Student Death Procedure

1.1 The death of a student represents a profound loss that can affect our entire community.  This document outlines a procedure to organise and direct our response to any Newcastle University student death.

·         In the case of the death of an INTO student, the INTO Student Death Procedure should be followed.

·         In the case of the death of a University of Law student, the University of Law Student Death Procedure should be followed.

This procedure is based on our commitment to providing compassionate support and ensuring coordination across all University departments to effectively support the student's family, loved ones, students, and colleagues.  This procedure has two specific purposes:

1.1.1 To inform all University colleagues, whatever your role, of what you must do in the unlikely event that you are the first person to be informed about, or discover, the death of a student (detailed in sections 2 and 3 below), and

1.1.2 To set out a clear process for how we will coordinate the University’s response to any student death – in the hours, days and weeks following the initial notification – and specify where key related responsibilities sit within the University.

1.2 This procedure seeks to strike a clear balance.  On the one hand, we need to have a clear, consistent University-wide procedure for these circumstances – in order that everyone knows who is doing what and prevent any duplication of action or any avoidable distress that could inadvertently arise through a lack of coordination.  At the same time, we must maintain the flexibility to respond to the individual circumstances of a student’s death.  Every situation will be different, and our procedure provides flexibility for us to take full account of this individuality.

1.3 The procedure is also designed to reflect the fact that sometimes the known or suspected cause of death means that additional or specific support measures are required.  A death that is known or suspected to have been by suicide or a death caused by a communicable disease, for example, will require the University to take specific practical measures over and above the kind of support that we would provide in other circumstances.

1.4 This procedure is designed primarily to guide the University’s response to the death of any student who was registered and studying with the University at the time of their death, including students studying online.  Where the student was studying at either our Singapore or Malaysia campus, the management of that campus will fulfil many of the key responsibilities set out in this procedure, as their location will make this more practicable.  Where the student who has died was studying through a partnership arrangement or study abroad arrangement set up with another institution, we will liaise closely with the partner institution throughout this process to agree where the responsibilities for supporting colleagues and students sit.  However, in all such cases, the basic procedure set out in this document will still be followed to ensure proper coordination.

1.5 This procedure may also inform aspects of how we respond in some other situations – such as the death of a student who is currently on an interruption of study or the death of a recent University graduate.  A decision to apply aspects of this procedure in the case of someone who is a former student/not a current student will be made by a senior manager in Student Health and Wellbeing Services (SHWS).  In these circumstances, the fact that an individual was not registered as a student of the University at the time of their death may change how the University is able to respond.

2.1 Any University colleague may be the first to be notified about the death of a student that has taken place off-campus.  For example, a family member might contact someone in a school/institute or faculty or in University accommodation, as their way of notifying the University about what has happened.  The chances that an individual colleague will be contacted in this way may be low, but we want to make sure everyone knows what do to, should this happen.

2.2 If you are notified about a student death, by any source, and unless you are certain that SHWS are already aware of what has happened, you should:

2.2.1 make a note of the student’s details (including full name, student ID, address, and date of birth, if possible/available),

2.2.2 record the contact details of the person who informed you, and

2.2.3 make sure you record any other pertinent information provided relating to the reported circumstances of death.

2.3 Then, straightaway, you should pass all of this information onto the right team.  To do this:

2.3.1 If it is during office hours, telephone Student Health and Wellbeing Services (SHWS) on extension 83333 (or, from a mobile or external line, 0191 208 3333) and ask for a senior manager in SHWS, explaining that you are calling to report the death of a student and confirm that the team is aware.

2.3.2 If it is outside office hours, telephone Campus Security on extension 86666 (or, from a mobile or external line, 0191 208 6666), explaining that you are calling to report the death of a student and confirm that the team is aware.

2.4 Importantly, remember that:

2.4.1 You must not make any direct contact with the family of the deceased person yourself.  Communications with the family will be handled appropriately, initially by the police or by hospital staff. 

2.4.2 You must not make any comment about what has happened on social media or to any external third parties.  If you can, it is also helpful if you can encourage anyone else who is aware of the situation to avoid commenting on social media.  This is to ensure the students’ loved ones only learn the news of the death via the appropriate channels.

2.5 If you have any concerns relating to the family of the deceased, or relating to any information that has already been shared on social media by someone else, you should share these concerns with SHWS or Campus Security when you telephone them.  They will pass on the information to the relevant teams within the University, as appropriate.

2.6 When you telephone SHWS or Campus Security, you may be informed that they are already aware of the death; however, please do not assume that this will be the case, we would rather be notified twice of what has happened, rather than not being notified at all.

