Recurring concern

Insufficient student mental-health support capacity

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First reported 14 Dec 2015•Latest report 1 Mar 2019

Definition

What this concern includes

Includes recurring deficiencies in the capacity, staffing, resources, availability or continuity of student-focused mental-health intervention, counselling and wellbeing services where these limit timely support for students in distress or with longer-term mental-health needs.

Not included

Excludes general mental-health service-capacity concerns without a student-focused setting or beneficiary qualifier.
Excludes failures in the quality of assessment, treatment or communication after adequate student mental-health support capacity is available.
Excludes generic university staffing, funding or pastoral-support deficiencies unless they directly limit student mental-health intervention, counselling or wellbeing-service capacity.
Excludes isolated delays or individual missed interventions where no continuing capacity deficiency is asserted.

Reports: 2
Individual concerns: 2
Date range: 2015–2019
Stated actions: 4

Reports over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

Cardiff University1

Devon Partnership NHS Trust1

University of Exeter1

University of Exeter Students' Guild1

Concerns and responses across reports

Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

1 Mar2019
South Wales Central
Concerns raised1
1. Inadequate provision of counselling and wellbeing services for students
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 3
1. Action
  Invest in and develop the Centre for Student Life as a future home for Student Support Services.
  Stated by Cardiff UniversityStated in progress
2. Action
  Allocate additional investment for posts supporting risk assessment, triage and management of student crises.
  Stated by Cardiff UniversityStated completed
3. Action
  Increase staff time allocated to student counselling and wellbeing services.
  Stated by Cardiff UniversityStated completed
Respondent positions 1
1. Position
  The University disputes that its counselling and wellbeing provision is inadequate for the purposes its services are intended to fulfil.
  Stated by Cardiff UniversityDisputes the concern
AI-generated summary

Jack Liam May · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Jack May, a 20-year-old nursing student with a longstanding history of mental health problems, died in the River Taff on 25 October 2018; the inquest concluded that his death was suicide. The report raised concerns about the adequacy and accessibility of Cardiff University’s emergency, counselling, wellbeing and pastoral support services for students experiencing mental health or other personal difficulties.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Inadequate provision of counselling and wellbeing services for students
Wider context from the report
“(1) Provision of sufficient services within Cardiff University to provide emergency help and support for students. Evidence suggested that there may be inadequate provision of counselling and wellbeing services, with long waits being experienced by attendees, also that after 4 appointments, students must reapply. This presents obvious difficulties for students with longer term needs; ”
Source location
Jack Liam May · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 1 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Invest in and develop the Centre for Student Life as a future home for Student Support Services.

Verbatim wording from the response
“2.1 The University has sought to take a lead nationally in debates around student mental health and the development of innovative approaches to supporting students. Our Director of Student Support and Wellbeing, ████████, was a member of the Universities UK Mental Health in HE Group which oversaw the initial development of the Universities UK’s Stepchange¹ strategic approach to mental health. Working with Student Minds UK, the University of the West of England, the University of York and Universities UK, the University is a pilot site for the Stepchange framework and later in 2019 we will launch a new strategy and action plan for mental health, founded on the Stepchange approach, which has been in development over the past 18 months. We are investing in a substantial new building, the Centre for Student Life, which from 2021 will be the home of our Student Support Services.”

Source location
2019-0078-Response-by-Cardiff-University
Page 2 · response
Published 9 June 2019
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Allocate additional investment for posts supporting risk assessment, triage and management of student crises.

Verbatim wording from the response
“4.10 In recent years we have seen a substantial growth in students presenting to our services in crisis, and therefore not a state suitable for counselling. This is an issue we are currently seeking to alter our approach to in response to this presenting change. We are reviewing and improving a range of policies, including in particular our ‘Fitness to Study Procedure’, to make them more accessible and supportive; we are in the early stages of developing a new approach managing risk assessment and intervention where students are experiencing a crisis. We have recently allocated around £150,000 additional investment for new posts to risk assess, triage and manage these situations. This in turn will release staff time back to our counselling provision as the growth in this type of work has, to this point, been reactively managed by our counselling staff.”

Source location
2019-0078-Response-by-Cardiff-University
Page 9 · response
Published 9 June 2019
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Increase staff time allocated to student counselling and wellbeing services.

Verbatim wording from the response
“4.8 At the University Counselling Service management aims for a maximum wait of three working weeks for a combined assessment counselling session (90 minute Therapeutic Consultation); this is normally followed by a four week purposeful gap for the student to explore goals set at that consultation, and a date agreed for the student to re-engage with the service. The service aims for a maximum four week wait for ongoing counselling. Our Wellbeing Team aim for a maximum two weeks wait for assessment and four weeks for ongoing sessions.”

Source location
2019-0078-Response-by-Cardiff-University
Page 8 · response
Published 9 June 2019
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
The University disputes that its counselling and wellbeing provision is inadequate for the purposes its services are intended to fulfil.

Verbatim wording from the response
“Matters of Concern 5 (1): “Provision of sufficient services within Cardiff University to provide emergency help and support for students. Evidence suggested there may be inadequate provision of counselling and wellbeing services, with long waits being experienced by attendees, also that after 4 appointments students must reapply. This presents obvious difficulties for students with longer term needs;””

Source location
2019-0078-Response-by-Cardiff-University
Page 7 · response
Published 9 June 2019
Open published response
14 Dec2015
Exeter and Greater Devon
Concerns raised1
1. Insufficient capacity for timeous intervention for students in distress
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 1
1. Action
  Conduct an independent external review of out-of-hours welfare support and crisis-management practices, including duty-of-care, legal, resourcing and infrastructure requirements.
  Stated by University of ExeterStated planned
AI-generated summary

William Jeffrey MASKELL · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

William Jeffrey MASKELL, who had Bipolar Disorder, was found collapsed in his university room after ingesting a fatal quantity of Venlafaxine and Lamotrigine. He was taken to hospital but was declared deceased. Concerns included the lack of a clear protocol for involving relevant agencies and the Police, delays in attending and forcing entry, and a risk of future deaths from untimely intervention.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Insufficient capacity for timeous intervention for students in distress
Wider context from the report
“3. There is a real risk of future deaths of students in distress for lack of timeous intervention because of the current restraints. ”
Source location
William Jeffrey MASKELL · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Conduct an independent external review of out-of-hours welfare support and crisis-management practices, including duty-of-care, legal, resourcing and infrastructure requirements.

Verbatim wording from the response
“Separately to the review conducted following receipt of the Regulation 28 Report, the University had already undertaken to engage an independent third party to review its practices around out-of-hours welfare support and crisis management, taking into consideration the University’s duty of care and legal responsibilities as well as resourcing and infrastructure requirements. This review forms part of the University’s ongoing commitment to ensuring best practice in the industry. We anticipate this external review will be completed by May 2016.”

Source location
William-Maskell-Response
Page 3 · response
Published 14 December 2015
Open published response

Data last updated 7 September 2026

What this concern includes

Not included

Reports over time

Concerns raised1

Inadequate provision of counselling and wellbeing services for students

Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3

Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1

Concerns raised1

Insufficient capacity for timeous intervention for students in distress

Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1

Actions described in response 3

Respondent positions 1

Actions described in response 1