FOI: bereavement services

The request was successful.

Dear Preston College,

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

IAIN STOTT, Preston College

Please find below responses to the questions asked in your FOI:

Do you offer special provisions for counselling services for students specific to bereavement? Y/N
No. We offer general counselling which encompasses all presenting issues.

Do you offer any support or counselling services for students? Y/N
Yes.

Do you have an institution wide policy/guidance regarding caring for students following a bereavement? Y/N
No.

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?
We offer counselling and support for students who experience all forms of bereavement.

Can you tell me what special provision you have for offering extensions and academic breaks in study after a bereavement?
We would signpost students who experience bereavement to discuss extensions with their tutors and apply through the extenuating circumstances procedure.

How much money did you allocate to counselling and support services for bereavement per year (Jan 2016-Jan 2019)?
Budgets were allocated to general counselling and the specific amounts directed into bereavement support are unknown.

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?
We have elected not to offer an opinion.

Hopefully, this satisfies your FOI.

Kind Regards

Iain

Iain Stott | Head of Department – MIS, ICT & Data Services | Designated Data Protection Officer | Preston’s College
T: +44 (01772) 225065 | F: +44 (01772) 225112 | E: [email address]

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