Data sharing is key to effective mental health support for students
More effective sharing of data and better join-up between agencies is needed to further improve mental health support in Welsh universities.
14 October 2022
These were the key points made by Universities Wales at the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education committee’s evidence session last week.
Represented by Universities Wales Chair, Professor Elizabeth Treasure, Dr Ben Calvert, Vice-Chancellor of University of South Wales, and Universities Wales Policy Adviser, Sophie Douglas, University Wales gave evidence as part of the Committee’s inquiry student mental health support in higher education.
As well as improved information sharing and collaboration between agencies, Universities also made the case for increased and more consistent support for transitions experienced by students - from further to higher education, and from CAMHS to adult mental health services. The team also identified the need to ensure that students can access a consistent standard of support throughout the year, regardless of where they live and study.
The Mental Health University Liaison Service in South Wales was held up as an example of successful data sharing and partnership working between statutory health services and universities, and it was suggested that this model could be built on and expanded throughout Wales.
Professor Elizabeth Treasure emphasised the need for clear public information on the roles, remits and responsibilities of educational institutions and statutory health services, so that students understand what kinds and level of support universities are able to provide.
Highlighting the need for joint working and collaboration across the higher education sector and with health services, Professor Treasure added:
“There's a lot of work that can be done to explore developing NHS higher education partnerships, like the excellent model that we're seeing in south-east Wales, and data-sharing opportunities to ease the transitions.
“Welsh universities are autonomous institutions but we work very collaboratively together, and we demonstrated that very effectively during the pandemic, working closely with Welsh Government and HEFCW.
“I think there are a lot of lessons to learn from that in how we do the same for mental health.”