Speakers
Amanda Oliver
Presentation
This session discusses mental health governance frameworks and the findings from the national review of higher education student suicides, two outputs from HEMHIT (Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce).
This part of the session explores how governance frameworks can integrate mental health considerations into decision-making processes, ensure consistent support at all levels, and align mental health with broader institutional objectives. This session highlights the key assurances that governing bodies should seek and examine how universities can demonstrate visible leadership and implement effective governance arrangements that foster a mentally healthy university community.
This part of the session presents findings from the national review of higher education student suicide deaths. This review was commissioned by the UK government Department for Education to examine serious incident reports of suspected suicide deaths and incidents of non-fatal self-harm submitted by higher education providers for the academic year 2023/24.
The main aim was to improve learning from these tragic incidents and to build on changes higher education providers have already made, and help develop a safety culture, but also to contribute to all aspects of suicide prevention. In this session, learn about the findings from the national review, including the extent to which serious incident reports followed existing sector guidance, and hear NCISH’s conclusions and recommendations, which centre around safety concerns, suicide prevention within university systems, amendments to the Universities UK guidance on carrying out a serious incident review, and safety messages for the wider system.
Amanda Oliver is Interim Executive Director of the Committee of University Chairs (CUC) and Executive Secretary to the Chairs of Universities in Wales.
As the principal author of the Higher Education Code of Governance, Amanda provides advice on regulation, governance, and policy across the higher education sector.
She has authored several CUC publications, including a governance framework on mental health, and has led numerous strategic governance and integration projects. Working for the representative body of housing associations in Wales, she produced the Welsh Housing Sector Code of Governance, co-designed a risk-based approach to housing regulation and provided advice on policy and governance during a merger that created the largest housing association in Wales.
Amanda has successfully led a high-profile policy campaign on welfare reform and served as the primary spokesperson. She has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, advocacy and cross-sector leadership, with a career that bridges public, third and private sectors.
She has also held several Non-Executive Director roles, including at Cheltenham Borough Homes, Tai Pawb (an organization promoting equality and social justice in housing), and TPAS Cymru (Tenant Participation Advisory Service Wales)
Amanda is a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Dr Dominique Thompson is a multi-award winning former GP, young people's mental health expert, TEDx speaker, author and educator, with over two decades of NHS clinical experience.
Dom now works as an independent mental health consultant and speaker, whilst holding roles including; President of the Student Health Association, membership of the UK government’s Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce, and Clinical Advisor to NICE and Student Minds.
She is author of The Student Wellbeing Series (Trigger Press) for young people, and co-author of How to Grow a Grown Up (PenguinRandomHouse) for parents.
Dom has done two TEDx talks; ‘What I learnt from 78000 GP consultations with university students’ and ‘Understanding Why’.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
For information about Dom’s work as a consultant and speaker see www.buzzconsulting.co.uk and check out www.growingagrownup.com for free parenting blogs and resources.