Campaign for a Statutory Duty of Care in Higher Education

Essentially,
“For universities to have a statutory duty to protect their students from reasonably foreseeable harm, caused by either direct actions or a failure to act.”

It would lead to safer ways of providing education and education related services in all stages of the student journey and establish a minimum standard of professional behaviour that all institutions would be expected to meet.

ForThe100
Change Campus Culture
Duty of Care in Higher Education (FB)

ForThe100 Briefing Series
xx/xx/xx	005	____________________________________________________________
30/10/23	004	Evaluation of September 2023 Proposal by Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Task Force for National Review of Higher Education Student Suicides (Robert Abrahart & Balwant Kaur, 30 October 2023)
26/05/23	003	Student Mental Health Support Survey (Petitions Committee, House of Commons, 26 May 2023)
15/05/23	002	A Note regarding a potential duty of care owed by universities to students (Doughty Street Chambers and Irwin Mitchell, 15 May 2023)
25/04/23	001	Higher education providers’ duty of care to students (House of Commons Library, 25 April 2023)

Detailed Case Study Reports
xx/xx/xx	003	____________________________________________________________
xx/xx/xx	002	____________________________________________________________
22/04/23	001	Preventing Student Suicide at Universities. Case Report in respect of our son Naseeb Chuhan (1995-2016). Balwant Kaur & Kuljit Chuhan.

In Parliament…
11/09/23	Early Day Motion 1597: University duty of care. UK Parliament.
21/06/23	Higher Education (Duty of Care) Bill. UK Parliament. Second Reading – Friday 24 November 2023. Parliament was prorogued on Thursday 26 October.
05/06/23	Higher Education Students: Statutory Duty of Care. Hansard.
05/06/23	E-petition debate on the duty of care for students in higher education – Monday 5 June 2023. [live broadcast/recording]
26/05/23	Survey of Petitioners. Petitions Committee – House of Commons.
16/05/23	A statutory duty of care for higher education students – Oral evidence to Petitions Committee. Parliament Live TV. [YouTube] [Transcript Panel 1] [Transcript Panel 2] [Transcript Panel 3]
30/08/22	E-Petition 622847: Create statutory legal duty of care for students in Higher Education.

In the press…
05/02/24	‘Do You Even Care? Universities and their duty of care to students’. Beale & Co. [PDF]
11/12/23	‘The law needs to catch up on student mental health’. BBC News.
10/12/23	Duty of Care reaches the High Court. WONKHE.
20/11/23	High court to consider whether universities owe students legal duty of care. The Guardian.
20/11/23	Landmark High Court Hearing Set to Decide Whether Universities Owe Duty of Care to Students. DPG.
31/10/23	‘My son’s death was avoidable’ says Kendal mum campaigning on student suicide. ITV News – Border.
31/10/23	‘Too little too late’: Parents of students who have died by suicide criticise government plan. The Tab.
31/10/23	Does the government have any legal basis for asserting a duty of care to students in higher education under Common Law? HEPI.
30/10/23	Bereaved parents say review into student suicides in England is ‘slap in the face’. The Guardian.
30/10/23	Border. ITV Evening News. Maxine Carrick speaking on significant shortcomings in the government’s proposed National Review of Student Suicides.
30/10/23	Student suicides review has “significant shortcomings”. WONKHE.
20/10/23	What’s happening with the government’s review of student suicides? WONKHE.
09/10/23	Parents of student who took his own life take campaign to Labour conference. Border. ITV Evening News.
06/10/23	A judge has ruled that universities do owe a duty of care to students. WONKHE.
19/09/23	South East Today. BBC Evening News. Hilary Grime speaking on the need for a Statutory Duty of Care in Higher Education.
15/09/23	Hilary Grime speaking on the need for a Statutory Duty of Care in Higher Education. KentOnline [KMTV].
09/08/23	Universities must treat students better, says UK father whose son killed himself. The Guardian.
09/08/23	University of Southampton student died on exam results day. Daily Echo.
19/07/23	Westmorland MP Fights for Statutory Duty of Care for Students. Tim Farron.
12/07/23	Bereaved mum: Cambridge put its reputation before my son. Varsity.
