UCL achieves the University Mental Health Charter Award

University Mental Health Award Logo - Credit: University Mental Health Charter  - UCL is among the first universities to qualify for the University Mental Health Charter Award which recognises its commitment to continuous improvement in mental health and wellbeing. The University Mental Health Charter Award is a scheme devised by Universities UK and the charity Student Minds , that aims to encourage universities to develop a whole-university approach to mental health. The Charter Award is a voluntary accreditation scheme that more than 40 universities have signed up for and supports institutions to assess their progress and understand their areas of strength and weakness in mental health and wellbeing. UCL's application was initiated by Professor Deborah Gill (then Pro-Vice-Provost Student Experience) in October 2020 and was led by Professor Anthony David, Director of UCL Institute of Mental Health, alongside a large team of representatives which included academics, professional services, students and external partners such as the NHS. Professor David said: "Every faculty contributed and the University, from the leadership through to every kind of staff and student, was involved - making sure that all voices were heard, all views represented." The award application included a self-assessment form focused on five overarching domains and 18 themes. The domains were: Learn, Support, Enabling Themes, Work and Live. The self-assessment enabled UCL to examine its approach to working towards the principles of good practice and identify areas for improvement.