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Andrew Western shared the story of Naseeb Chuhan, a student who took his own life after struggling with mental health issues at Leeds Beckett University. He highlighted that there were no welfare checks made to address Naseeb's outstanding work or attendance issues and criticised the university for not adequately identifying and responding to risk during a wellbeing service visit. Western also pointed out the difficulty parents face in making complaints about universities' handling of cases due to lack of regulation, arguing for a statutory duty of care for students.
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The MP supports the petition for a statutory duty of care for higher education students, acknowledging existing mental health funding and targets. She expresses concern for families who have lost loved ones to suicide during university and highlights the lack of legal protection for undiagnosed neurodiverse students. She also criticises misunderstanding of GDPR in cases of mental health crises.
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He discusses his constituent Anu Abraham who was failed by both the police and university during a placement and took his own life due to bullying, calling for a duty of care or a much more holistic view to ensure parents fully understand what is happening.
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Proposed a named advocate for students to ensure staff at all levels are trained and can notify parents if there are concerns about a student's mental health, based on her experience with the death of her nephew.
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Called for transparency in suicide data reporting by universities, proposing that they declare and publish information about student suicides. Also suggested placing poorly performing universities in special measures or providing them with necessary support.
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He asks if parents should be informed when their child attempts suicide at university, highlighting that Universities UK has drawn up suicide prevention guidelines which he believes should be made compulsory for universities as an interim measure.
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He congratulates the petitioners on securing today's debate and discusses how mental health in higher education has become more complex and serious following the covid pandemic, suggesting a review of the law to protect students.
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She speaks out on behalf of her constituent Esther Brennan whose son Theo was let down at every level by the university processes he went through and had no duty of care according to an inquest, she agrees that we need clarity on this issue.
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As a Bristol MP, Kerry McCarthy has been in touch with the vice-chancellors of local universities to ensure they are addressing mental health issues seriously. She questioned whether a statutory duty of care would effectively engage further education establishments and smaller institutions beyond large universities.
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Mr. Malthouse discussed the case of Valerie and Andrew Hayter, whose son Alex took his own life due to disengagement from university. He argued that universities have become more transactional and less focused on pastoral care, leading to a lack of basic kindness and human connection for students in distress.
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Ms. Foy expressed her condolences to the families affected by student suicides and criticised the Government's response as insensitive. She supported the petition calling for a statutory duty of care, arguing that it is fair, justifiable, and necessary given the current system's failures.
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Expressed gratitude to the LEARN Network for their campaign, highlighted testimonies from the parliamentary reception as powerful and moving. Discussed concerns about automated emails lacking empathy, mental health crises among students, financial pressures leading to despair, and inconsistent implementation of best practice guidelines. Called for more investment in mental health services, better integration with NHS trusts, and enforcement of a charter for student welfare.
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Mr Blomfield highlighted the importance of addressing mental health issues among university students, noting that even one suicide is too many. He mentioned the low but concerning number of suicides and emphasized the preventable nature of these deaths. He cited statistics showing that 25% of 17 to 19-year-olds in England experienced poor mental health last year, a significant increase from 6 years ago. Mr Blomfield also discussed the inadequacy of current support systems and universities' response through initiatives like the mentally healthy universities framework.
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Paid tribute to the petition signatories, particularly Oskar Carrick's parents for their selflessness in campaigning. Emphasised the importance of universities sharing information about students' mental health with families despite GDPR concerns. Stressed that students are not regular customers and require a statutory duty of care due to vulnerabilities stemming from social media pressures and the pandemic.
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She highlights the case of her constituent Mared Foulkes who received an automated email hours before her death saying she had failed exams and would not progress to third year, stating that this is completely unacceptable.
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Wendy Chamberlain noted that one in four students face mental health challenges, suggesting that a more transparent framework or statutory duty of care could boost student confidence to seek help from their institutions. She highlighted the current lack of support and the potential for improved outcomes with such measures. Asked the Minister about engagement with Scottish and Welsh Governments to prevent student suicides.