Chaired by Student Support Champion, Professor Edward Peck, the Taskforce will draw on a wide range of expertise and experience in student mental health. The aim is to produce a plan for improvement in mental health support, setting out the roles and responsibilities of different organisations, milestones, and progress measures.
Key areas of focus include better identification of students in need of support and a clear user journey for accessing that support, and adoption of common principles and baselines for approaches across providers.
Reporting directly to Robert Halfon, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, the Taskforce aims to deliver an interim plan by December 2023 and a final report by May 2024.
Angela Halston, Senior Policy Officer at IHE, said:
"I am pleased to be able to contribute to the important priorities of the Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce.
Through my work with the IHE Student Services Network I have seen first-hand the commitment of IHE members to supporting their students, in particular their concern for ensuring those who experience mental ill health during their studies are able to access the right support, at the right time, for their context.
Often, national initiatives around student mental health can focus on traditional models of learning. IHE’s inclusion on the Taskforce enables our diverse group of members – and its students – to have their interests central to considerations."