HEALTHYUNIVERSITY

UCLan established a Healthy University(HU) initiative in 1995, and has becomea national and international leader inthis field. This newsletter providesinformation on the initiative for internaland external partners. The HU focuseson a range of issues relevant to studentsand staff, such as mental health, drugs,relationships, sexual health, transport,food and exercise. HU activities includepolicy development, training,campaigns, service developments,research and curriculum links.

“UCLan was one of the first universities with the vision to establish a HU initiativeand is now internationally regarded as aleader in the field,” said Dr Mark Dooris,Director of UCLan’s Healthy SettingsDevelopment Unit, based within the Schoolof Public Health and Clinical Sciences. “Itssuccess has led to the creation of our Unitwhich has further strengthened theUniversity’s role in public health at regional,national and international levels.”

The HU has a steering group and SharonDoherty is the HU Co-ordinator, providingpublic health expertise and the initiativecontributes to policy, planning, partnershipdevelopment and networking throughconvening working groups and participatingin relevant committees. In this way, the HUuses a ‘whole university approach’ inidentifying issues that affect health, actionplanning, monitoring and evaluatingprogress against agreed targets.

A University-wide initiative whichimpacts upon UCLan’s mainstreamactivities. It involves staff and studentsfrom across the University and bringsbenefits to the whole campus and itsclose neighbours. It compliments andworks alongside a number of strategicpriorities that address health and well-being – such as UCLan Sport, the TravelPlan, Sustainable Development and Student Experience.

“The Healthy University approach aspires to create a learning environment andorganisational culture that enhances the health, well-being and sustainability of itscommunity and enables people to achieve their full potential.” www.healthyuniversities.ac.uk

Growing the Healthy University Concept

Healthy Settings Development Unit

“UCLan continues to pioneer developmentsthrough its Healthy University. The initiative'sachievements both within UCLan and in thewider world have been remarkable - I believeit has made a real difference to the health andquality of life of both students and staff."Malcolm McVicar, Vice Chancellor.

Healthy Universities is one example of the healthy settings approach, which has alsobeen applied through programmes such as Healthy Cities, Healthy Schools andHealth Promoting Hospitals (for more information, see www.uclan.ac.uk/hsdu). The approach is underpinned by an understanding that the promotion andimprovement of health requires action on its wider social, environmental andeconomic determinants, as well as preventive and therapeutic interventions. Bartonand Grant’s Health Map illustrates the range of determinants of health fromindividual lifestyle choices to built and natural environments.

“The healthy settings approach is not justabout delivering interventions in a range ofcontexts, it adopts a whole systemperspective and is concerned to make theactual places and social systems in whichpeople spend their time supportive tohealth,” said Dr Mark Dooris. “Preston isnow one of the UK’s thirteen designatedcities participating in Phase V of the WorldHealth Organisation’s Healthy Citiesprogramme – and UCLan is an activemember of the Governance Group,ensuring links to the Healthy University andother settings initiatives.”

The Healthy Settings Approach

In 1998, the World Health OrganisationRegional Office for Europe published aworking document on Health PromotingUniversities. This set out a framework aimedat integrating health into the culture,structures and processes of higher educationinstitutions – thereby promoting the healthand well-being of students, staff and thewider community. Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier, theGovernment’s 2004 Public Health WhitePaper, suggested that a health promotinguniversity implements this whole universityapproach through:

w creating healthy working, learningand living environments

w increasing the profile of health inteaching and research

w developing healthy alliances in the community

Healthy Settings Development Unit

Healthy Universities: National DevelopmentsUCLan’s Healthy SettingsDevelopment Unit was awardedfunding by the Higher EducationAcademy’s Health Sciences andPractice Subject Centre and theDepartment of Health to lead anational research and developmentproject on Healthy Universities. The research with higher educationinstitutions and national stakeholderorganisations concluded that there isa demand for a National HealthyUniversities Programme.

