provides a wealth of support for its student cohort, including three dedicated advisers looking out for each student: astudent support advisor, academic advisor and an employability advisor.
Students also have access to a variety of wellbeing tools including group workshops, bitesize wellbeing videos and a range of one-to-one appointments to support different needs - including counselling, faith and chaplaincy, mental health and disability support.
Student wellbeing also offer wellbeing appointments in which students can focus on what feels most important for their own wellbeing over the phone, with the help of wellbeing professionals.
Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Vice Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University said: “Sheffield Hallam is committed to ensuring all our students are able to thrive and develop the skills and resilience needed to prepare them for the real world. Every student has a ‘triangle’ of dedicated support - an academic, employability and welfare adviser. The University was an early adopter of a whole university approach to student mental health, launching its own Student Wellbeing Programme in 2019. Signing up to the University Mental Health Charter Framework aligns with our current good practice and will assist with embedding enablers to ensure appropriate action is taken to support student wellbeing at all levels throughout the University.”
