Cyflwynwyd yr ymateb hwn i ymchwiliad y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg i gymorth iechyd meddwl mewn addysg uwch

This response was submitted to the Children, Young People and Education Committee inquiry into Mental Health support in Higher Education

MHHE 21

Ymateb gan: Archwilio Cymru

Response from: Audit Wales

Nodwch eich barn mewn perthynas â chylch gorchwyl yr ymchwiliad. | Record your views against the inquiry’s terms of reference.

We refer the Committee to a report from our Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 coverage, from our first reporting cycle (2019) – ‘Well-being of Future Generations: A plan for wellbeing and health in higher education – Higher Education Funding Council for Wales’.

This may provide some useful background context, and help the Committee identify and explore particular issues within scope of the current inquiry into Mental Health support in Higher Education.

The work referred to was undertaken as part of our wider programme of sustainable development examinations under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (in the first reporting cycle). Our report set out findings from our examination of the development of a plan for wellbeing and health in higher education, a step HEFCW was taking to meet its wellbeing objectives.

We examined the extent to which HEFCW was acting in accordance with the sustainable development principle in the development of a plan for wellbeing and health in higher education. HEFCW was keen that we examined an area of policy development that was in its infancy because it was HEFCW’s intention to use the learning from the examination to inform its policy development and implementation.

We noted that the Policy Statement was not, at that stage, supported by detailed planning. We identified there was scope to increase the awareness of, and work with, partners in the implementation of the Policy Statement and action plan for wellbeing and health, including mental health, although we recognised it was early days for this work. In Exhibit 2 – we set out HEFCW’s response to our findings and key actions related thereto. Under ‘Collaboration’ the action was to ‘Further promote and involve partners in the Policy Statement and mental health action plans, to ensure genuine co-creation, clear responsibilities and joint ownership’.