2.7 In most situations, once you have passed the information on to SHWS or Campus Security, you will have done all that you need to do and you can trust that the relevant teams will coordinate the actions needed to provide support to those who need it. 

3.1 Certain actions must be carried out on first discovery of any death or suspected death that has taken place on University premises (this would include, for example, the death of a third party, such as a visitor or guest on campus, or a friend or family member of a student or colleague).

3.2 If a body is discovered on campus, the person(s) discovering the body must immediately telephone emergency services (999) and then Campus Security (0191 208 6666):

3.2.1 First, call emergency services by telephoning 999.  Emergency services will ask questions about the circumstances, provide you with advice on immediate next steps, and send someone out to attend the scene.

3.2.2 Straightaway afterwards, you should then call Campus Security on extension 86666 (or, from a mobile or external line, 0191 208 6666).  Campus Security will ask you for some basic information about the circumstances of what has happened.

3.3 If there is more than one person present, one person should contact emergency services while the other contacts Campus Security at the same time.

3.4  Campus Security will immediately notify:

3.4.1 the on-call SHWS Manager, and

3.4.2 the Duty Manager or Head of Accommodation, when the death has taken place in University accommodation or when students in University accommodation are known to have been involved in an incident or required to support those affected.

3.5 Campus Security – working closely with SHWS and/or the Duty Manager/Head of Accommodation (if the death has taken place in University accommodation or if students in University accommodation are directly affected) – will then take swift action to prioritise the dignity of the deceased student and the safety and wellbeing of the student’s family, our students, and our colleagues.  We will try to avoid having colleagues attending on their own, although we recognise that this may not always be possible.  The action at this stage will include:

3.5.1 Ensuring emergency services can gain entry to the necessary locations, this may include moving students/colleagues away from the scene.

3.5.2 Dignity for the deceased/minimise distress to others by moving away from the scene.

3.5.3 Providing immediate practical support to individuals affected, including alternative accommodation for students and other individuals who are impacted by the death.

3.5.4  Assisting the police with the student’s details, such as name, course stage, age, home address, next of kin, etc.  All information requested by the police must be provided.

3.5.5 Once emergency services have completed their work to ensure the scene/location is undisturbed.  Check with police for further access to the scene. Do not clean room etc. without consultation with on-call SHWS Manager, who will be in touch with emergency services/investigating officers.

3.5.6 Liaising closely with the police to monitor the situation and confirm when the students trusted contact or next of kin have been informed.

3.5.7 Advising everyone involved that they should not comment on social media or comment to the press, to ensure the students’ loved ones only learn the news of the death via the appropriate channels. All media enquiries should be referred through to the Press Office.

3.5.8  Taking all other actions necessary to manage the incident on campus.

3.6  The ‘Campus Security and Duty Manager Checklist’ at Appendix 1 provides more information about the initial actions required from Campus Security, Accommodation Services and SHWS.

4.1 Following any student death, even in cases where the death is not sudden or unexpected, there are some swift actions that are taken by SHWS – normally led by the Director of SHWS (or their designate).  These initial actions, listed below, are normally taken within the first few hours of the University first learning of the death:

4.1.1 Decide swiftly who, within SHWS, will be focusing on support for colleagues, support for the student’s family, support for other students who have been affected (including support for the student’s flatmates, friends, classmates, etc. and including liaison with the student’s school/institute, accommodation provider and others to coordinate support effectively), and who will be focusing on liaison with any relevant statutory and external bodies (such as the police or UK Health Security Agency), if appropriate.  In some cases, a single person within SHWS may take on more than one of these liaison roles.

4.1.2 Contact the student’s family, normally via telephone – only after it has been confirmed that the family has already been notified of the death (for example, by police or hospital staff) – and act as the University’s single point of contact for all initial contact with the family.  If the family wishes to talk to other members of University colleagues, this may be possible in due course; however, there should be a conversation with those colleagues first to discuss this.

4.1.3 Continue to coordinate support for students who are affected – in particular, any flatmates or others known at this stage to be close to the student who has died.  These students will be told about key sources of support and will normally be given a named SHWS contact to discuss support further.  SHWS will liaise with other University teams to coordinate support effectively.

4.1.4 Notify the Press Office, so that they can be prepared for any media enquiries and can monitor media and social media output.

4.1.5 Notify the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care team and involve the Faith and Spirituality Support Coordinator (or their designate) in providing support to the family, if the family desires this.  Even in cases where the family is connected with the Faith and Spirituality Support Coordinator (or their designate) for support, the Director of SHWS (or their designate) will remain the University’s main point of contact with the family.

