UNIVERSITY DUTY OF CARE TO STUDENTS

It’s World Mental Health Week and I wanted to share a petition a friend sent me from THE LEARN NETWORK. They believe that suicide is preventable and that universities must do more to help keep students safe. They have submitted a petition urging parliamentarians to address the shortcomings in higher education through the provision of a general duty of car stardard that would cover policies, processes and procedures, as well as day to day practices. It would mean that when students arrive at university, they can allocate a parent or a trusted friend to be contacted, should they need help. It seems ludicrous that this isn’t already in place.

Phoebe, a student at Newcastle university took her own life during lockdown and she was the dear daughter of a dear friend of a great friend of mine. Two of my children went to Bristol university and both of them knew students who killed themselves during their time at uni. It’s rife – even more so post lockdown after being stuck in their rooms alone, with no contact with their teachers. So much pressure for our young students and the suicide rate has skyrocketed.

“The people who are most susceptible to this, get the least help.”

One young person every 4 to 5 days in the last 10 years has killed themselves. Universities and government need to do more to help. Currently there is no legal Duty of Care for students, but there should be. If you can help get this in front of our MP’s by signing the petition then we can maybe help change this awful situation.

They need 100,000 signatures for this to happen, so they need a lot more. At 10,000 signatures, government will respond to this petition. At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in parliament. Please sign now. It will only take a few seconds:-

https://www.thelearnnetwork.org.uk/statute-for-student-safety.html

And whilst I’m on the subject of duty of care, I also think that there should be a change in the way that our children are treated by doctors for mental health issues. Currently, if a child is over 18 they are considered an adult, so even the parents who live in the same house with their child are potentially unaware of the drugs they have been given if they are seeing a doctor or allowed to be consulted on their state of mind. An 18 year old who is put into rehab is on their own – parents are not consulted or updated on what is going on. How can that be remotely helpful? Surely that’s not right? How can you help your child if you are kept out of the loop? Yes, eighteen is the point at which they can call themselves an adult, but they are still your child, no matter what. It doesn’t make sense. This too should change.