University staff in Wales have described in grim detail how they have witnessed death, self harm and medical emergencies in the continuing student mental health crisis. Support staff said they have dealt with student death, incidents of self harm and sitting with suicidal students for hours waiting for ambulances.
The evidence was given as part of an inquiry into mental health on campus by the Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee. Staff such as cleaners, security and house keeping staff are often at the sharp end when students hit crisis, but lack training, the committee was told.
Evidence from Unison, the union representing university support staff, included one member, at an unnamed university, who said: “I have witnessed self-harming in students and also, unfortunately I witnessed a student death and also a major medical incident which led to a student having life-saving surgery.”
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Other testimony from university support staff, gathered in a Unison survey across all eight universities in Wales, was equally harrowing. The following are a snapshot of responses to the union:
- “We have had students expressing their wish to end their lives, this has involved sitting with them for five hours after we are supposed to go home waiting for ambulances that never turn up.”
- “Incidents of students self-harming on site have increased significantly- we have had to put measures in place within my department due to easy access of tools/sharps that can be used for this. Students suffering from anxiety and having panic attacks are now so frequent that mental health first aiding is used far more often than physical first aiding. I have had to be trained in both.”
- “We have had suicides, students who don’t know how to deal with stressors, there is regular abuse from students to staff and I’m sure that this is due to frustration.”
- “Student shouting and screaming in room next to me. He was threatening to kill himself.
The strain of trying to cope with the student mental health crisis, on top of general increased work pressure, is causing support staff to have mental health problems of their own, Lynne Hackett, head of higher education for Unison Cymru/Wales, told the committee meeting in Cardiff on October 26.
Unison is calling on universities to provide mental health and suicide awareness training for all support staff. This would help them identify and flag students who may need help before they reach crisis, Ms Hackett told the committee.
She stressed that support staff, such as those in and around halls of residence, were often the first to spot or witness student mental health problems.
“Support staff who we represent don’t feel they have the training they require which would assist with the increasing need for mental health they see in students. When someone is experiencing low mental health or mental illness they might not turn up for academic meetings.
“I would say it (mental health training) needs to be across the board so that everyone in the institution has understanding and awareness of where they might look for assistance.”
Presenting the survey results to the committee she said there was a duty of care on employers to look after their employees. Universities are not providing the mental health support their staff “urgently require” and this will, in turn, affect students.
“Support staff are dedicated professionals and the first point of contact of students outside their lecture rooms, they want to be as well-trained as possible to support those young people experiencing mental health difficulties.
“Many support staff have told us they feel ill-equipped to help people struggling in those very serious situations, where they may be self-harming or considering suicide, because they lack training and the resources to provide support.”
The findings from the Unison Cymru/Wales survey of university support
- 45.5% have experienced or witnessed incidents which have been the result of a student/s with poor mental health.
- More than half don't feel equipped with the necessary mental health training to provide support/signposting for students hey come into contact with.
- 68.5% said their mental health has got worse or much worse in the last three years (49.7% worse, 18.8% much worse).
- Those who had used employee assistance for help with their mental health were asked to mark the scheme, 10 being excellent and one being completely inadequate. 87.1% marked the scheme as one.
- 84.2% said pressure at work has negatively affected their quality of life.
- Nearly three in 10 agreed that below inflation pay awards over the last few years, understaffing in their department and the cost-of-living crisis has negatively impacted their mental health.
Universities respond
A spokesperson for Universities Wales, which represents universities in Wales, said: "The health and wellbeing of staff and students is a top priority for universities in Wales and we want to ensure that universities are safe and healthy places to study, work and live.
"We recognise that frontline staff often play an important role in supporting students with their mental health. It is important that these colleagues have access to appropriate training and support which enables them to feel confident in responding to students who may be experiencing difficulties.
"Our universities and Welsh Government have invested in strategic approaches to mental health which incorporate staff training. Institutions provide mental health first aid training and other training, both to support the wellbeing of staff and to enable them to signpost students to appropriate, expert support within the university, or provide initial support where they have the skills.
"We can always do more and are keen to hear about needs and how these can be met."
Universities Wales said mental health training includes:
- A joint project between the University of Wales Trinity St David, Swansea University and Hefcw, known as Connect, to improve wellbeing and reduce student loneliness. Staff and student "connectors" at both universities were trained to support to students struggling with isolation, loneliness or social skills.
- As a result more than 50 UWTSD staff have become accredited mental health first aiders and the university now has five mental health first aid instructors approved to deliver the Mental Health First Aid Wales youth mental health first aid course.
- An unnamed university is running ASIST Suicide Prevention training, and SafeTALK suicide alertness training with staff on duty in residences overnight and expanded to other teams
- Another unnamed university runs a mental health programme, i-act for managers to support their teams.
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