4.1.6 Send a communication, for information, to the University’s senior management team.  Recipients should include the Vice-Chancellor/President, CEO of NUSU, Registrar, Academic Registrar, PVC Education, PVC of the relevant faculty, and other members of Executive Board as appropriate (such as the PVC Global and Sustainability for situations involving an international student and PVC Research and Innovation for situations involving a PRG student) This communication should reference the fact that a case conference is being convened to coordinate the University’s response, and it should be copied to the relevant Head of School/Dean of Institute/Dean of the relevant Graduate School and often the relevant School Manager (and/or the lead of the relevant Newcastle University campus, if the student who died was studying at our Singapore campus or Malaysia campus) and the Director of Communications (or designate).

4.1.7 Send a communication to a range of University teams (listed in Appendix 2) so that records can be updated and important practical and administrative actions can be taken. This communication may sometimes be sent the next working day.

4.2 The above actions will be taken as quickly as possible; however, sometimes, it is important to wait until other steps have been taken (for example, until after the deceased’s family has been notified by the police or hospital staff, or until there has been some official notification of the death) to avoid sharing information inappropriately.

4.3 For every student death, the Director of SHWS (or their designate) will then convene a case conference.  This is a meeting that takes place during normal University office hours and within 1-2 working days of the University first being notified of the student death.  The case conference is a meeting to establish the known facts and circumstances in order inform the coordination of the University’s response to the death, including the provision of support to those who require it (more information about the purpose of the case conference is set out in section 4.10).  The case conference is different to a serious incident review, or “lessons learned” review, which is a separate type of process which might, in some cases, follow on from a serious incident sometime later, in accordance with the University’s procedure on the delivery of serious incident reviews, overseen by SHWS.

4.4 All of the main teams that have had, or will have, a significant role in being part of the University’s response to the student death must attend the case conference.  The decision about which teams are invited to join the case conference rests with the Director of SHWS (or their designate) and will depend on the circumstances of the death.  The case conference will be held either in person or virtually. 

4.5 By default, the following will be involved in all student death case conferences:

4.5.1 Director of SHWS (or their designate) – as chair of the case conference

4.5.2 Head of SHWS (or their designate, if the Head of SHWS is unavailable or is fulfilling the role of case conference chair)

4.5.3 Head of Welfare and Counselling (or their designate)

4.5.4 A colleague from SHWS to make an accurate record of the meeting, its actions and outcomes.

4.6 The following colleagues will be invited to attend the Case Conference, at the discretion of the chair, depending on the nature and circumstances of the student death and if they are to be involved in the future coordination of the University’s response:

4.6.1 The Press Office

4.6.2 Head of School/Dean of Institute/Dean of the relevant Graduate School and/or Head of Service in which the student was based (or their designate)

4.6.3 School Manager and/or Director of Faculty Operations for the relevant faculty (or their designate)

4.6.4 Relevant academic colleagues – for example, personal tutor or programme leader, supervisor; this would include one or two people, at most

4.6.5 Estates Security Manager (or their designate), in all cases in which Security was involved in responding to the death

4.6.6 Faith and Spirituality Support Coordinator (or their designate)

4.6.7 Head of Accommodation (or their designate), in all cases in which the student lived in university accommodation, or another representative of Accommodation Services where the input of Accommodation Services would be helpful  

4.6.8 Legal

4.6.9 Insurance

4.6.10 Health and Safety

4.6.11 People Service (Human Resources) and/or other teams, as required

4.7 Student Union Colleagues may also be invited if the death occurs in their building or during a club or society activity.

4.8 Case conferences are internal University meetings to coordinate the University’s response effectively.  They are not meetings in which other parties – such as the student’s family, the student’s flatmates, the police, etc. – would normally be involved.  There may be exceptional circumstances in which external parties may be represented at a case conference, following such a decision by SHWS; such external parties may include, but are not limited to: the UK Health Security Agency (in case conferences relating to actual/potential notifiable disease cases), Newcastle University Students’ Union (when it is appropriate to involve a NUSU representative in the discussion), or external accommodation providers in certain circumstances.

4.9 It is very important that every individual/team requested to attend a case conference either attends or sends a designate.  This is to ensure that all areas that need to input into the decision-making can do so in a timely manner and avoid any unnecessary complications that can be associated with trying to coordinate these complex cases via individual emails or telephone calls.

