The claim states that the government is bringing together students, bereaved families, universities, and the NHS to strengthen student mental health support. The evidence strongly confirms this. **Cause:** The government convening a multi-stakeholder group (students, bereaved families, universities, NHS) focused on student mental health. **Effect:** Strengthening mental health support provided to students. The Department for Education established the Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce (HEMHIT) in June 2023. According to official government documentation, the taskforce membership explicitly includes "bereaved parents, students, mental health experts, provider groups and sector agencies." The taskforce's work includes a dedicated strand on "the relationship between HE and the NHS – promoting models of good practice and developing practical guidance to encourage collaboration between HE and NHS mental health services." The government also published a specific report titled "Improving student mental health through higher education-NHS partnerships," confirming the NHS is a direct participant in this initiative. The taskforce has produced concrete outputs: guidance on compassionate communications, training for non-specialist staff, case management frameworks, and a sector-wide implementation plan. By December 2024, 113 universities had signed up to the University Mental Health Charter Programme. The taskforce was extended and entered a new implementation phase in Autumn 2025, running through 2026, with refreshed terms of reference focusing on embedding recommendations from the National Review of HE Student Suicides. Regarding the "student support champion" mentioned in the speech: Professor Edward Peck was appointed as the first Higher Education Student Support Champion in 2022 and chaired HEMHIT from June 2023. He stepped down in summer 2025 to become Chair of the Office for Students. As of the June 2026 speech date, it is unclear whether a successor has been appointed, though the speech suggests one has been. The causal link is well-evidenced: the government has created a formal mechanism that brings together exactly the stakeholders named, with the explicit and documented purpose of strengthening student mental health support, and has produced tangible outputs toward that goal. Sources: - GOV.UK, Higher education mental health implementation taskforce — https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/higher-education-mental-health-implementation-taskforce - GOV.UK, HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce – second stage report (December 2024) — https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67518dac6da7a343d5fecbd10/HEMHIT_second_stage_report.pdf - GOV.UK, Improving student mental health through higher education-NHS partnerships — https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697b9717f8f4a746d9572f57/Improving_student_mental_health_through_higher_education_-_NHS_partnerships.pdf - GOV.UK, Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce – Terms of Reference (December 2025) — https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/693aaef16a12691d48491df7/Higher_Education_Mental_Health_Implementation_Taskforce___Terms_of_Reference.pdf - Nottingham Trent University, Higher Education Student Support Champion — https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/governance/vice-chancellor/higher-education-student-support-champion - GOV.UK, Preferred candidate to lead Office for Students confirmed (February 2025) — https://www.gov.uk/government/news/preferred-candidate-to-lead-office-for-students-confirmed