This event follows on from Oxford Academic Health Science Network's Student Mental Health Scoping Highlights Report

Please see the full report here

We are inviting individuals with an interest in student mental health in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire to think about the next steps in improving the mental health support offer to university students in our area.

The event will feature speakers sharing experiences, research and positive approaches to inspire attendees to come together and collaborate.

Our Speakers will include:

Becca Randell, Children and Young People’s Mental Health Implementation Lead for Kent, Surrey and Sussex Applied Research Collaboration and Academic Health Science Network

Becca Randell is both the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Implementation Lead for Kent, Surrey and Sussex Applied Research Collaboration and Academic Health Science Network. She is also the national Mental Health Implementation Network Co-Lead for Children’s Mental Health. Becca has over twenty years’ experience of commissioning children’s services regionally with Government Office for the South East and locally within health and local authority. Becca, through collaboration with NHSE SE Regional Team, has led on the student mental health agenda within Kent, Surrey and Sussex. She is passionate about collaboration and integration whilst improving the outcomes for children and young people through system-wide transformation and evidence-based research.

Becca will be presenting on "What does the research tell us about the impact of COVID on student mental health and the Kent, Surrey and Sussex approach"

Kezia Lange, Consultant psychiatrist

Kezia Lange is a consultant psychiatrist working in the Oxford ‘Emergency Department Psychiatric Service’ which covers the A&E’s at the John Radcliffe and Horton Hospitals. She sits on the Wellbeing subcommittee of the Education Committee at the University of Oxford and has been on the Higher and Further Education advisory board for the Charlie Waller Trust.

Fiona Brand, Mental health research nurse specialising in student mental health

Fiona Brand has been a mental health nurse for 20 years. She works as a research nurse at the Oxford Centre for Suicide Research and clinically at the Emergency Department Psychiatric Service in Oxford. She has a specialist interest in student mental health.

Fiona and Kezia will be talking on “Why is talking about self-harm so scary?”

Esther Rowland, Learning Environment Lead at Berkshire Healthcare Trust

Esther Rowland is a Learning Environment Lead at Berkshire Healthcare Trust. In this role she supports the pre-registration Adult, Child pre-registration and Apprentice nursing students. This role is vast and often requires her to wear an umbrella of ‘hats’. Outside of her work Esther has two wonderful small children and enjoys running.

Esther will be speaking on the Student Experience Project that she undertook at Berkshire Healthcare Trust

Dr Alicia Peña Bizama, Chartered Counselling Psychologist and an Occupational Psychologist

Dr Alicia Peña Bizama is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist and an Occupational Psychologist. Her doctoral research was on understanding and facilitating individuals’ return to work after being off sick due to stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. She has worked both in the NHS and in the private sector and was the Head of Student Wellbeing at the University of Reading until August 2017. She now works part-time at the university managing the Life Tools programme that she designed and delivers to students at the university. It is a psycho-educational programme focused on providing training for students’ personal and professional development, including self-management, and building resilience to maintain health and well-being and prevent burnout.

Alicia also works as an independent consultant designing and developing training and providing consultations. She works with individuals and groups in organisations to enhance personal, academic, and professional development.

For more information go to www.aliciapenabizama.com or Linkedin. She can be contacted by emailing alicia@aliciapenabizama.com

Oxford Patient Safety Collaborative Student mental health event