4.10 The purpose of the case conference is to:

4.10.1 Establish the facts and circumstances that led to, and followed on from, the death of the student, including the support that has already been provided or offered to those affected – as far as these events can be ascertained by the University at the time of the case conference meeting.

4.10.2 Coordinate all key communications. This includes ensuring that appropriate people and teams in the University and/or externally have been informed, or will subsequently be informed, of the death and are updated, as appropriate.  The aim is to keep people informed in a proportionate and appropriate manner and ensure that routine administrative procedures are discontinued, where possible, to avoid unnecessary additional distress to the student’s loved ones. Additionally, it will be important to ensure that any communication with the coroner’s office, Police and other relevant agencies is managed effectively, by the Director of SHWS or their designate, so that accurate information is shared in a suitable, consistent and timely manner.

4.10.3 Plan and coordinate the provision of further support, as appropriate, including for the student’s family, for other students, and for colleagues.

4.10.4 Fulfil a postvention coordination function, in cases where the student death is suspected or known to have been caused by suicide (see section 5 of this procedure).

4.10.5 Oversee effective liaison with relevant external agencies – for example, UK Health Security Agency (in the case of communicable disease cases), the police, the coroner, the relevant embassy or consulate in the case of the death of an international student, etc.

4.10.6 Ensure legal and other statutory requirements relating to the death are observed. The University has existing channels of communication with the coroner’s office, Police and other agencies, built upon mutual trust, respect and understanding and will endeavour to maintain these relationships by not falling short of its legal obligations or the reasonable expectations of others.

4.10.7 Agree how actions will continue to be monitored and coordinated after the case conference meeting itself.

4.11 As noted in section 4.3, the case conference is not the same as, or taking the place of, a serious incident review, in circumstances where such a review is required.

4.12 In most cases, the case conference will not need to be reconvened following the initial meeting.  Actions and further work to provide support can, normally, be coordinated virtually following the initial meeting.  However, in rare situations, such as when significant new information comes to light which requires a very different approach from the University, SHWS may decide to reconvene a case conference, either with the same or with different teams and individuals involved.

5.1 Where there is a suspicion that a student has taken their own life, the case conference will also fulfil a postvention coordination function.  The principles outlined below can also be applied to other circumstances i.e. if a student is believed to have died from taking drugs, alcohol, or engaging in some other risky activity. This means that, when planning communications and the offering of support, the case conference will have particular regard to:

5.1.1 Ensuring that both students and colleagues are offered support, in a way that is timely, effective and proportionate and with regard to Universities UK guidance.  This includes:

• focusing on any immediate safeguarding action.
• provision of practical support to students who are at the scene of any incident on campus, rather than on seeking to provide clinical support at this early stage.
• offering opportunities for students to meet with SHWS colleagues for both practical advice and wellbeing-related support (who, in turn, may signpost or refer to other support services within the University, at the Students’ Union or externally).
• considering the best ways to support colleagues who knew the student or who may be affected by the news; while this may include signposting to some of the sources of support (see section 7), this may also involve simply involving someone in conversations about how the University is responding to the death.  Often, what colleagues need most, particularly in the early stages following a student death, is to feel they are working as part of a broader team to manage the situation.
• enabling students and colleagues to express their condolences and/or attend a memorial or funeral service (in ways which align with the family’s wishes).

5.1.2 Ensuring that internal and external communications align with good practice guidance from Universities UK and from Samaritans.  This includes:

• seeking to minimise speculation, or any perception that the University might be holding back information, by issuing timely, factually correct communications, while taking account of the fact that the cause of death might not be confirmed or known for some considerable time after the death.
• ensuring that communications do not include detail of the suicide or any speculation over the motive for suicide.
• seeking opportunities, where possible, to deliver news personally to those students and colleagues who were closest to the student (including technicians, support staff, post-docs, etc. who were working with the student).
• asking students and colleagues to be mindful of the impact of what they communicate and to whom.
• seeking to ensure that University media statements follow Samaritans’ media guidelines, and following up on any external media reporting that does not respect these guidelines.

5.1.3 Being mindful about the possible need for a serious incident review in due course.  Not every student death will require a serious incident review; in line with national guidance, such a review may be required only in certain circumstances.  The University has a separate procedure on the delivery of serious incident reviews, a process overseen by SHWS.  However, the case conference may be well placed to consider, at the earliest stages, whether a serious incident review might be helpful and escalate such a recommendation.

6.1 Any situation in which a student has died will have a very individual set of circumstances and require a tailored, coordinated response from the University.  However, it is important that the University establishes clear default procedures for what different teams do in the case of a student death, to minimise duplication and confusion in these difficult circumstances. 

6.2 This section of the procedure sets out where key responsibilities sit, by default, in the case of a student death. A case conference may decide to override the default arrangements set out below, to respond to the specific circumstances of a student death.  It is therefore important that the teams/individuals referred to below are following the direction and decisions of the case conference, rather than implementing the actions set out below in isolation.

6.3 The Director of SHWS (or their designate), and SHWS more broadly, will, by default and unless otherwise directed by a case conference decision:

6.3.1 Ensure that all the actions listed in section 4 are carried out. This will include working with Security and/or Accommodation to coordinate initial support for students and other people affected, sending internal notifications about the death for information/action, and convening and chairing the case conference.

6.3.2 Act, or allocate a senior member of SHWS to act as a single point of contact for all initial contact with the family, including arranging for a translational service and coordinating any contact with other colleagues (e.g. tutor or Head of Accommodation) in a way which aligns with the family’s wishes but also is sensitive to the wishes of the colleagues concerned.

6.3.3 Co-ordinate, or allocate a senior member of SHWS to coordinate practical support for the student’s family, as required. This includes advising the family on arrangements for visiting the University and facilitating such a visit, arranging accommodation, arranging interpreting or translation services, liaising with the student’s private landlord or accommodation provider to coordinate support, etc.

6.3.4 Liaise with the Head of School/Dean of Institute/Dean of the relevant Graduate School, Accommodation Services and others to agree how best to communicate the available support to both colleagues and students.

6.3.5 Liaise with UK Health Security Agency, if relevant.  This will only be relevant if the death gives rise to any public health concern, in which case the University’s plans for coordinating its response will need to be dovetailed with Public Health England’s processes for tracing contacts, etc.

6.3.6 Coordinate the preparation of a letter of condolence to the family, normally to be signed by the Registrar or Vice-Chancellor.

6.3.7 Obtain details of the family’s plans and wishes in relation to funeral or memorial service arrangements and sharing these details with the school/institute and with others who may want to attend (e.g., representatives of relevant student societies, Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care team, etc.).  The Head of School/Dean of Institute/Dean of the relevant Graduate School will be primarily responsible for ensuring appropriate University representation at a funeral.

6.3.8 Contact the insurance team within the University Finance Office to request that they check whether any relevant University insurance actions are required. Insurance cover will only be relevant in rare circumstances; if there is insurance cover, a further discussion will be organised to consider this further.

6.3.9 Monitor actions relating to the University’s coordination of its response to the death, keeping case conference attendees and others informed and picking up on any other new or unforeseen issues that arise to ensure these are acted on appropriately.

6.3.10 Information requests received by third parties (for example the police, Coroner’s Office and/or the Press) must notify the Director of SHWS (or their designate) who will be able to liaise and offer neutral advice.

6.3.11 Will initiate the gathering and collation of any materials likely to be of interest to the Coroner or the family and identify areas of learning, exposure or concern, and be the main point of contact with the Coroner’s office in any coronial matters.

6.3.12 Considering whether a serious incident review may be required in due course.

6.3.13 Oversee and direct longer-term actions, as required – such as for liaising with the family and with the Student Progress Service (Manager for Exams and Awards) in relation to any posthumous award.  With such longer-term actions, SHWS will keep other relevant teams (e.g. the International Office for a posthumous award for an international student) updated.

6.4 The Head of School/Dean of Institute/Dean of the relevant Graduate School (or their designate) for the school/institute in which the deceased student studied, will, by default and unless otherwise directed by a case conference decision:

6.4.1 Inform all relevant colleagues in the school/institute and wider faculty of the student’s death, only after planning and agreeing these communications with the Director of SHWS (or their designate). Normally, the school/institute would start by talking to those colleagues who were likely to be working most closely with the student (for example, the student's personal tutor, senior tutor, supervisor and/or degree programme director/PGR director, technicians or post-docs working with research students, etc). Part of the plan agreed with SHWS will also take account of how staff in any relevant external organisations with links to the school/institute (e.g., placement providers, etc.) would also be informed.

