‘New guidance on student suicides will help universities learn and save lives’

The guidance on responding to student suicides was informed with advice from practitioners, experts and bereaved families.

New guidance has been issued to universities on how to handle the aftermath of student suicides (Chris Radburn/PA) (PA Archive)

Universities should put together a “postvention” team of people to deal with student deaths, according to new guidance on responding to suicides.

The team should consist of a family liaison person – ideally someone who knew the student – as well as people to care specifically for affected staff and students, Universities UK (UUK) said.

The guidance, published on Tuesday, is in partnership with the Papyrus suicide prevention charity and is funded by the Office for Students.

UUK said it is the first of its kind to set out the “challenges that need careful and compassionate management following any student death but especially a suspected death by suicide”.

The organisation said the guidance was informed with advice from practitioners, experts and bereaved families.

It follows guidance published in October on efforts to prevent suicides – the first time a consistent practice had been proposed for the sector.

That guidance, also published by UUK in partnership with Papyrus, saw universities being urged to be more proactive in their efforts to do so.

Its recommendations included the option of involving trusted contacts such as parents or others even without agreement from the student, in situations where there are serious concerns about the person’s safety or mental health.

The latest guidance focuses on how universities should handle the aftermath of a student death by suicide.

This guidance will help us respond with kindness, to learn from each death and to do everything we can to save lives

Professor Steve West, Universities UK

It advises the establishment of a dedicated so-called “postvention” team to deal with any student death.

The team should comprise at least six members, the advice states, including a family liaison lead to engage with the student’s family, providing a single consistent point of contact for relatives and with the ability to signpost them to support services.

The advice also contains instructions for security staff who are often the first responders when a death occurs on campus, and states that they must be given follow-up support.

The guidance notes: “It is important to remember that in responding to an immediate completed or attempted suicide security staff will be impacted emotionally, physically and cognitively.”

Other recommendations include developing a death response plan for student services, ensuring all staff are trained in what to do if they learn of a student death, providing support to family and friends, and handling matters such as belongings, accommodation and student finance.

The guidance also gives information on carrying out a serious incident review after a death and advice for staff in supporting an inquest.

Working together with those with lived experience... universities can be confident that this guidance will ensure best practice

Ged Flynn, Papyrus,

Professor Steve West, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of UWE Bristol, welcomed the guidance, which he said will help universities “respond with kindness” and learn from deaths in an effort to save lives in future.

He said: “What higher education institutions do in the immediate aftermath of a death by suicide matters. We must respond with compassion and respect and be sensitive to – and guided by – the wishes of the family of the person who has died.

“It is also critical that we learn from each and every case so that we can limit the risks of future tragedies. This guidance will help us respond with kindness, to learn from each death and to do everything we can to save lives.”

Ged Flynn, chief executive of Papyrus, said the charity is “delighted to see the HE (higher education) sector owning the agenda of suicide postvention in the launch of this important guidance”.

He added: “Working together with those with lived experience and organisations like Papyrus, Samaritans, and Universities UK, universities can be confident that this guidance will ensure best practice and, indeed, future suicide safety in the aftermath of a student death.”