The University Mental Health Charter Award is a Universities UK and Student Minds scheme. It is part of The Charter Programme which brings together universities committed to making mental health a university-wide priority to share practice and create cultural change. The ‘Award’ outcome recognises the success and progress King’s has made in this area, noting several examples of excellent and good practice, as well as making recommendations for further improvements.

Charter Awards are conferred by assessing a university’s approach to mental health and wellbeing against the Student Minds Charter framework. This provides a set of evidence-informed principles which support taking a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing. This approach must include both adequately resourced, effective and accessible mental health services and proactive interventions to support good mental health and wellbeing.

King’s is one of only 10 higher education institutions in the UK to achieve this since the scheme was launched by the charity in 2021.

King’s submitted a self-assessment report to evidence how the university is meeting the Charter Framework’s principles, alongside a student-led submission informed by focus groups and the King’s 100 student engagement panel. The assessment team also spent two days at King’s and met with staff and students from across the university and KCLSU to better understand the whole-university approach to student mental health and wellbeing.

The team effort involved more than 130 representatives from academic and professional services teams and students. It was led by Professor Juliet Foster, King’s Academic Lead for student mental health and wellbeing, and an Assessor of other institutions’ applications for the University Mental Health Charter Award.

King‘s will now remain a member of the University Mental Health Charter Award scheme to share the university’s own best practice and to learning from other universities. Annual progress reports to Student Minds will show how King’s is addressing the recommendations made by the assessment team, with the opportunity to apply for a re-assessment in 2029.