This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Mental health services available to students'.


 
 
 
6 June 2018 
RECORDS MANAGEMENT SECTION 
 
The University of Edinburgh 
File ref:  T3/26/396 
Old College 
 
South Bridge 
Edinburgh EH8 9YL 
 
Ms Alisa Wylie 
Direct Dial  0131 651 4099 
 
Switchboard  0131 650 1000 
Sent by email: request-486238-
Email  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xx.xx 
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx 
Dear Ms Wylie 
Your freedom of information request 
Thank you for your email of 19 May 2018 requesting information about the University 
Counselling Service. 
The University of Edinburgh is a global university, rooted in Scotland.  We are globally 
recognised for our research, development and innovation and we have provided world-
class teaching to our students for more than 425 years.  We are the largest university in 
Scotland and in 2016/17 our annual revenue was £929 million, of which £265 million was 
research income.  We have over 39,000 students and over 9,700 full-time equivalent 
staff.  We are a founding member of the UK’s Russell Group of leading research 
universities and a member of the League of European Research Universities. 
Mental health support provision 
The University is committed to providing a positive academic experience and equality of 
opportunity for all students, and encourages those encountering mental health difficulties 
to make these known to the University.  The University operates a devolved management 
structure and comprises three academic colleges, subdivided into twenty-two schools, 
and three support groups, subdivided into some seventy support services.  Central 
services that support students with mental health conditions include the Student Disability 
Service (SDS), the Chaplaincy and the Student Counselling Service (SCS).  Further 
information about each of these is provided below. 
Colleges, Schools, Personal Tutors and Student Support Teams 
The University operates a framework of academic and pastoral support for students 
which comprises a blend of localised provision within schools and colleges, the Personal 
Tutor System, and student support services.  Personal tutors (PTs) assist and encourage 
students in their academic studies and help students to feel part of a community of 
learners.  One of the main responsibilities of student support teams (SSTs) is to provide 
appropriate information to students, which can include directing students to local and 
UNIVERSITY SECRETARY  Ms Sarah Smith 
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336 
 

 
central support services.  Academic and pastoral support within a school or college is 
provided to all its students.  Each school informs their students about the academic and 
pastoral support available to them and how to access it.  Schools identify when and 
where the need for targeted support may be at its most acute and concentrate provision 
accordingly.  Please note that mental health support provision provided by the University 
is intended to supplement and enhance, rather than replace or duplicate, NHS provision.  
More information about the Personal Tutor System and student support teams is 
published at www.ed.ac.uk/staff/supporting-students.  
The Advice Place 
The Edinburgh University Students' Association's Advice Place offers students free, 
impartial and confidential information delivered by a professional advice team.  The 
Students’ Association is a separate legal entity from the University of Edinburgh, and is 
not a ‘Scottish public authority’ as defined by the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 
2002.  This means that the University is unable to answer requests for information held 
by the Students’ Association, and the Students’ Association itself is not subject to the 
legislation.  If you are seeking information from the Students’ Association, or wish to read 
more about the Advice Place, contact details and information are available online at 
www.eusa.ed.ac.uk. 
Student Disability Service 
The SDS provides support to students with mental health conditions in a number of ways 
depending on the student's study needs.  SDS can tailor a learning profile of adjustments 
for students which can include adjustments such as extra time in exams, extensions, 
lecture slides in advance, permission to record lectures, and equipment to study at home.  
SDS can also suggest study skills support for students if appropriate.  This might be 
through the University's Institute of Academic Development study skills tutors, which are 
available to all students or through one of their Mental Health Mentors who offer 
emotional and study skills support to students with significant and long-standing mental 
health issues which impact on the students’ course of study.  Further information about 
the support offered by the SDS is published on the University website at 
www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-disability-service. 
Chaplaincy 
The University’s Chaplaincy provides pastoral and spiritual support for students and staff 
of all faiths and none.  Support includes the provision of mindfulness meditation sessions, 
tai chi classes, various religious services and prayer sessions, opportunities for individual 
meetings with chaplains, and discussions and events which touch on mental health.  
Further information about the services offered by the Chaplaincy is published on the 
University website at www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/chaplaincy. 
University Counselling Service 
The University Counselling Service provides free confidential professional counselling 
service to staff and all matriculated students of the University of Edinburgh.  The Service 
also seeks to enhance and encourage the emotional well-being and mental health of 
University of Edinburgh students and those who support them.  The Service seeks to 
reach this objective by facilitating personal development and psychoeducational groups 
and workshops for students; encouraging students to support themselves through the 