Following this, the Healthy SettingsDevelopment Unit was awarded twoyears’ funding from HEFCE for theDeveloping Leadership andGovernance for Healthy Universitiesproject. This is jointly led by UCLanand Manchester MetropolitanUniversity, working in partnershipwith Leeds Trinity University College,Nottingham Trent University,Teesside University, the University ofthe West of England, the RoyalSociety for Public Health and theLeadership Foundation for HigherEducation. The project aims togenerate and disseminate web-based guidance tools and casestudies, support further nationaldevelopments, and strengthen andexpand the English National HealthyUniversities Network, which UCLanestablished in 2006. The networknow has over 50 higher educationinstitutions and has established anational website to promote the HUconcept and support networkingwww.healthyuniversities.ac.uk.

www.uclan.ac.uk/hu

Since 2007, the HU has had a working group on Healthy and Sustainable Food. This brings together colleagues from across UCLan, the Students’ Union andexternal partners to build on existing good practice such as Fair Trade status andwork collaboratively on a range of objectives that include procurement, affordableand healthier food, promotion of healthy eating and food safety.

With regard to procurement, work has taken place to ensure that when external cateringsupply contracts are due for tender, suppliers are required to provide information relating toenvironmental sustainability – with the aims of reducing food miles and overall carbonfootprint, supporting local food production, minimising packaging and increasing recycling.UCLan Retail and Catering Services has reviewed its cooking methods to reduce the use offat. In order to help consumers make informed decisions about their food purchases,information has been reviewed and improved – in relation to nutritional standards, localsourcing and free range production.

On average 50% of studentsspend between£20- £30 perweek on food = £4 a day

Healthy and Sustainable Food

The group has been active in promoting information about healthy eating to students, who can be away from home for the first time withlittle experience of budgeting, planning and cooking. The Students’ Union has co-ordinated campaigns that bring together budgeting andcooking skills for students within their ‘Give It A Go’ events in October and February. The key messages promoted to students are to planahead for meals and to share costs where possible by cooking meals with friends. Cooking demonstrations and food tasting events haveproved popular with students. The Students’ Union is also signed up to the BBC Grub Club scheme which allows students to order theirown free goodie packs with cooking tips, recipes and chefs hats, and encourages them to host home-cooked meals.

The Rethinking Student Mental Well-being project has been a major focus for the HU over the past three years, 2007-2010. Rethink North West hasfunded a project worker to work with UCLan to develop a range ofresources, campaigns and services to support student well-being, retentionand the student experience. This project has been part of the national Time to Change programme, www.time-to-change.org.uk. Time toChange is a portfolio of 35 national projects being led by Rethink andMind with funding from the National Lottery and Comic Relief.

Healthy Settings Development Unit

Rethinking StudentMental Well-being

A steering group chaired by Ian McMillan,Director of Student Support Service and astakeholder group were established topromote networking and partnershipdevelopment across the university andexternally. The project has focused onreducing the stigma attached to studentmental health, encouraging students toaccess services as early as possible andenhancing and developing services.

Early discussions with the stakeholdergroup identified work with staff as apriority, in order to facilitate appropriateresponses. Student Mental HealthProcedural Guidelines were developed inconsultation with staff. These provideguidance to staff, such as academic tutors,to support them in dealing with a studentwho may be experiencing mental healthissues. These procedures have beendisseminated and are supported with arange of staff training opportunities.

There have been four anti-stigmacampaigns, using materials and ideas fromstudents. Raising awareness of UCLan andStudents’ Union services to students wasimportant and a navigational webpage wascreated called Headroomwww.uclansu.co.uk/headroom, located on the Students’ Union Advice and Support pages.

www.uclan.ac.uk/hu

Alongside existing services such as Student Counselling, the Health Centre and the Students’ Union Advice Centre, a range of other services have been developed during the project. M and M Mentoring has a new strand of student mentors called Well-being Buddies, whosupport students to feel more comfortable with social situations and academic and personal relationships, and encourage them to seekappropriate support when necessary. A new student-led Students’ Union society called Mind Matters was supported by this project duringits first year. Mind Matters has gone on to organise a number of creative events, including a multi-cultural Family Easter, a BollywoodEvening and a Release to Relaxation picnic in Avenham park.

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Developing Services

Student consultation identifieda need for wider choice in mentalhealth services, new services

were developed:

Exercise on Perscription

Mentoring Programme

Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Building Healthy Policy

Development of new procedures to support staff when responding to student mental health issues.

Project further embedded health issues into UCLan strategies

on Student Retention and Student Experience.

Develop Personal Skills

Anti-stigma campaigns encouragingstudents to access services sooner.