12/07/23	Mother of child lost to suicide at university speaks out. The Westmorland Gazette.
05/07/23	Student suicide and universities’ duty of care. Browne Jacobson.
27/06/23	NUS calls for National Duty of Care for University Students. Farrago. NUS was founded in 1987 to represent all post school students in Australia [~1,000,000].
23/06/23	MP presents bill to give universities a statutory duty of care over their students. Tim Farron.
18/06/23	Student suicides: The parents united by grief taking the fight to universities. Independent.
18/06/23	Parents of students who died by suicide call for legal duty of care to be imposed on universities. The Global Herald.
18/06/23	Parents of students who died by suicide call for legal duty of care to be imposed on universities. Sky News. [YouTube]
16/06/23	University statutory duty of care for students.  Farrer & Co.
12/06/23	Government rejection of legislation will not be the last word on universities’ duty of care. WONKHE.
12/06/23	Rejection of legal duty of care marks a bad day for students’ rights. WONKHE.
10/06/23	Durham MP Mary Foy calls for universities to have duty of care. The Northern Echo.
09/06/23	Podcast: Duty of care, franchising, interdisciplinary. WONKHE.
09/06/23	Minister plans to introduce legal duty of care for Dutch universities. Research Professional News.
08/06/23	Approach for increasing social safety at colleges and universities. The National Government. For the Netherlands.
07/06/23	Bereaved mum hopeful after student welfare debate. BBC News – Cambridge.
07/06/23	Only legislation can fix patchy practice on suicide prevention. Times Higher Education.
07/0/23	Natasha Abrahart’s mum speaks in Parliament about student suicides – ‘we must stop this’. Bristol Live.
06/06/23	Mother of Cranbrook student who took her own life says she will keep on fighting for statutory duty of care for university students. KentOnline [KMTV].
06/06/23	UK government to commission review of student suicides. Research Professional News.
06/06/23	Liz sent her daughter off to uni to pursue her dreams – not to die. WalesOnline.
06/06/23	Liz sent her daughter off to uni to pursue her dreams – not to die. Derbyshire Live.
06/06/23	Case for university statutory duty of care towards students raised in parliament. Pinsent Masons.
06/06/23	Parents of Nottinghamshire university student who took own life say current rules ‘illogical’ amid key debate. Nottinghamshire Live.
06/06/12	Universities ‘have to try harder’ to prevent student suicide, MP says. The Tab.
06/06/23	Parents from Kendal vow to keep campaigning for change after losing their son to suicide. ITV News – Cumbria.
06/06/23	More mental health support needed for university students to save lives, MP tells Parliament. Tim Farron.
06/06/23	Ministers decide against changing the law for universities to bring in legal duty of care. ITV News – Sheffield Hallam.
06/06/23	Robert Halfon MP delivers speech on duty of care to students. Your Harlow.
05/06/23	Westminster Hall debate on statutory duty of care. WONKHE.
05/06/23	Government orders national review of student suicides at universities in England. National World.
05/06/23	Universities told to step up to prevent suicides. BBC News.
05/06/23	Universities accused of hiding student suicide attempts behind GDPR. The Guardian.
05/06/23	University failed to contact mother of struggling student ‘until after she’d taken her life’. LBC.
05/06/23	Parents back calls for better student care. BBC News.
05/06/23	Student suicide duty of care to be debated in Westminster. Planet Radio.
05/06/23	Whose duty of care? Safeguarding student mental health. Yorkshire Bylines.
05/06/23	‘I didn’t send my daughter to university to die – there were so many missed red flags’. The Mirror.
05/06/23	University duty of care campaign to be debated after suicides. BBC News – Oxford.
05/06/23	Parents of Sheffield Hallam Uni student take campaign to Parliament. Planet Radio.
05/06/23	Natasha Abrahart: MPs set to discuss greater duty of care for Uni students today. GEM.
05/06/23	Bereaved families want law change to tackle student suicides. The Times.
05/06/23	Duty of care is not just about suicide prevention. WONKHE.
04/06/23	BBC Breakfast. BBC News. Maxine Carrick, Gary Potts, Maggie Abrahart and Bob Abrahart talking with Nina Warhurst and Ben Thompson ahead of scheduled Westminster Hall Debate on duty of care for students in higher education.
