10 Jul 2024 Benjamin Faux · Prevention of Future Deaths report Berkshire
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Concerns raised 8 Failure to maintain contact with vulnerable students during unresolved academic situations View source Lack of follow-through for students offered suspension of studies View source Failure to identify students unfit to study and initiate enforced suspension View source Failure to recognise continuing vulnerability and risk from known academic and mental health concerns View source Failure to monitor engagement and identify academic or welfare issues at an early stage View source Risk of vulnerable taught research students being overlooked, isolated, or left in academic limbo View source Lack of named pastoral tutors for students on taught research courses View source Lack of individual responsibility for resolving vulnerable students’ academic situations View source See 5 more concerns
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Benjamin Faux · 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
Benjamin Faux was a taught research Master's student at the University of Reading who had severe mental health difficulties, disengaged from his studies, and took his own life in his student accommodation on or around 5 August 2023. The concerns included inadequate pastoral support and monitoring, the absence of a process to ensure completion of study-suspension arrangements, unclear responsibility for resolving his academic situation, and a lack of University contact with him before his death.
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× Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Universities UK; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Failure to maintain contact with vulnerable students during unresolved academic situations
Wider context from the report “(5) By March 2023 Ben’s department at Reading University knew that Ben was a student with severe mental health concerns linked to management of his academic work, who had not taken any exam and had not completed sufficient research to file a dissertation and by late June they also knew that he had not completed paperwork to suspend his studies and yet:
a. The University staff who knew this did not appear to appreciate what it meant for Ben and his continuing risk of vulnerability; and
b. There was no individual who was given or took responsibility for what should happen next with regard to resolving Ben’s academic situation;
and
c. Apart from brief further contact from the Student Support Centre the suspension forms, no-one from the University contacted Ben between 24 April 2023 and when he took his life on or around 5 August 2023 ;
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Universities UK; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Lack of follow-through for students offered suspension of studies
Wider context from the report “(3) Ben was appropriately encouraged to use University procedures such as ‘exceptional circumstances’ applications through to a conclusion, however there was no process for ensuring that after being offered the option to suspend his studies Ben was supported through to a conclusion of that process one way or another , and that remains the case for students in that position now ;
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Universities UK; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Failure to identify students unfit to study and initiate enforced suspension
Wider context from the report “(4) There is an established process for enforced suspension of studies and the University agreed that with hindsight Ben was clearly not fit to study and should have been identified as such and put on that pathway instead of leaving it to Ben to decide and take action to suspend his studies ;
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Universities UK; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Failure to recognise continuing vulnerability and risk from known academic and mental health concerns
Wider context from the report “(5) By March 2023 Ben’s department at Reading University knew that Ben was a student with severe mental health concerns linked to management of his academic work, who had not taken any exam and had not completed sufficient research to file a dissertation and by late June they also knew that he had not completed paperwork to suspend his studies and yet:
a. The University staff who knew this did not appear to appreciate what it meant for Ben and his continuing risk of vulnerability ; and
b. There was no individual who was given or took responsibility for what should happen next with regard to resolving Ben’s academic situation;
and
c. Apart from brief further contact from the Student Support Centre the suspension forms, no-one from the University contacted Ben between 24 April 2023 and when he took his life on or around 5 August 2023;
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Universities UK; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Failure to monitor engagement and identify academic or welfare issues at an early stage
Wider context from the report “(2) The nature of taught research courses (largely independent work) makes it more challenging to monitor students’ engagement and identify issues at an early stage . Ben’s difficulties with his academic work started after Christmas 2022 but were not addressed by the department until he raised them himself in March 2023 by which point he was at a crisis point;
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Universities UK; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Risk of vulnerable taught research students being overlooked, isolated, or left in academic limbo
Wider context from the report “(6) The primary responsibility to meet acute mental health needs when they arise lies with mental health care services. I acknowledge that Reading University have engaged with and are continuing to implement lessons learned process since Ben’s death. However I consider that circumstances at Reading University continue to present a risk to vulnerable graduate students on taught research courses who struggle with their work and develop mental health issues . The risk is of being overlooked until a crisis is reached, or becoming isolated, or of being left in academic limbo , as Ben was, with tragic results.
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Universities UK; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Lack of named pastoral tutors for students on taught research courses
Wider context from the report “(1) About 5 years ago, following concerns from academic staff that they were not equipped to support students with welfare issues, Reading University stripped out the pastoral care function from the academic supervisor role , leaving only ‘academic advisors/tutors’. There is alternative provision made for welfare but it is not part of the tutor role and students on taught research courses do not have named pastoral tutors ;
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Universities UK; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Lack of individual responsibility for resolving vulnerable students’ academic situations
Wider context from the report “(5) By March 2023 Ben’s department at Reading University knew that Ben was a student with severe mental health concerns linked to management of his academic work, who had not taken any exam and had not completed sufficient research to file a dissertation and by late June they also knew that he had not completed paperwork to suspend his studies and yet:
a. The University staff who knew this did not appear to appreciate what it meant for Ben and his continuing risk of vulnerability; and
b. There was no individual who was given or took responsibility for what should happen next with regard to resolving Ben’s academic situation ;
and
c. Apart from brief further contact from the Student Support Centre the suspension forms, no-one from the University contacted Ben between 24 April 2023 and when he took his life on or around 5 August 2023;
” Open source report
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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 Produce guidance with PAPYRUS for suicide-safer universities covering early intervention, staff training and supportive institutional culture.
Verbatim wording from the response “4. Suicide-safer universities: Working with PAPYRUS, UUK has produced guidance to implement strategies to prevent student suicides through early intervention, staff training, and fostering a supportive institutional culture.” Source location Response from Universities UK
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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 organisation lacks regulatory authority to mandate specific mental-health actions by member universities.
Verbatim wording from the response “UUK represents 141 autonomous universities across the United Kingdom. However, it is important to note that our organisation does not represent all higher education providers nor possess the regulatory authority to mandate specific actions by our member institutions. Each university operates independently, with its own governance and procedures.” Source location Response from Universities UK
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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 Individual universities are responsible for their own governance, procedures and decisions on specific mental-health actions.
Verbatim wording from the response “UUK represents 141 autonomous universities across the United Kingdom. However, it is important to note that our organisation does not represent all higher education providers nor possess the regulatory authority to mandate specific actions by our member institutions. Each university operates independently, with its own governance and procedures.” Source location Response from Universities UK
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Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations