Freedom of Information request - Staff Counselling Services and Occupational Health Referrals

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Leeds Beckett University should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Leeds Beckett University,

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, could you please provide me with the following information:

COUNSELLING AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES - UNIVERSITY STAFF

1. The total number of staff that accessed University counselling and mental health services in the last eight academic years (please present in a table showing figures for each academic year and breakdown by category (e.g. anxiety, bereavement loss, work-related etc...))

a) How many were academic staff?
b) How many were professional services staff?
c) How many were male?
d) How many were female?

2. Where data are available in the last eight years, please detail what was the average wait time for a staff member applying to see a counsellor to seeing a counsellor?

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

3. During the last eight academic years how many staff members were referred to Occupational Health (please highlight whether these were self-referrals, management referrals, or referrals falling into different categories)?

a) How many were academic staff?
b) How many were professional services staff?
c) How many were male?
d) How many were female?

4. How many staff members are currently on the waiting list to see Occupational Health?

If the decision is made to withhold some of this data using exemptions in the Data Protection Act, please inform me of that fact and cite the exemptions used.

If you need any clarification then please do not hesitate to contact me. If some parts of this request are easier to answer than others, I would ask that you release the available data as soon as possible.

I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request, and I look forward to hearing from you within the 20 working day statutory time period.

Yours faithfully,

Nicky Michaels

FOI, Leeds Beckett University

1 Attachment

Dear Nicky,

 

I acknowledge receipt of your request for information. It will be
processed in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and you should expect to receive a response by 15
August 2017.

 

Kind regards,

 

[1]Description: Description: Saleem Asmat, Casework
http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/assets/ema... Administrator
Governance & Legal Affairs
  Leeds Beckett University, 101
Old Broadcasting House, City
Campus, Leeds, LS2 9EN,
United Kingdom
-----------------------------
Tel: +44 (0)113 812 3415 |
Fax: +44 (0)113 812 7522
Email:
[2][email address]

 

show quoted sections

Bakhat, Rehana, Leeds Beckett University

4 Attachments

 

Dear Nicky,

 

This email sets out the University’s response to your request for
information.  It has been processed in accordance with the requirements of
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”).

 

I can confirm that we hold the information that you requested. You asked
for: 

 

COUNSELLING AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES - UNIVERSITY STAFF

 

1. The total number of staff that accessed University counselling and
mental health services in the last eight academic years (please present in
a table showing figures for each academic year and breakdown by category
(e.g. anxiety, bereavement loss, work-related etc...))

 

a) How many were academic staff?

b) How many were professional services staff?

c) How many were male?

d) How many were female?

 

All members of staff (and their immediate family members) have access to a
free, confidential counselling and legal 24-hour telephone advice service
which has been provided by Health Assured since August 2014.  The
University does not hold information in relation to this service as it is
confidential and provided by an external company.  However, Health Assured
have provided the University with information in relation to the breakdown
of counselling calls for the period 1/08/2014 to 25/07/2017, and this
information is provided below.

 

COUNSELLING AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES – UNIVERSITY STAFF

 

For the three-year period 1/08/2014 to 25/07/2017, Health Assured received
548 calls which were categorised as counselling calls.  There were 289
female callers, 244 male callers and 15 unspecified callers.  Please find
below a table which breaks down these calls by category, where the
category has been specified:

 

Counselling Call Category Number of calls

 
Anger 10
Anxiety 86
Bereavement 47
Bullying/Harassment 31
Concern of others 6
Concern of own health 9
Depression 47
Disciplinary Fewer than five
Eating Disorder Fewer than five
Existential Fewer than five
Family Fewer than five
Friends Fewer than five
Gender Fewer than five
Historical Fewer than five
Individual 7
Low Mood 39
Partner 88
Role Fewer than five
Self-harm Fewer than five
Self-esteem Fewer than five
Separation/Divorce Fewer than five
Theft/crime Fewer than five
Work related stress 78

 

 

I consider that I am unable to provide the exact numbers for some of the
above categories as this would be exempt from publication pursuant to s 40
(2) FOIA. The numbers are very small (fewer than five) and individuals
could be identified. We do not have the individuals’ consent to release
this information and would, therefore, be in breach of the Data Protection
Act 1998.