6.4.2 Consider, with SHWS, which students need to be informed of the death (often as part of the case conference discussion), and agree the most appropriate, supportive way to convey the information to students in the circumstances. Whether the news can be delivered in-person/face-to-face, virtually (e.g., via email or via the learning management system, etc.) or both, and whether it is delivered as part of an existing teaching session or through a dedicated meeting, will depend on a range of factors, including the time of year, teaching timetable, size of the cohort, etc.  The aim will be to balance the need for sensitivity, in how the news is delivered, with the need to cascade information swiftly and to all who may need to know the news.  It will be important to respect the confidentiality of the deceased student and their family when it comes to how much information is shared.  The role of students in supporting others (e.g., through supporting each other, meeting family members etc.) is also something we will be careful to limit.  When desired by students we can facilitate students to talk to, and support, one another and, where appropriate, we might facilitate students to meet with key people (e.g., the student’s family members) if they feel able to do so; it can be useful for people to share what they are experiencing and feeling.  At the same time, we must not place students in the position of providing support that do not wish to provide, nor is it their role to provide nor place them in the position of having interactions with key persons (e.g., with family members) that they do not desire.  

6.4.3 Agree with SHWS how students will be made aware of the support available to them, including any additional specific support arranged between the school/institute and SHWS. If there are coursework deadlines and or examination dates within close proximity, students in the affected cohort should be informed about the PEC process for requesting an adjustment.  Personal tutors should be briefed to make follow-up contact with students, where appropriate.

6.4.4 Keep the School Manager and Faculty PVC and Director of Faculty Operations informed about what is happening.

6.4.5 Work with the Director of SHWS (or their designate) to agree how best to assist the family in response to requests related to the school/institute – such as requests to talk to faculty colleagues, see the student’s work, find out about the student’s academic progress, or see where the student studied.

6.4.6 Ensure that school/institute records – including, for example, all registers, group lists, chair lists, APR panel/supervisor records (for PGR students), congregations records (for students nearing graduation), etc. – are removed or updated. Reflecting our desire to act compassionately the name of the student who has died should not be crossed out or erased within documents, but rather new versions issued. 

6.4.7 Ensure that the University is represented (in accordance with the family’s wishes) at any funeral and/or memorial service and assisting with any practical arrangements in relation to the attendance of students and colleagues. The funeral and/or memorial service representation will normally include a senior member of the school/institute and/or a member of the Senior Management Team along with other colleagues who wish to attend.  Any other colleagues from other teams, such as The Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care team, should be in addition to these school/institute representatives if requested by the family.  The Director of SHWS (or their designate) will speak to the family about their plans and wishes in this regard and will pass this information onto the school/institute.  Where students and colleagues from outside the school/faculty wish to attend, the Head of School/Dean of Institute/Dean of the relevant Graduate School will with work with SHWS and others to coordinate, as, for example, it often makes sense to arrange joint transport.

6.4.8 Organise any collective school-based/institute-based or faculty-based expression of condolences from colleagues and students in the school/institute, such as gathering at our central campus place of remembrance, flowers, an online condolences page, etc. (in line with the family’s wishes, as communicated by the Director of SHWS or their designate).  Support is available to the school/institute from the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care Team with aspects of these arrangements.  Where appropriate, the school/institute/faculty will also open up opportunities to express condolences up to students and staff from outside the faculty. 

6.4.9 Consider, in consultation with Faculty colleagues and the Student Progress Service’s Examination and Award Team, the option of awarding a posthumous qualification, if appropriate, in line with University policy on posthumous awards.  If it is appropriate, the Head of School/Dean of Institute/Dean of the relevant Graduate School should discuss with the Director of SHWS how this will be communicated to the family.

6.5 Heads of other schools/institutes may also need to carry out similar actions or assist with the cascading of information – if, for example, the deceased student had studied modules with cohorts in other schools, was involved in research across multiple schools/institutes/units, or if staff in other schools/institutes were involved in working closely with the student.

6.6 The Head of Communications (or their designate) will, by default and unless otherwise directed by a case conference decision:

6.6.1 Liaise with the police press office, when appropriate, to confirm the level of detail that is in the public domain.

6.6.2 Prepare a statement for release to the media on request, in consultation with the Director of SHWS (or their designate) and others, as appropriate.  Media statements may also be shared with relevant external organisations, such as the police or UK Health Security Agency, before they are finalised.  The student’s family is also generally given an opportunity to see any media statements before they are issued.

6.6.3 Respond to related queries from the media – where necessary, in consultation with the Director of SHWS (or designate) and the student’s family.

6.6.4 Confirm with the Director of SHWS (or their designate) that the student’s family is able, if they prefer, to give journalists the details of the University Press Office instead of the family responding to media enquiries themselves.

6.6.5 Take reasonable steps to publicly monitor social media channels. If any inappropriate information, misleading information, or information that might support an ongoing police investigation is identified, it will be shared, as appropriate, internally (e.g., with the Director of SHWS) and/or with relevant external organisation (such as the police press office) to aid an appropriate response and/or support the issuing of any clarification, as necessary.

