BPF launches mental health and wellbeing guide

Why Provide Effective Wellbeing Support?

65% of students agree that living in their accommodation helped them to make friends, signalling positive role accommodation providers play in supporting universities and students

15 July 2019, London: The British Property Federation (BPF) today publishes a mental health and wellbeing guide for the student accommodation sector.

Endorsed by the Department for Education, the guide has been produced by a working group of representatives from across the purpose-built student accommodation and higher education sectors, with expert insight from mental health and wellbeing charities. The Student Wellbeing In Purpose-Built Student Accommodation Guide can be found: click here

Responsibility for student pastoral and therapeutic care sits with university welfare teams, the NHS and professional health services. Student accommodation, however, can play an important role supporting universities and student mental health and wellbeing.

This guide demonstrates the purpose-built student accommodation sector’s commitment to continuously improve wellbeing support. Best practice wellbeing policies are at the heart of this guide which will enable the sector to contribute to the growth of healthy student communities.  

While the guide has been designed primarily for the private purpose-built student accommodation sector, many of the recommendations are equally applicable to university-operated accommodation.

Universities Minister Chris Skidmore comments:

“Going to university is a major milestone and can often mean leaving home for the first time, moving away to a new city and being away family and friends support.  

“Our universities are making strides in improving mental health support for students, but student accommodation providers also play a part in providing support.

“It is important for frontline staff to be able to spot the early warning signs of distress and direct students to help, but it is also crucial they are equipped to respond to incidents where problems do escalate.  

“I hope this guidance will help accommodation providers to enhance their policies and procedures concerning student mental health, to help create safe and secure environments for students to thrive in.”

Melanie Leech, Chief Executive, British Property Federation says:



“Going to university should be an exciting time in any individual’s life, but for some it is stress-inducing, particularly if it’s the first time living away from parents. Accommodation providers have a role to play in ensuring this transition is as smooth as possible, and that the place students call home is safe and enables them to make the most of their time at university.

“Student health and wellbeing is at the top of the purpose-built student accommodation sector’s agenda, and this guide reinforces the sector’s commitment to continuously improving the ways in which it supports universities and students.”



According to Opening Up, a report by iQ Student Accommodation and relationship charity Relate, which surveyed more than 2,000 students in 2018, 21% of university students reported feeling ‘often’ or ‘always’ lonely, and 74% of students said making friends and building meaningful relationships is one of the biggest challenges at university.

However, there is a significant opportunity for the student accommodation sector to positively contribute to improving student wellbeing. With 65% of students saying that living in their accommodation helped them to make friends, this shows the important role that accommodation providers can play in creating opportunities for greater interaction between students.

The 2017 report Reality Check, published by Unite Students and HEPI, found that students arrive to university in a heightened state of anxiety and excitement, with 61% of applicants feeling anxious about going to university, and 47% feeling unprepared to live with people they don’t know. 13% also said they had a named mental health condition.



The report also found that once at university, first year students often or always felt stressed (59%), felt down or depressed (30%) and under strain (53%).



Student accommodation providers are uniquely placed – at the nexus of academic, domestic and social lives – to create safe and supportive environments for students to build support networks, and to direct students to the right support, should they need it.

This guide also serves to improve understanding among accommodation teams, who can find themselves at the frontline when mental health issues arise.

David Tymms, Chair, British Property Federation Student Accommodation Committee and Commercial Director, iQ Student Accommodation adds:

E: dmcneill@bpf.org.ukNotes to editors

About the British Property Federation

The British Property Federation is the membership organisation for, and the voice of, the UK real estate industry.

We represent and promote the interests of all those with a stake in real estate in the UK – owners, developers, funders (equity and debt), agents and advisers.

We work with government and regulatory bodies to help the real estate industry grow and thrive, to the benefit of our members and the economy as a whole. Because our membership is industry wide, we can provide government and regulators with the knowledge they need to make decisions.



The Student Wellbeing in Purpose-Built student Accommodation Sector Guide working group members

• David Tymms, British Property Federation Student Accommodation Committee (BPFSAC) Chair and iQ Student Accommodation
• Jenny Shaw, Unite Students
• Dominic Kingaby, Department for Education (DfE)
• Victoria Goddard, Pinsent Masons LLP
• Gedminte Mikulenaite & John de Pury, Universities UK
• Prof Sue Powell & Prof Mark Dooris, UK Healthy Universities Network
• Kelly-Anne Watson & Andy Welsh, Unipol
• Fleur Priest-Stephens, National Union of Students (NUS)
• Bryan Carroll, Solent University & College and University Business Officers (CUBO)
• Fay Sherrington, AMOSSHE - The Student Services Organisation
• Lisette Metcalfe, Association for Student Residential Accommodation (ASRA)
• Bobbi Hartshorne, Global Student Accommodation (GSA)