Speakers
Worshop
This interactive workshop invites colleagues to explore the rapidly changing expectations placed on UK universities, particularly in Student Services. The UK sector is increasingly reflecting a US-style consumer model in which students feel empowered to ask, “What’s in it for me?” This shift is driving heightened demand for personalised, immediate and high-quality support at a time when many institutions are facing reduced budgets and stretched capacity.
Delegates will reflect on how these dynamics are shaping their daily work, how the rising consumer mindset influences student behaviour, and what this entails for wellbeing and inclusion services. The session will provide a space to share best practice, discuss creative approaches to handling demand, and exchange practical strategies to navigate the mounting pressure while maintaining services that are safe and student-centred.
The workshop aims to provide an opportunity for connection, insight and a sense of shared momentum during a time of significant turbulence for the sector.
Kristy Robinson, M.S.W., SFHEA, UKCP Reg. is a mental health practitioner and higher education leader with over a decade of experience spanning both the United States and the United Kingdom. Her career has focused on building inclusive, trauma-informed student support services and leading strategic wellbeing initiatives at institutional levels. Kristy’s clinical training and experience as a psychotherapist inform her approach to leadership and collaboration, where she advocates for meaningful change in student mental health and wellbeing.
Currently serving as Student Support Development Lead at the University of Westminster, Kristy leads on policy development and strategic advancement for the Student Support and Residential Life service provision. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has recently been appointed as a Trustee with the University Mental Health Advisers Network (UMHAN). Her work is grounded in a commitment to cultural humility, social justice, and ethical leadership in student mental health and wellbeing.