FOI: bereavement services

The request was successful.

Dear Heriot-Watt University,

I am e-mailing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

If you have any questions or need clarification to complete my request, I would be grateful if you could contact me prior to the deadline of 20 working days from receiving my request.

I’m looking for information regarding the bereavement services which are available in your university or college. Please could you answer the following:

+Do you offer special provisions for counselling services for students specific to bereavement? Y/N
+Do you offer any support or counselling services for students? Y/N
+Do you have an institution wide policy/guidance regarding caring for students following a bereavement? Y/N
+Do your policies or practices exclusively relate to support for students who have lost parents or does your support factor in other forms of bereavement, such as losing a sibling?
+Can you tell me what special provision you have for offering extensions and academic breaks in study after a bereavement?
+How much money did you allocate to counselling and support services for bereavement per year (Jan 2016-Jan 2019)?
+If you feel you would like to offer an opinion, would you say your institution feels you are offered enough from the Government in order to support students who have experienced bereavement while studying?

I understand that under the Act, I should be entitled to a response within 20 working days. I would be grateful if you could confirm via e-mail that you have received this request.

Regards,
Georgia Coan + Poppy Damon
[Number Removed]

Yours faithfully,

Poppy Damon

Freedom Of Information,, Heriot-Watt University

Dear applicants

 

Thank you for your information request.  As a Scottish University, we
comply with our country’s own legislation: either the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act 2002 or the Environmental Information
(Scotland) Regulations 2004.  Please also note that Education in Scotland
falls under the jurisdiction and delegated powers of the Scottish
Government.

 

We are continuing to receive a high volume of information requests and so
we aim to respond within the statutory deadline, taking into account any
Scottish Bank Holidays.

 

Scottish Information Commissioner Guidelines

 

Further information about timescales for responding to requests for
information and your rights under Scottish legislation can be found on the
Scottish Information Commissioner's website:

 

[1]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...

 

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: [2][email address]

Website: [3]www.itspublicknowledge.info

 

 

 

Information Governance Team

Governance and Legal Services

Heriot-Watt University

Edinburgh Campus

Riccarton

Edinburgh EH14 4AS

[4]https://www.hw.ac.uk/services/informatio...  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Freedom Of Information,, Heriot-Watt University

1 Attachment

Dear applicants

 

Thank you for your information request dated the 3^rd July 2019.  As a
Scottish University we comply with our country’s own legislation: the
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA). 

 

Our responses to your questions are as follows:

 

 

 1. Do you offer special provisions for counselling services for students
specific to bereavement? Y/N As you will have [1]seen on website, we
provide a wide range of counselling for our students

 

 2. Do you offer any support or counselling services for students? Y/N
Please see above

 

 3. Do you have an institution wide policy/guidance regarding caring for
students following a bereavement? Y/N No – support for students is
tailored according to their circumstances and bereavement is included
within the wider provision.

 

 4. Do your policies or practices exclusively relate to support for
students who have lost parents or does your support factor in other
forms of bereavement, such as losing a sibling?  Support is available
for students struggling with any loss issues that are impacting on
their wellbeing, mental health or studies.  This includes loss of
parents, siblings, extended family and friends through bereavement.

 

 5. Can you tell me what special provision you have for offering
extensions and academic breaks in study after a bereavement?
Mitigating circumstances and/or a temporary suspension of studies is
often appropriate after a significant bereavement.  Students are
supported to consider all options.

 

 6. How much money did you allocate to counselling and support services
for bereavement per year (Jan 2016-Jan 2019)? Our financial systems do
not break this information down to the level requested and so the
information is exempt under Section 17 of FOISA

 

 7. If you feel you would like to offer an opinion, would you say your
institution feels you are offered enough from the Government in order
to support students who have experienced bereavement while studying?
Under FOISA, we do not have to provide an opinion and so this
information exempt from release under Section 17.

 

Your right to seek review of our decision

 

If you are not satisfied with our response or our reasoning set-out above,
you have forty working days from today in which to request a review of our
decision. Any request should be put in writing and should be sent to Ann
Jones, Head of Information Governance, at the address detailed at the
bottom of this email. The request should:

 

(a) detail your request for a review of our decision to be undertaken;

(b) describe the nature of your original request; and

(c) explain the reasons why you are dissatisfied with our response.

 

If you remain dissatisfied with how your request for information has been
dealt with, you also have the right 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 web page at:

[2]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...  

 

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: [3][email address]  

Website:
[4]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/home/...
 

 

Contact us

 

Finally, should you wish to discuss the contents of this email, please do
not hesitate to contact us via [5][Heriot-Watt University request email]

 

 

Information Governance Team

Governance and Legal Services

Heriot-Watt University

Edinburgh Campus

Riccarton

Edinburgh EH14 4AS

[6]https://www.hw.ac.uk/services/informatio...

 

 

[7]cid:image003.jpg@01D4B199.2E9471A0

 

 

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