02/06/23	Parents outline ‘woeful’ mental health support for students at UK universities. The Guardian.
01/06/23	Parliament To Debate Legal Duty Of Care For Students. Irwin Mitchell.
31/05/23	Student suicide petition to be debated in Parliament. Border. ITV Evening News.
30/05/23	Where is the line between tailoring and universality in mental health support? WONKHE.
28/05/23	‘It felt like they didn’t give a damn’: Why parents left broken by suicide are begging universities to do more. Metro UK.
26/05/23	Mental health and wellbeing work is highly inconsistent. WONKHE.
26/05/23	My son took his own life at university in Sheffield after becoming overwhelmed by workload. Yorkshire Live.
22/05/23	What does duty of care mean when it comes to universities and students? WONKHE.
20/05/23	Parents demand action after children took own lives at university. Express.
19/05/23	Faces of tragic youngsters who left for university – then took their own lives. Mirror.
19/05/23	UK parliament to debate university statutory duty of care towards students. Pinsent Masons.
19/05/23	Podcast: Duty of care, international students, drugs. WONKHE.
18/05/23	Countrywide Calls for Duty of Care Supporting University Students’ Mental Health Drives Petition to Parliament. The Gryphon.
17/05/23	Is it time for a Support Excellence Framework? WONKHE.
16/05/23	Points West. BBC Early Evening News. Lee Fryatt speaking after having given oral evidence to the Petitions Committee.
16/05/23	South East Today. BBC Evening News. Ben West speaking after having given oral evidence to the Petitions Committee.
16/05/23	South Today. BBC Evening News. Lee Fryatt speaking after having given oral evidence to the Petitions Committee.
16/05/23	The mother of daughter who took her life from Cranbrook trying to change the law. KentOnline [KMTV].
16/05/23	‘Universities must provide same care nationwide’ says dad of Sheffield student who took his own life. Sheffield Star.
16/05/23	Sheffield Hallam University: Mum of student who took his own life vows to fight to save others. Sheffield Star.
16/05/23	Bereaved families of students who took their own lives head to Parliament. Sheffield Star.
16/05/23	Bereaved dad campaigns for change after son’s death at University of Sheffield. Sheffield Star.
16/05/23	Oskar Carrick’s mum backs #Forthe100 campaign. The Westmorland Gazette.
16/05/23	Student suicides petition to be debated by MPs. BBC News – Nottingham.
15/05/23	Nottingham father speaks out about duty of care in universities following tragic suicide of his daughter. Nottingham World.
12/05/23	ProtectED? Exploring the duty of care universities hold towards their students. Sheffield Wire.
12/05/23	“The University of Sheffield did not learn from the death of my son”: a bereaved father campaigns for change. Sheffield Wire.
12/05/23	Duty of Care: justified or flawed? Sheffield Wire.
12/05/23	Bereaved families of students who died by suicide to give evidence at Parliamentary committee. Sheffield Wire.
12/05/23	“We can’t sit around for ten years”: father of student who took her own life on the battle for a legal duty of care in universities. Sheffield Wire.
12/05/23	“We won’t give up. We won’t go away” say #Forthe100 in the lead up to MPs’ debate. Sheffield Wire.
09/05/23	Petition forces debate on student suicides in parliament. University World News.
04/05/23	Suicide Prevention at Universities: A Bereaved Dad’s call for change. Metro Radio.
01/05/23	Cranbrook mother hands petition to parliament calling on statuary duty of care for uni students. KentOnline [KMTV].
28/04/23	Mum of Newcastle student who died by suicide calls for unis to have a legal duty of care. The Newcastle Tab.
26/04/23	Bereaved families secure Commons debate over university suicides. ShefLive.
25/04/23	East Midlands Today. BBC Early Evening News. Formal delivery of signed petition to 10 Downing Street.
25/04/23	Central. ITV Evening News. Formal delivery of signed petition to 10 Downing Street.
25/04/23	Anglia. ITV Evening News. Formal delivery of signed petition to 10 Downing Street.
25/04/23	Border. ITV Evening News. Formal delivery of signed petition to 10 Downing Street.
25/04/23	South Today. BBC Early Evening News. Formal delivery of signed petition to 10 Downing Street.
