Mental health and wellbeing strategic and services reviews and designing new operating models to cover prevention and intervention and including integrated services with external statutory and third sector providers
Strategic change in specialist student support services
In the face of broad societal changes, universities must create inclusive and supportive environments that empower students to survive and excel in a rapidly changing world. At SUMS we work with forward-thinking institutions who are proactively shaping their student services to meet and exceed growing student demand and regulatory expectations in a competitive sector.
Increasing numbers of students across the UK higher education are experiencing mental health and wellbeing difficulties, and growing numbers of students are disclosing a disability (16.7% of all students in 2022/23). There are also significant changes in the legal, regulatory and sectoral context (including EHRC’s Guidance Note post the Abrahart ruling, Mental Health Charter, Disabled Students Commitment, new E6 conditions on tackling non-academic misconduct).
Many universities are finding their services are struggling to cope with the increased pressures that all these changes are bringing, but they also want to enhance their students’ experience and success. This means that universities need to optimise their mental health and wellbeing strategies, services and underpinning operating models to be as effective and efficient as possible.
We support you with:
Disability and inclusion reviews and developing new strategic frameworks and operating models
Accommodation and residential life reviews
Enhancing services and models to tackle both academic and non-academic misconduct, including investigations and disciplinary proceedings
Strategy and policy review and re-development, including for instance to introduce trauma informed approaches and Suicide Safer strategies
Enhancing key processes around mitigating and extenuating circumstances and appeals
Ongoing mentoring and critical friend support to student services leaders within our member and client institutions to help them implement and successfully embed change.
Our approach
SUMS has supported multiple universities to enhance the services they provide to students over the past five years. Our consultants support institutions to adopt a strategic approach, starting with a holistic ‘whole university’ view and then considering individual components of the student experience. The aim is to create thriving communities with a strong sense of belonging, enrichment opportunities and resilience across the student and staff populations.
We draw on the learning from sector guidance and frameworks (from UUK, OIA, Student Minds) to underpin our approach and recommendations. Our work is informed by our wealth of experience from within and outside the HE sector and SUMS’ growing knowledge base from UK and international benchmarking studies and comparative research.
Examples of our work and impact
Mental health and wellbeing strategic reviews
Assessment of multiple universities’ approaches to supporting staff and student mental health and wellbeing using the UUK Stepchange framework and the Mental Health Charter. Our recommendations help transform services and university operating models. Examples include our work with Durham University, Aberystwyth University, University of Cambridge, Bangor University, Cardiff Met, University of Leicester, Staffordshire University and many more.
Disability and inclusion reviews
A review of provision for disabled students at the University of Cambridge resulted in recommendations for a new university wise framework and operating model. At Aberystwyth University, we assessed the provision of services against the Disabled Students Commitment highlighting and prioritising opportunities for change.
Accommodation and residential life reviews
Our work with University of Westminster, University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent, University of Aberdeen and Kings College London helped enhance Residential Services, including Residential Life structures and policies as well as Out of Hours support.
Strategy and policy review and re-development
Examples include our work with the University of Nottingham and Aberystwyth University to support their policy framework development. As part of this, we offer 2-day student services policy writing workshops for universities.
Ongoing mentoring and critical friend support
At the University of Cambridge and Cardiff Met University we have provided ongoing support to Directors in leading the implementation of successful change.