University wins funding to enhance support for student mental health and well-being

The University has been awarded funding totalling £736,000 from the Office for Students for a transitional student mental health support project, which will run from June 2019 to December 2021. Taking a city-wide approach, the project will partner with other FE and HE institutions, support services and student representatives to form a cross-disciplinary team, whose role will be to develop processes, procedures and tools to enable students to support each other and themselves as they start and progress through university.

The project, jointly run by Student Services with Digital Education & Student Life and overseen by an independent steering group, will also involve partnerships with local NHS services, Lincolnshire Police and County Council, Lincoln College and Bishop Grosseteste University. The Students Unions from the two universities will also be closely involved.

Along with providing enhanced face-to-face support and other provision for those planning to go to University, applicants and students, the project will also involve the development of a range of digital tools, platforms and content to underpin a self-sufficient approach, which will be integrated into the school outreach programme and embedded in the curriculum. These will be developed with a number of external partners, including UniHealth, Fika and Expert Self Care.

Other specific initiatives an approaches within the project will include the development of a  volunteer Wellbeing Champion role within the Students Union, the development of mindfulness-based strengths practice within the curriculum, an increased emphasis on well-being in schools outreach and an expansion of pre-arrival on-campus events, building on the approach taken by the successful WOW summer school.

Expected outcomes from the project are enhanced retention and attainment for students, the development of life skills and resilience for students and a reduced need for students to access specialist mental health services both within the University and across the city.

For more information, please contact Jacqueline Mayer, Head of Student Services, or Tom Wright, Director of Digital Student Life.