25/04/23	Calendar. ITV Evening News. Formal delivery of signed petition to 10 Downing Street.
25/04/23	Anglia West. ITV Evening News. Formal delivery of signed petition to 10 Downing Street.
25/04/23	Look North (Yorkshire). BBC Early Evening News. Formal delivery of signed petition to 10 Downing Street.
25/04/23	Points West. BBC Early Evening News. Formal delivery of signed petition to 10 Downing Street.
25/04/23	‘Milestone’ in campaign after Nottinghamshire university student Natasha Abrahart took her own life. Nottinghamshire Live.
25/04/23	Mother of 20-year-old from Kent who took her own life wants legal duty of care for universities. ITV News – Meridian.
25/04/23	Parents urge Westminster to give universities a ‘duty of care’ after daughter’s suicide. ITV News – West Country.
25/04/23	Student suicides: Petition calls for universities to do more. BBC News – Bristol.
25/04/23	Universities should have ‘duty of care’ for students, says grieving mum of UEA student. ITV News – Norfolk.
25/04/23	Parents call for university duty of care after suicides. BBC News – Oxford
25/04/23	Student suicides: ‘Universities must do more to protect students from harm’. BBC News – Nottingham.
25/04/23	Mother hopes petition will be leaders’ lesson after Cambridge Uni son’s death. Greatest Hits Radio.
24/04/23	The sector and families of students who died by suicide are talking at cross purposes. WONKHE.
12/04/23	Why we need a statutory duty of care for students in higher education. RADIX.
06/04/23	Mum pushes for law change after son’s suicide at Sheffield Hallam University. ITV Evening News – Sheffield.
04/04/23	Calendar South. ITV Evening News. Maxine Carrick speaking on success of petition for a statutory duty of care in Higher Education.
04/04/23	Central. ITV Evening News. Bob and Duncan Abrahart speaking on success of petition for a statutory duty of care in Higher Education.
01/04/23	Can AI fix the student mental health crisis? Channel 4 News.
31/03/23	Petition for a legal duty of care in higher education reaches its target. The Glasgow Guardian.
29/03/23	University duty of care campaign to be debated in Parliament. Varsity.
22/03/23	Andrew Peach. BBC Radio Berkshire. Dr Mark Shanahan speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
21/03/23	Mum of Edinburgh student campaigns for new duty of care law after daughter’s death. Edinburgh Live.
20/03/23	Universities should have legal duty of care to students. Glasgow Standard.
20/03/23	128,000 support The LEARN Network’s petition for debate to secure student safety and success. The LEARN Network.
20/03/23	BBC Breakfast. BBC News. Dr Mark Shanahan, Georgina Calvert-Lee and and Hilary Grime speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
19/03/23	‘I did not send my child to university to die’. BBC News – Edinburgh, Fife & East.
19/03/23	Reporting Scotland. BBC Evening News. Libby Kitson speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
19/03/23	Reverend Geoff Eze. BBC Radio Stoke. Esther Brennan speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
19/03/23	Sunday Breakfast. BBC Radio 5 Live. Hilary Grime speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
19/03/23	BBC Breakfast. BBC News. Maxine Carrick and Duncan Abrahart speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
17/03/23	Mental Health Support campaign from parents who lost their children. ShefNews.
17/03/23	South East Today. BBC Evening News. Dr Mark Shanahan, Georgina Calvert-Lee and and Hilary Grime speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
17/03/23	South Today. BBC Evening News. Dr Mark Shanahan and Georgina Calvert-Lee speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
16/03/23	David Prever’s Breakfast Club. BBC Radio Oxford. Georgina Calvert-Lee and Dr Mark Shanahan speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
16/03/23	Student suicides: Parents’ petition to change law passes 100,000 names. BBC News – Nottingham.
15/03/23	100 students take their life every year. This petition is calling for urgent change at unis. The Tab.
14/03/23	The World at One. BBC Radio 4. Maxine Carrick speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
14/03/23	Kendal mum of Oskar Carrick supports #ForThe100 campaign. The Mail.
13/03/23	Wagamama supports University Duty of Care Petiton. Dine Out Magazine.