6.6.6 Contact SHWS and/or the Student Progress Service if any inappropriate or misleading information has been posted online or shared publicly (for example, by other students) and if follow-up action may be required.

6.7 Accommodation Services will, by default and unless otherwise directed by a case conference decision:

6.7.1 Ensure that appropriate site colleagues liaise with the police when required. This is likely to be the Head of Accommodation or Duty Manager out of hours.

6.7.2 Assist SHWS in identifying students to whom an offer of support should be made.

6.7.3 Ensure that an appropriate colleague is available, when required, to provide the deceased student's family with access to the student's room to collect belongings and/or provide assistance with this, as required. Where possible, to provide consistency, the family’s contact within SHWS should also be in attendance for the visit.

6.7.4 Halt all accommodation-related correspondence to the student or the family, e.g. rent invoices.

6.7.5 Plan and offer re-housing to other residents, where appropriate and possible.

6.7.6 Liaise with an accommodation with which the University has a nominations agreement in place, where it is considered to be helpful.

6.8 The Occupational Health and Safety Service will, by default and unless otherwise directed by a case conference decision:

6.8.1 Consider each death and liaise with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), if necessary, to fulfil the requirements of the Reporting Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.

6.8.2 Provide occupational health clinician support/debrief to any colleagues who have either been involved or have worked with the student, where required.

6.8.3 Support the University in any accident/incident investigation.

6.8.4  Consult the SHWS at the earliest opportunity for advice as to whether/when (to avoid exposing itself to any avoidable legal, financial or reputational risk) the University should obtain legal advice, in order to:

     6.8.4.1 dentify any possible conflicts of interest.

     6.8.4.2 Ensure that the contents of any communication with the HSE are accurate and appropriate.

     6.8.4.3 Ensure that the approach to accident/incident investigation and reporting is appropriate in all the circumstances.

     6.8.4.4 Ensure that, where appropriate, privilege is secured and maintained in respect of documents created or disclosed.

     6.8.4.5 Ensure that appropriate attention is paid to issues concerning data protection.

6.9 The International Office Director (or deputy) will, by default and unless otherwise directed by a case conference decision:

6.9.1 Pass information to the relevant teams as follows:

     6.9.1.1 If the student is a full degree international student, the Regional Recruitment Team should be informed:

          6.9.1.1.1 If a partner institutions, sponsor, agent or other relevant recruitment partner is involved, we will liaise with the partner institution/embassy contacts and help them with any queries they may have/signpost them to other services within the University if needed.

          6.9.1.1.2 The team can provide advice on any cultural sensitivities, awareness, country specific information to support colleagues on the case conference team where appropriate.

     6.9.1.2 If the student is an incoming exchange or Study Abroad student, Global Opportunities (GO) should be informed:

          6.9.1.2.1 GO will liaise with the partner institution and help them with any queries they may have/signpost them to other services within the University if needed.

          6.9.1.2.2 GO will update the student’s records regarding their mobility programme.

     6.9.1.3 If the student is a Loyola student, the Loyola Center Manager should be informed:

          6.9.1.3.1 They will inform Loyola University and Loyola will inform/liaise with the deceased student’s immediate family.

          6.9.1.3.2 The Loyola Center Manager will help Loyola University with any queries they may have/signpost them within the University if needed.

     6.9.1.4 If the student is an outgoing exchange student, Global Opportunity should be informed:

          6.9.1.4.1 GO can help with the liaison with the partner university/placement provider if any information from them is required.

          6.9.1.4.2 GO will update the student’s records regarding their mobility programme.

6.10 The Student Progress Service will, by default and unless otherwise directed by a case conference decision:

6.10.1 Amend accordingly the deceased student's records held within the Student Progress Service.

6.10.2 Notify the Home Office through the Sponsor Management System, if the student was in receipt of a visa and to liaise with the Director of SHWS (or their designate) if any further information or documentation is required by the Home Office.

6.10.3 Notify Student Finance England or other relevant funding body/bodies, if the student was in receipt of a Student Loan.

6.10.4 The key responsibilities set out above are not exhaustive. Any University team may be contacted prior to, or following, a case conference and asked to take key actions in support this process.  It is incumbent on all of us to extend advice and support to those who require it in these difficult circumstances, and to signpost people to the relevant sources of support (see section 7).

7.1 The University has a range of support services in place for students. Some of these services – such as, for example, welfare support, counselling support, and chaplaincy and pastoral care – may be particularly helpful for a student who is affected by the death of another student.  For information about the full range of support services that we provide and how to access support, visit ncl.ac.uk/wellbeing.

