New guidance has been published today to help guide staff at universities on how to respond to student suicides.
Created by Universities UK, in partnership with PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide and Samaritans, the guidance, 'Responding to a suicide: advice for universities', is the first of its kind to set out the challenges that need careful management following any student death but especially suspected death by suicide.
It has been funded by the Office for Students and written with advice from practitioners, experts and also bereaved families.
Providing practical advice for student support teams, including a checklist to guide staff after a student death, recommendations in the guidance includes:
*Establishing a dedicated 'postvention' team to deal with any student death;
*Developing a death response plan for student services and other first responders;
*Ensuring all staff receive training in what to do if they learn of a student death;
*Providing kind and timely support to family and friends;
*Recording and carrying out critical incident reviews of all student deaths.
The guidance emphasises the impact on families, friends and wider communities of staff and students and the importance of providing practical, emotional and pyschological support.
Professor Steve West, president of Universities UK, said: "What higher education institutions do in the immediate aftermath of a death by suicide matters.
"It is also critical that we learn from each and every case sot hat we can limit the risks of future tragedies.
"This guidance will help us respond with kindness, to learn from each death and do everything we can to save lives."