 

 
Bibliotherapy Scheme and other online resources; offering advice and support to 
academic staff concerned for the mental and emotional well-being of their students; and 
contributing to training and development programmes organised for staff and students by 
other departments of the University.  The University has signed up to the Big White Wall 
initiative which allows University of Edinburgh students free access to 24 hour 
psychological support online: www.ed.ac.uk/student-counselling/self-help/support-
groups.  
The Service offers some form of help to all students who approach them.  The 
nature of the help depends on the outcome of the initial appointment between student 
and counsellor.  Further information about the services offered by the University 
Counselling Service is available on the University website at www.ed.ac.uk/schools-
departments/student-counselling/services.
 
The University Counselling Service is an organisational member of the British 
Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).  This is the leading professional 
body for counsellors and psychotherapists in the United Kingdom, with approximately 
44,000 members.  Since 2006 the Service has had Accredited Service status awarded by 
the BACP.  The BACP Service Accreditation Scheme provides status and validation for 
the accredited service, and also provides robust evidence of service quality and 
professionalism.  In addition, accredited services are bound by the BACP Ethical 
Framework for the Counselling Professions.  All BACP Accredited Services have 
demonstrated a high quality of service delivery, meeting benchmark standards that are 
maintained by annual monitoring and reporting. 
The University Counselling Service also provides training for Personal Tutors, Student 
Support Officers, other academic staff as well as welfare staff in the Students' 
Association aimed at helping staff support and refer students who have mental and 
emotional health problems.  Accommodation Services has a Residence Life Team who 
will support students living in University Managed Accommodation and link them with 
other University services as appropriate.  All staff are made aware of the 'Helping 
Distressed Students' guide which is available on the University's website to aid staff in 
dealing with students in distress or crisis at www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-
disability-service/staff/supporting-students/help-distressed-students.
 
University Counselling Service statistics  
For the 2016/17 academic year, you requested the number of students seeking 
counselling, as well as information about response times and service effectiveness.  The 
University Counselling Service’s Annual Report 2016-2017is published on our website at 
https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-counselling/about/annual-reports.  Section 3 of the report 
contains information about the number of students accessing the Counselling Service, 
whilst Section 8 contains information about response times, and effectiveness indicators 
(CORE (Clinical Outcomes Routine Evaluation) and CIAO (Clinical Impact on Academic 
Outcomes)).  
Technical exemption 
Please note that as this information is available to you through the University website, it 
is technically exempt from the University’s obligation to answer requests for information 
under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The information is exempt under 
section 25 of this Act, because it is available to you by another route. This exemption is a 
technical matter only and does not affect your ability to obtain the information on-line. 

 

 
If you do not have access to the Internet or would prefer to receive information in hard 
copy please let me know and I will arrange for printouts from the appropriate web pages 
to be sent to you. 
Right to review 
If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may ask the University to conduct a review 
of this decision by contacting the University's Records Management Section 
(www.ed.ac.uk/records-management/about/contact) in writing (e.g. by letter or email) or 
in some other recorded form (e.g. audio or video tape).  You should describe the original 
request, explain your grounds for dissatisfaction, and include an address for 
correspondence.  You have 40 working days from receipt of this letter to submit a review 
request.  When the review process has been completed, if you are still dissatisfied, you 
may appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner using the guidance at 
www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal.  If you do not have access to the Internet, please 
let me know and I will provide a copy of the relevant web pages. 
Privacy notice 
The University of Edinburgh's privacy notice, which describes how we use the information 
you have supplied about yourself and your request, is available on-line at Privacy Notice.  
Yours sincerely  
 
Lorraine Peters 
Information Compliance Officer 
If you require this letter in an alternative format, such as large print or 
a coloured background, please contact the Records Management 
Section on 0131 651 4099 or email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xx.xx 


 

Document Outline