Students returning to university in the new academic year will benefit from a new partnership being launched between student living specialists, Scape, and student mental health charity Student Minds.
This new partnership will ensure students and staff at Scape are equipped to help improve mental wellbeing at a time when university life will be somewhat different to how it used to be. With many young people already reporting difficulties with their mental health, even before Covid-19, the events of the last few months have understandably added to this with increased uncertainty contributing to worry and anxiety for many. Empowering students and ensuring their wellbeing has always been at the heart of everything Scape does, and now this partnership will bring student mental wellbeing even further to the forefront.
Student Minds works closely with the university community to enable staff and students to not only look after their own mental health but to support others around them. They work with students across the UK to provide peer support groups and research-driven campaigns to create change in their university communities.
Scape’s partnership began with Student Minds’ CEO Rosie Tressler OBE taking part in Scape’s ‘Why Mind Matters?’ panel discussion earlier this year, highlighting the importance of student mental wellbeing. Since then, Student Minds has been working with Scape to empower its senior team to develop the knowledge and skills needed to better understand student mental wellbeing, and will train other team members in mental health awareness so that support is available to its residents.
Student Minds, CEO, Rosie Tressler OBE commented: ‘As we begin to ease out of months of uncertainty, many young people may be feeling worried about starting or heading back to university for the new academic year. It is great that Scape is focusing on student wellbeing by working alongside Student Minds. This focus on student wellbeing naturally aligns with Student Minds’ goal to empower the university community to make the wellbeing of their students and staff a priority. Together, we will work to enhance and develop Scape’s initiatives even further to suit the ever-changing cohort of students and ensure that all residents feel comfortable and supported.’
Alongside the new partnership, Scape has also launched a new resident engagement app that aims to encourage a sense of community and maintain student wellbeing among its residents. The app allows students to directly contact a residential manager, trained in mental health, for support if they are struggling. Once contact has been made by a student, advice and guidance will be provided by one of 65 mental health trained staff and referrals to a psychologist can be made if needed.
Scape UK/IE Managing Director, Neil Smith says: ‘Working with Student Minds, we understand the importance of early detection and prevention when it comes to mental health. Together, we are constantly reviewing, adapting and improving our wellbeing initiatives to ensure residents have a place to turn to if they are struggling. As we prepare to welcome students back to Scape properties for the new academic year we are delighted that this new partnership enables us to do more to support our students and staff, ensuring that we have the right measures and initiatives in place to support and care for the mental wellbeing of the Scape community. ’
