Bangor’s student consultants helped shape wellbeing strategy

Updated Sep 07, 2026

Bangor University’s Barometer Project involved students in designing consultation about its mental health and wellbeing strategy. The case study offers a practical account of that partnership, rather than evidence that one consultation method works best.

What happened

Following preparatory workshops, 71 students expressed interest, 25 attended the February 2024 launch and 16 completed the project, which reported in May. Consultants came from undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses; none were postgraduate researchers. More than half studied psychology or counselling at postgraduate taught level.

The consultants received training and ongoing support, helped design questions and facilitated wider consultation, including two 90-minute workshops. Participants in those wider sessions included postgraduate researchers and were predominantly international students. These groups should not be conflated with the consultant team.

The paper reports recommendations about service communication, access and peer support. Student and staff reflections describe confidence, learning and changed working relationships. These are participants’ accounts, without an independent comparison or measured improvement in mental health outcomes.

The complete main text was checked. Its approach explicitly treats consultation methods as appropriate to different situations; it does not rank student consultancy above all alternatives. The PDF credits Rob Samuel, while the journal landing-page metadata says Rob Samuels.

Questions for institutions

Before a similar project, agree its scope, resources, support and how recommendations will reach decision-makers. Ask which students have time to join, whose experiences are missing and whether separate consultation is needed.

Keep a record of recommendations, decisions and subsequent outcomes. That would help distinguish a valuable partnership experience from demonstrated service improvement. Use the governance checklist when planning confidentiality and handling sensitive comments.

Reference

Carey, W., Vatrani, Z., Fazey-Koven, G., Samuel, R., Vernon, C., & Ody, M. (2025). “What we got was so much more!” Student-Led Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy: Insights from the ‘Barometer Project’ at Bangor University, utilising a ‘Students as Consultants’ model. Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, 7(1), 119–130. DOI: 10.66561/sehej.v7i1.1414.