Our response to the national review of student suicide deaths

The report examines incidents of non-fatal self-harm and suspected suicide deaths reported by higher education providers for the 2023/24 academic year. It shares learning from the incidents to identify areas of good practice in the sector, and it provides 19 recommendations for areas of improvement.

As a professional membership association for Student Services leaders in higher education, AMOSSHE supports the recommendations of the national review of student suicide deaths. We maintain our commitment to enhancing student wellbeing and safety across the sector. Every student lost to suicide is a tragedy, and as a sector we always strive to ensure that universities provide a safe environment in which students can thrive.

The report recommends that the sector adheres to the guidance hosted on our website about reducing risk and restricting access to means of student suicide. The practical guide is authored by a cross-sector collaborative team of universities and sector organisations, including academic researchers and practitioners with the support of bereaved families. We continue to highlight the importance of collaborative approaches and open communication with families to ensure transparency and continuous improvements in institutional practices. Also, we’ve helped develop new guidelines to inform the use and adoption of case management systems to improve information sharing within providers, which is due to be published in the coming months.

At a time when our community reports reduced budgets and staffing, many of the recommendations in the DfE’s report depend on sufficient financial resourcing of Student Services. The initiatives that the report recommends must be independently resourced to ensure they don’t further reduce or restrict the already limited resources available to Student Services. In a holistic support system, universities are one of the points of contact for students at risk of suicide. It’s therefore vital that work continues at a national level to facilitate collaborative approaches between the sector and the NHS to ensure students can access the right clinical care.

We remain dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of all students and staff by working closely with sector colleagues, partners and the families and advocates for students who have died by suicide. We also welcome the continuation of the higher education mental health implementation taskforce’s work, which will allow us to continue to represent Student Services staff who are central to suicide prevention efforts.