 

 

You also asked for:

 

2. Where data are available in the last eight years, please detail what
was the average wait time for a staff member applying to see a counsellor
to seeing a counsellor?

 

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

 

3. During the last eight academic years how many staff members were
referred to Occupational Health (please highlight whether these were
self-referrals, management referrals, or referrals falling into different
categories)?

 

a) How many were academic staff?

b) How many were professional services staff?

c) How many were male?

d) How many were female?

 

4. How many staff members are currently on the waiting list to see
Occupational Health?

 

Leeds Beckett University has an Occupational Health Service. 

 

We transferred to an electronic occupational health record database in
January 2011, and the information requested is not available from the
previous manual system.  Therefore, information is attached for the period
January 2011 to July 2017.  Please note that the column in relation to
Health Surveillance is in addition to the figures in the preceding
columns.

 

In terms of the number of members of staff awaiting an occupational health
appointment, this can change on a daily basis.  As at 19 July 2017, there
were 7 staff members awaiting a confirmed appointment, all but 1 had been
contacted (we do not contact until 24 hours post receipt of the referral),
the other 6 were either awaiting further information to enable a meeting
to be arranged or had yet to contact us.

 

I trust that this concludes your request satisfactorily. If you are
dissatisfied with the way that your request has been handled, you may
request a review by emailing the Compliance and Casework Manager on
[1][email address].  If you remain dissatisfied following
the conclusion of the internal review, you may apply to the Information
Commissioner whose address is: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

Regards,

 

Rehana

 

Rehana Bakhat Casework Coordinator
Governance and Legal Affairs
Leeds Beckett University, 101, Old Broadcasting House, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9EN
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United Kingdom
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Dear Bakhat, Rehana,
Thank you so much for your very helpful response.
In relation to the figures on Occupational Health referrals, this information is well-presented and useful for comparison against the HE sector as a whole. In respect of counselling services however, you state:

"For the three-year period 1/08/2014 to 25/07/2017, Health Assured received
548 calls which were categorised as counselling calls. There were 289
female callers, 244 male callers and 15 unspecified callers. Please find
below a table which breaks down these calls by category, where the
category has been specified"

Accepting that there is incomplete data (i.e. you are unable to provide data prior to 1/8/14) I would be very grateful if this could be broken down by year in totals in respect of male and females. So number of women/men in 2014-15 - and total; 2015-16 etc.

That would be very helpful indeed.

Yours sincerely,

Nicky Michaels

Bakhat, Rehana, Leeds Beckett University

Dear Nicky,

Thank you for your below email. We provided the information we have in our possession at the time of your request.

Kind regards,

Rehana

Rehana Bakhat Casework Coordinator
Governance and Legal Services
Leeds Beckett University, 101, Old Broadcasting House, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9EN
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)113 812 3410 | Email: [email address]

Dear Bakhat, Rehana,
Thank you for your response.
Can I just confirm that you do not receive annual reports from the EAP you use? I ask this because having received EAP/EAFP reports of external providers for HEPs, it would appear to be that annual reporting is the norm.
As this is part of a Pan-HEUK study, the aggregate figure you provide covering the several years in respect of Counselling, means that I have to leave a blank next to Leeds Beckett for the 2009-present in this instance.
Yours sincerely,

Nicky Michaels

Bakhat, Rehana, Leeds Beckett University

 

I am out of the office until 18 September 2017. 

 

Please contact a member of the Governance & Legal Services team on ext
21742 or email: [1][email address].

 

Complaints should be sent to: [2][email address]

 

FOI requests: [3][Leeds Beckett University request email]

 

Appeals: [4][email address]

 

Many thanks,

Rehana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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