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A case study in implementing the impact measurement scale: a non-clinical tool for university wellbeing service care mapping and facilitating a whole university approach to mental health

Lookup NU author(s): Kirsty Hutchinson, Dr Lucy RobinsonORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).

Abstract

© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. The increasing prevalence of student mental health concerns has placed growing pressure on universities to develop effective and sustainable wellbeing support. Absence of a shared sectoral language for wellbeing makes it challenging to implement a cohesive, institution-wide approach. This practitioner case study outlines Newcastle University's Student Health and Wellbeing Service's (SHWS) Impact Measurement Scale (IMS), a simple, non-clinical tool designed to categorise student wellbeing concerns and assess their functional impact using a 0-4 scale. Initially developed and implemented within SHWS, IMS uses assessments of need to improve access to appropriate support and provide practitioners with a clearer understanding of student needs. Early narrative findings suggest that IMS has facilitated the emergence of a common language within SHWS, streamlined resource allocation and challenged the crisis narrative in student mental health. Further validation is underway alongside wider embedding with students and academic colleagues, enabling a truly whole-institution approach to student wellbeing.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Hutchinson K, Robinson LJ

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education

Year: 2026

Volume: 30

Issue: 1

Pages: 26-35

Online publication date: 12/09/2025

Acceptance date: 29/08/2025

Date deposited: 06/10/2025

ISSN (print): 1360-3108

ISSN (electronic): 1460-7018

Publisher: Routledge

URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2025.2556191

DOI: 10.1080/13603108.2025.2556191

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