13/03/23	Sheffield Hallam student’s family wants ‘clear’ mental health help. BBC News – Sheffield and South Yorkshire.
13/03/23	Look North (Yorkshire). BBC Early Evening News. Maxine Carrick and Duncan Abrahart speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
12/03/23	One Mum’s Fight For Change After Losing Her Daughter To Suicide. PAPYRUS.
10/03/23	Bereaved families repeat calls for legal duty of care. Research Professional News.
09/03/23	#ForThe100: What is the petition? ShefNews.
06/03/23	‘What they’re doing at the moment isn’t enough. People will just continue to die’: In conversation with Bob and Maggie Abrahart on the fight for a legal duty of care for university students. Epigram.
05/03/23	Bristol: Natasha Abrahart parents join student suicide vigils. BBC News – Points West.
04/03/23	Candlelit vigils held in remembrance of university students who took their own lives. ITV News.
04/03/23	For the 100: Vigils held for students taking their own lives at university. Channel 4 News.
04/03/23	Points West. BBC Early Evening News. Bob and Maggie Abrahart speaking on the need for a legal duty of care in Higher Education.
03/03/23	Edinburgh candlelight vigil to take place in memory of students who took their lives whilst at university. The Edinburgh Tab.
28/02/23	Natasha Abrahart’s parents on the need for a Statutory Duty of Care in Higher Education. Sarah Julian. BBC Radio Nottingham.
21/02/23	Families of bereaved students say government response is inadequate. Glasgow Guardian.
12/02/23	Natasha Abrahart’s parents say universities ‘should have legal duty of care’ over students. Bristol Post.
10/02/23	Mother’s Plea for a Legal Duty of Care in Higher Education. South East Today – Evening News – BBC1.
09/02/23	A grieving mother from Cranbrook has joined others calling for a statutory duty of care for students at university. Kent Tonight – KMTV. [with apologies for audio ad at start]
09/02/23	Mum of Cranbrook student, 20, who died in hospital after trying to take her own life says she was ‘failed’ by Newcastle University. KentOnline [KMTV].
09/02/23	Natasha Abrahart’s parents appalled at ‘inadequate’ government response to student welfare petition. The Bristol Tab.
09/02/23	Bereaved Families’ Concern at ‘Inadequate’ Government Statement In Response To Petition Calling On Universities To Owe Statutory Duty Of Care To Students. Irwin Mitchell.
08/02/23	Natasha Abrahart parents call for statutory university duty of care. Research Professional News.
06/02/23	PRESS RELEASE. #ForThe100.
05/02/23	Parents ‘horrified’ by response to petition after suicide of Bristol student. The Guardian.
30/01/23	Hilary Grime joins Nuala McGovern to talk about her daughter Phoebe and why she thinks it’s so essential to get a statutory duty of care. Woman’s Hour – BBC Radio 4.
12/01/23	Bereaved parents on the urgent need for legal reform to the higher education sector. Glasgow Guardian.
12/01/23	Nottinghamshire family ‘can’t start grieving’ daughter’s death as they continue fight for justice. Nottinghamshire Live.
30/12/22	Conversation with Shelagh Fogarty on the need for a Duty of Care in Higher Education. LBC. [Pt1; Pt2]
24/12/22	Heartbroken mum demands universities ‘held accountable’ after daughter’s suicide. Metro UK.
20/11/22	The University should have a duty of care. Glasgow Guardian.
08/11/22	Ep 270: Phoebe Grime’s story and a call for a change in the law. Mental Health Monday. [Trailer on YouTube]
07/11/22	Should there be a new statutory duty of care for students in higher education? HEPI.
27/10/22	Universities have no “statutory duty of care” towards students. The Mancunion.
17/10/22	Natasha Abrahart’s parents are fighting to rewrite the rules on student mental health. The Bristol Tab.
10/10/22	Everyone assumes universities have a duty of care towards students – our campaign would establish one. WONKHE.
07/10/22	Student suicides: Parents seek law change to prevent deaths. BBC News.
06/10/22	Universities urged to do more over student suicides. Channel 4 News.
06/10/22	Bereaved Families Call For New Law To Protect University Students. Irwin Mitchell.
20/09/22	Will your son or daughter’s university look after their mental wellbeing? Jordans Space – Yowah Radio.