Stress Busting & Relaxation sessions for students.

Student involvement through curriculum links, Public Relations and

Video Production Students.

Creating Supportive Environments

Development of staff training,increasing awareness of mental health and anti-stigma issues inclassroom and accommodation.

Students encouraged to disclose a mental health issue.

Mental Health issues promoted within UCLan environment e.g. student magazines, websites,

posters, postcards.

Strengthen Community Actions

Project brought staff together, networking and internalpartnerships were enhanced, links between academic and service staff strengthened.

SU Student led society developed -Mind Matters, developed activities,campaigns, offered support.

RETHINKINGSTUDENT MENTALWELL-BEING

For a number of years, Human Resourceshas facilitated a Staff Well-being workinggroup. The working group identifies areasfor development, with the Staff SatisfactionSurvey being a key process to highlightpriority issues for action. UCLan hasdeveloped a number of policies andprocedures to support staff health, such as a Smoking Policy, Drugs and Alcohol Policyand Stress Management Policy. The HumanResources website has a health and well-being section that brings together a rangeof information and services available forstaff. During UCLan induction, staff are

provided with information about StaffCounselling, Occupational Health and theHealthy University initiative. The QuickReferral Guide is a resource developedfor staff to support student healthreferrals both internally and externally.Human Resources also offer a range oftraining and personal developmentopportunities related to health such asStress Management for Managers, StressAwareness, and Supporting Studentswith Eating Disorders.

Staff Well-being

WH

OLE

SYSTEM APPRO

ACH

Walking and cycling offer the opportunity to build moderate exercise into people's daily routines. They can also reduce stress, promote well-being and reducecarbon emissions – and are viable modes of transport for commuting to work or study.Because of these joint agendas the HU Co-ordinator and the Travel Plan Co-ordinatorwork together to promote walking and cycling to staff and students.

Four walking routes starting from theUCLan campus have recently beendeveloped. UCLan worked inpartnership with Preston City Council’sMeasured Mile initiative. In addition, afinal year student on the BSc (Hons)Exercise, Nutrition and Health course,conducted research with staff anddeveloped ideas for the walking routes:

“A great way to get a bit of exercise, spendtime catching up withcolleagues outside ofthe office.” UCLan Staff

The walking routes are on the UCLan Sustainable Travel pages of the Sustainable Development website,www.uclan.ac.uk/walking

UCLan has a well-established Bicycle UserGroup (BUG), with over 100 members,www.uclan.ac.uk/bug. This is anindependent group that UCLan staff and

Walking & Cycling

students can join. The group shares cyclinginformation as well as working to raise theprofile of cycling to work and the need toimprove facilities and cycle routes. BUGliaises with Preston and County level groupsto influence improvements on cycle routes.BUG, linking with the HU and Travel Co-ordinators, has promoted the tax-fee Cycleto Work scheme for staff, run Bike to Workevents, promoted security and safety, and isa partner in the planning of secure cyclefacilities for the UCLan campus.

Healthy Settings Development Unit

Relationships and Sexual HealthA number of sexual health campaigns are developed and promoted each year by the Students’ Union, the HU and a number of partners such asC-Wize, the local chlamydia screening programme. Campaigns havehighlighted local services, prevention of sexually transmitted infections andunwanted pregnancies. Campaigns recognise the links between excessivealcohol use and sexual behaviours. Information is also provided to studentson safety issues related to nights out, such as drink spiking, safer routeshome and the SU Safety Bus.

The Touch project, established as part of the HU in 1998, is now co-ordinated by the International School for Communities, Rights and Inclusion. Students can takepart in this project either by choosing an elective module on Peer Education, part ofthe BA (Hons) Community Leadership, or by volunteering. Students are trained to beoutreach workers to disseminate health information focussing on sexual health,alcohol and drugs. The students lead the development of the work and provideoutreach sessions in a variety of settings, such as the Students’ Union, pubs, clubsand halls of residence. The Touch project provides on-going health campaigning aswell as offering the volunteer students an opportunity to develop a range of skillsfor future careers. Touch is popular with students, with the volunteers talking tothousands of students each year. The HU initiative continues to provide supportthrough training and as a member of the Touch steering group.