7.2 Colleagues are also likely to be impact by the death of a student. Colleagues can access support via our Employee Assistance Programme, together with other services provided by Colleague Health and Wellbeing.  The University’s Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care team is also committed to providing a flexible and accessible support service to University colleagues, alongside the team’s work with students.  Colleagues who are closely involved in key aspects of coordinating or providing support following a student death are encouraged to look after themselves – for example, by allowing themselves sometime after difficult conversations or debriefing afterwards.

7.3 There are also a range of external sources of support that can provide valuable support with loss and bereavement. Whether you are a student or a colleague, the University’s support services, as well as providing support to you, will also be able to signpost you to relevant external support services.  Newcastle University Students’ Union also has a webpage which contains links to sources of support and can provide students with a range of types of support.

7.4 We also encourage both students and colleagues who are affected by a loss or bereavement, or following a serious incident, to make good use of their existing support networks, such as family and friends, and to let people know if they would like to talk about how they are feeling.  This includes talking to your tutor or supervisor, if you are a student, or to your line manager and other colleagues, if you are a colleague. 

8.1 This procedure should be read and implemented in conjunction with all other University policies and procedures – in particular, with the following:

8.1.1 Our student wellbeing-related policies and procedures

8.1.2 Our student progress-related policies and procedures

8.1.3 Personal Extenuating Circumstances Procedure for Students

8.1.4 Postgraduate Research Degrees Posthumous (page 127) and Aegrotat Award Policy (page 34)

8.1.5 Change of circumstances (taught programmes)

8.1.6 Change of circumstances (research programmes)

8.2 The following information relates to the consideration, approval, and ongoing monitoring of this procedure:

Immediately following a serious incident which results in the death of a student, emergency services and Campus Security have a key role in responding to the incident.  As well as responding to the incident, Campus Security will immediately notify both:

• the on-call Student Health and Wellbeing Services (SHWS) Manager, and
• the Duty Manager or Head of Accommodation, when the death has taken place in University accommodation or when students in University accommodation are known to have been involved in an incident or require support.

Section 3.5 of the University’s ‘Procedure to be followed in the event of a student death’ outlines some key responsibilities of Campus Security, the SHWS Manager and the Duty Manager or Head of Accommodation (DM/HoA) as they work together during the initial incident, and in the first hours that follow after the incident, to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of the student’s family, our students, and our colleagues. 

The checklist below expands on the information provided in section 3.5 of the procedure and provides an important reminder of key actions that need to be carried out on site.

This section sets out contact details for key departments which may be involved in assisting with the response to a student death.  This information is primarily provided for colleagues who are involved either in the initial response to a student death or in the case conference that follows.

The Director of Student Health and Wellbeing Services (SHWS) (or their designate) will, once any student death is confirmed, send two key communications.

The first communication is a senior-level briefing, sent for information, to let relevant University managers know about what has happened.   As described in 4.1.6 of the procedure, this involves sending a communication, which references the fact that a case conference is being convened to coordinate the University’s response, to the relevant senior managers, including:

• the Vice-Chancellor/President
• Registrar
• Academic Registrar
• PVC Education
• Other members of Executive Board, as appropriate (for example, PVC Global and Sustainability for situations involving an international student and PVC Research and Innovation for situations involving a PRG student)

This communication should normally be copied to:

• the relevant Head of School/Dean of Institute/Dean of the relevant Graduate School (and/or the lead of the relevant Newcastle University campus, if the student who died was studying at our Singapore campus or Malaysia campus)
• the relevant School Manager
• the Director of Communications (or designate).

The second communication, which is likely to be sent the following working day, is issued to the University teams listed below to ensure they take various key administrative actions, over and above any specific actions that these teams are already delivering under this procedure or as directed by the case conference.

[1]  Only in extremely rare circumstances would the University ever contact the family/next of kin without confirming beforehand that the police or hospital staff have already notified them of the death, and only the Director of Student Health and Wellbeing Services (or their designate) can approve or carry out such an action.  The veracity of the information about the death of a student should always be fully confirmed before making any contact with the next of kin.

[3]  It is helpful in these early stages not to talk too much about clinical support, such as counselling and GP support.  It is often helpful to mention that such support services exist at the University and externally, but the focus initially should be on more practical support.  Not all students who witness or experience a serious incident will require counselling, and, while clinical support can be made available to those who do later require it, it can exacerbate stress levels to focus unduly on signposting into clinical support at this very early stage.