Student Minds Mental Health Charter Visits
Lucy Backhurst, Academic Registrar and Director of Student Services and chair of the Mental Health Steering Group, discusses the upcoming Student Minds Mental Health Charter Visits, taking place 18 and 19 March 2026.
26 February 2026
In March 2026, we will welcome assessors from Student Minds to our Newcastle campus as part of the Mental Health Charter assessment. This is an important visit for our University community; over the past year, colleagues and students have worked together to prepare our Charter submission. The visit is an opportunity to demonstrate how we support the mental health and wellbeing of our students and colleagues, and where we are continuing to improve.
The Charter recognises that mental health is shaped by the whole university experience: learning, working, living and accessing support. Everyone plays a part.
The Charter encourages us to look at our University wellbeing provision across four areas:
1. Learn (Led by Dr Helen St Clair-Thompson): Creating a curriculum and academic experience that enables students to thrive.
What’s working well:
- Education for Life 2030+ is transforming our curriculum through a co-created and inclusive framework.
- A new Academic Advising Framework (from 2026–27) will provide consistent, personalised support for every student.
Where we’re improving:
- Increasing uptake of mental health and suicide awareness training so supporting student wellbeing becomes a shared responsibility across the University.
2. Work (Led by Stephanie Alderslade): Supporting colleagues to develop, feel valued and thrive.
What’s working well:
- A clear Health and Wellbeing Strategic Plan delivered collaboratively across teams ensures a consistent institution-wide approach.
Where we’re improving:
- Developing more sensitive feedback methods to better understand colleague experience.
- Strengthening psychological safety and leadership culture through Behaviour Matters and Reimagining Leadership initiatives.
3. Live (Led by Yvonne Chase and Kate Aitchison): Ensuring accommodation and campus environments promote safety, belonging and wellbeing.
What’s working well:
- Accommodation guarantee for new students.
- A proactive ResLife programme supporting independent living, healthy relationships and self-care.
- Practical support including the NUSU Student Pantry and free period products across campus.
Where we’re improving:
- Making it easier for students to understand and access the full range of University and NUSU support services.
4. Support (Led by Kirsty Hutchinson and Dr Lucy Robinson): Providing accessible, effective and well-governed wellbeing services.
What’s working well:
- Our Impact Measurement Scale helps students access the right support more quickly and enables us to measure outcomes and improve services.
- Leadership in mental health literacy through our partnership in Nurture-U, generating the UK’s largest longitudinal student mental health dataset.
- Credit-bearing mental health literacy education embedded in the curriculum, with over 600 Newcastle students participating.
Where we’re improving:
- Expanding mental health literacy across more programmes.
- Continuing to evaluate and strengthen digital and preventative support.
How You Can Support the Visit
The assessment requires a whole-university approach. Assessors will speak informally with colleagues and students while at the University so please feel confident in sharing your experiences. In practical terms, if you’ve not yet completed your Mental Health Awareness or Suicide Prevention training, please do so by visiting the Learning Management System and, as always, please keep signposting your students to the support available through the University Health and Wellbeing Service.
Finally, thank you to Sally Ingram, our theme leads and to the many colleagues and students who have been involved in preparing the Mental Health submission.
Together we are building a community where student mental health is everyone’s business.