Alcohol, Smokingand DrugsIn 1999, UCLan was one of the firstuniversities to develop proceduresrelated to alcohol and drugs – andthese were commended by the HomeOffice as an example of good practice.Since then, UCLan and the Students’Union have continued to develop andembed systems to tackle issues aroundalcohol and drugs.

The HU has an Alcohol and DrugsIssues working group with UCLan,Students’ Union and Policerepresentatives. These meetingsprovide regular networkingopportunities to review the currentAlcohol and Drugs ProceduralGuidelines and enable UCLan to reactto any emerging issues in a co-ordinated way. Recently the groupaddressed issues around ‘legal highs’resulting in UCLan and Students’Union procedures being updated andinformation being disseminated tostudents. The Students’ Union hasalso achieved the Best Bar Noneaward and took part in the KnowYour Limits alcohol campaign run bythe Home Office.

When the smoking ban in enclosedpublic spaces became law in Englandin 2007, UCLan was already compliantwith no smoking in all its buildings. Inaddition to this, signs have beenintroduced to discourage smokersfrom smoking directly in front ofentrances to buildings and the HU haspiloted stop smoking services oncampus for staff and students.

www.uclan.ac.uk/hu

Contacts: Sharon Doherty Healthy University Co-ordinator Healthy University website www.uclan.ac.uk/hushdoherty@uclan.ac.uk 01772 893761 Healthy Settings Development Unit website www.uclan.ac.uk/hsdu

National Healthy University website www.healthyuniversities.ac.uk

Many thanks to all the staff and students those who work in partnership to develop and implement the Healthy University initiative at UCLan.

Internal - Academic Quality & Standards Unit • Accommodation • Advancement • Business Services • Catering & Retail Services • ComensusDisability Services • Facilities Management • Flying Start • Fresh Start • Health Centre • Human Resources • Independent Academic AdviceInternational School for Communities, Rights and Inclusion • Learning Development Unit • M and M Mentoring • Occupational HealthPreston Sports Centre • Safety, Health & Environment Section • Security • Staff Counselling • Strategic Development Service • Student CounsellingStudent Liaison Officers • Student Union (SU Executive - Advice Centre - Bars / Venue - Catering and Retail) • Student Support ServiceSustainable Development • The ‘i’ Student Information Centre • Trade Unions • Travel Planning • UCLan Sport

External - Central Lancashire PCT • C-Wize • Community Mental Heath Team • Food Standards Agency • Lancashire County Council • Police• Preston City Council • Preston Mental Health Forum • Rethink • SEED

DevelopingCurriculum LinksThe HU supports UCLan’s Learningand Teaching Strategy, which includesthe objective “To educate students forglobal citizenship by integratingsustainable development, health andwell-being into curricula across theUniversity.” In taking this workforward, the HU seeks to involve theUCLan community wherever possible.Student involvement has a number ofpositive benefits – from learning moreabout health to improvingemployability by taking part involunteering or work experience.

Recently the Rethinking StudentMental Well-being Projectcommissioned eight final year BScVideo and TV Production students toproduce four short videos on mentalhealth to be part of the Students’Union website. For three months theyworked closely with the HU andRethink to develop videos on,‘Supporting a Friend’, ‘In Crisis’,‘Living with a Condition’ and‘Encouraging Disclosure’.

Research Informed WorkThere are opportunities for students to link their dissertations with the HUinitiative. Students from the BSc Exercise, Nutrition and Health course havematched their own personal interests with research that has then been used toinform HU planning. Working with the HU, one student conducted research with100 students on a range of aspects related to healthy eating – including cookingskills, budgeting, shopping habits and understandings of healthy eating messages.This information has informed healthy eating campaigns for students. Anotherstudent researched and developed a number of walking routes for UCLan staff. Thisstudent worked with the Travel Plan Co-ordinator and the HU Co-ordinator. Agroup of staff were surveyed during this process and provided valuable feedbackon the routes before they were finalised. Most recently an MSc Applied PublicHealth student is planning to research the health needs of international students,working in partnership with the HU and the International Office.

In 2006 and 2008, the HU commissioned internal research on student mental health,involving 600 students. Sue Hacking, from the School of Nursing and Caring Sciences,conducted this research which has had strong links with the Rethinking Student Mental Well-being project. It has provided UCLan with insights into the types of mental health issuesstudents have and access to services, resulting in a range of recommendations and actions.