Director of Student Support and Engagement, Dr Ruth Wilson, and Head of Student Support and Wellbeing, Toby Chelms, will be sharing best practice at the event, held by Inside Government, on Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 March.

The online conference offers the latest insights on innovation, research and outstanding practice in delivering high quality support for students in higher education.

Taking place across two days, the conference will combine a mix of panel discussions, workshops and keynote speeches focussed on student experience and engagement; welfare and inclusion; service design and delivery; and student success and outcomes.

Ruth is chairing the conference and will open it with a welcome address to attendees. Toby will conduct a workshop on ‘Managing Mental Health Risk: Reviewing Integration with Student Support and Beyond’.

Ruth said: “I am delighted to welcome and host a number of really influential and informed colleagues from across the sector. The agenda is an exciting package and will provide a real chance for everyone involved to debate on current themes and trends.

“I am proud that one of my colleagues is conducting a workshop at the event – Toby Chelms, who continues to lead and champion the debate on student mental health, ensuring our students really feel that they are ‘a name not a number’.”

Toby said: “I am looking forward to delivering a workshop at the National Student Services Conference 2022. It is a great opportunity to share best practice in supporting students’ mental health and help to make a real difference at universities across the country.

“At Leeds Trinity, we are already very conscious of the importance of embedding mental health and wellbeing across the University as a whole – whether that be how we approach proactive discussions around resilience, our provision of a selection of talking therapies or our links with local NHS services.

“This conference will allow us to engage in key discussions with peers across the sector and improve our mental health approach even further.”

In the past two years, Leeds Trinity University has put in place a number of measures to support students and enhance their overall experience, including converting vital student services online through the myLTU app, extending its student support hours and team, and introducing a dedicated ‘Accessing Support’ tile on the myLTU app where students can find everything in one place.

The University is also subscribed to Togetherall – an online wellbeing platform that students can access for further mental health support.

To find out more about the National Student Services Conference and to register online, visit the Inside Government website.