11 December 2018
By email to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Dear Ms Card,
I refer to your Freedom of Information request received on 7 December 2018 about student
mental health services.
Details of any exemptions applied are below. Where any information is “not held”, this is
explained below. Those parts of the University’s response (together with the details of how
to ask the University to review the management of your request, or thereafter to seek a
review by the Scottish Information Commissioner, should you wish to do so – please see
below) constitutes the notice in writing that the information specified is not held by the
University which is required under section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act
2002 (“FOISA”).
Your enquiry and the University’s response.
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following
information in regards to the mental health resources at your university.
1. How many support service staff have been employed with a mental health remit (e.g.
counselling, wellbeing) in each of the last 5 academic years. If a breakdown is not available
for mental health staff, please provide a total for the closest possible category.
The Counselling & Mental Health Service provides general counselling for all students
impacted by anxiety, depression, bereavement, self-harm, stress, trauma, etc. The Service’s
staff resource is 5 counsellors (3 work term-time only). This works out at 1.8 Full Time
Equivalent (i.e. permanent staff equivalent, to take account of part-time engagement). All
staff are professionally qualified and are members of their professional bodies, for example,
British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapists, Nursing & Midwifery Council, etc.
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
1.8 FTE
1.8 FTE
1.8 FTE
1.8 FTE
1.8 FTE
In addition, the University also employs a Mental Health Adviser (0.8FTE). If there are any
concerns as to a student’s mental health, these are referred to the University’s Mental Health
Adviser, who was appointed in September 2014.
2. Budget for mental health support for each of the last 5 academic years, and where
possible a breakdown on how that money is allocated, e.g. staff, marketing, equipment etc.
The funding for the Counselling & Mental Health Service, which is a combined service, is
presented in the table below (based on the salary spend for student-facing counselling and
mental health staff).
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
£82,199.67
£61,246.94
£91,935
£98,808
£112,152
3. Number of students seeking mental health support in each of the last 5 academic years.
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
334
351
356
369
400
4. Average waiting time for mental health support in each of the last 5 academic years.
The average waiting time (in days) for a student to attend their initial counselling session is
detailed in the table below.
Year
2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18
Average waiting time (days) 7
10.7
9.2
10.6
10.3
5. Any internal reports or reviews relating to mental health provision over the last 5 years.
Information not held: there are no internal reports or reviews relating to mental health
provision.
This concludes the University’s response.
Your right to seek a review of how your information request was managed
If you are not satisfied with our response or our reasoning set out above, you have 40
working days in which to require a review of our decision. Any such request should be put in
writing and should be sent to the University Secretary, Abertay University, at the address
provided below. The request should:
(a) detail your request for a review of our decision to be undertaken
(b) describe the nature of your original request
(c) explain the reasons why you are dissatisfied with our response
University Secretary
Abertay University
Bell Street
Dundee
DD1 1HD
Tel (01382) 308016
E-mail: x.xxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xx.xx
If you remain dissatisfied with how your request for information has been dealt with, you also
have the right, in terms of section 47 of FOISA, and within 6 months, to apply to the Scottish
Information Commissioner for a decision as to whether we have handled your request
properly.
Information relating to your right to seek review is available from the Scottish Information
Commissioner's website:
http://www.itspublicknowledge.info
or by contacting the Scottish Information Commissioner's Office at the following address:
Scottish Information Commissioner,
Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road, St Andrews,
Fife KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Fax: 01334 464611
E-mail: mailto:xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxx
Website: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info
Or via the SIC’s online appeals service:
http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Unhappywiththeresponse/AppealingtoCommi
ssioner.aspx
If you are unhappy with the Commissioner’s decision, you also have the right to appeal
further to the Court of Session, on a point of law only, under section 56 of FOISA. Please
refer to the Commissioner’s website (details above) for further information about your right of
appeal to the Court of Session.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Processing
Academic Registry
Abertay University
Abertay University is a registered Scottish charity, no. SC016040
