The Story

CHERISH (Caring for Self-Harm, Resources & Information for Supporting Students in Higher Education) is a website that was developed alongside individuals with direct experiences of providing support to another individual for self-harm. For many, this can be an overwhelming experience, with people often feeling isolated and lonely during their journey as supporters. This website aims to share helpful information and experiences of others to allow users to feel more supported.

CHERISH began following previous work, which aimed to provide an understanding of self-harm by students of the University of Westminster. The project, entitled HUSSH (Helping Understand Student Self-Harm), involved interviews with university students who had personal experiences of self-harm during their time in higher education.

Participants often mentioned how stressful it can be to try and find information across many different platforms and the challenge of looking after themselves during this time. CHERISH really aims to create a space for all that information to try and aid the user’s journey as a supporter, no matter what your level of experience may be. The real message from CHERISH is that even though you may be supporting someone else, it’s okay for you not to feel okay, too. Supporters often carry a lot of guilt about finding things too much and needing time out for themselves, but to be able to support someone else, you have to take care of your own well-being.

The Project

We worked with Laura Culshaw, a doctoral researcher at the University of Westminster, to identify the outcomes of her research and develop a project plan for a website that would allow students the best access to information about self-harm, whether it be their own experience or that of a friend or colleague. It was important that the website had mechanisms built-in in case a user was having immediate thoughts of self-harm. It was also important that the website tie together a range of resources to help students and supporters.

The project went through several testing phases following feedback from focus groups, and it took 9 months from the initial consultation to launch in October 2020.

Key Features

  • Responsive  – The website works on all devices whether that’s a smartphone, tablet or computer.

  • Accessibility Options – Users have a range of accessibility options to tailor their experience based on their individual needs.

  • Online forms – Users can complete feedback, complaints and application forms directly through the site replacing the previous paper based method.

  • Latest news – Users can keep up to date with events, positive news, competitions and future consultations all in one place.

  • Downloads – All of  the relevant CHERISH resources, leaflets and policies are now available online to access.

Mock-up displaying a responsive website on a desktop, tablet, and smartphone. The website features a forest scene with the text You are not alone and offers resources for supporting students in higher education. The background is light blue.

Project Details

Project Details

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Caring For Self Harm / University of Westminster

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