Statistics of number of parents / nominated persons contacted by university regarding student mental wellbeing.

The request was successful.

Dear Leeds College of Art,

Following a spate of sudden student deaths in 2018, an ‘opt-in scheme’ was pioneered by the University of Bristol as part of a set of measures aimed at preventing suicide. In 2019, a coroner wrote to the Department for Education and Minister for Suicide Prevention suggesting that these measures might be shared throughout the sector. I am now seeking to establish the extent to which ‘opt-in’ has been subsequently adopted and/or utilised.
The ‘opt-in’ or ‘consent at registration’ scheme implemented by Bristol University comprises an additional personal information sharing agreement that supplements when information might be shared. It gains consent at annual registration for the university to contact a ’safe and nominated’ parent, guardian or friend in situations that are not emergencies, but where staff have serious concerns that something bad might happen to an enrolled student, and/or where their health, wellbeing or welfare could be affected. Essentially it involves lowering the bar at which parents or nominated others could be contacted by a designated professional at the university, from ‘vital interests’ to ‘serious or significant concerns’. It could for example apply in cases of trauma or distress associated with suspension / expulsion / non-attendance / mental health issues etc.
To qualify as ‘opt-in’ a scheme must be optional and additional to the regular emergency contact protocol. The latter is compulsory and typically restricted to serious incidents and/or emergency situations, that may present an imminent threat to a student’s vital interests.

Further particulars can be found at:
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/contacting-peop...
https://thetab.com/uk/2018/09/20/these-a...
https://thetab.com/uk/bristol/2019/10/31...

This important scheme has been implemented at a number of universities, and perhaps at your institution as well. If so, please provide me with the following information as absolute numbers and percentages.
For each academic period (2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) and year-of-study (e.g. 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year) sub-division:
• How many students opted-in at registration?
• How many students subsequently rescinded their consent?
• How many times was the opt-in consent used to contact somebody?
• How many times was use of the opt-in consent considered, but with you deliberately choosing not to contact a parent or nominated individual?

Yours faithfully,

Gillian Green

Katie Machin, Leeds Arts University

Dear Gillian
Your requested dated 09/03/21 relating to parental contact opt-in schemes
at Leeds Arts University has been received. It is being dealt with under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty
working days.  
If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to contact me. 
Best wishes,
Katie

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Gillian Green <[FOI #734783 email]>
Sent: 09 March 2021 12:25
To: LAU Freedom of Information <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Statistics of number of parents
/ nominated persons contacted by university regarding student mental
wellbeing.
 
Dear Leeds College of Art,

Following a spate of sudden student deaths in 2018, an ‘opt-in scheme’ was
pioneered by the University of Bristol as part of a set of measures aimed
at preventing suicide. In 2019, a coroner wrote to the Department for
Education and Minister for Suicide Prevention suggesting that these
measures might be shared throughout the sector. I am now seeking to
establish the extent to which ‘opt-in’ has been subsequently adopted
and/or utilised.

The ‘opt-in’ or ‘consent at registration’ scheme implemented by Bristol
University comprises an additional personal information sharing agreement
that supplements when information might be shared. It gains consent at
annual registration for the university to contact a ’safe and nominated’
parent, guardian or friend in situations that are not emergencies, but
where staff have serious concerns that something bad might happen to an
enrolled student, and/or where their health, wellbeing or welfare could be
affected. Essentially it involves lowering the bar at which parents or
nominated others could be contacted by a designated professional at the
university, from ‘vital interests’ to ‘serious or significant concerns’.
It could for example apply in cases of trauma or distress associated with
suspension / expulsion / non-attendance / mental health issues etc.

To qualify as ‘opt-in’ a scheme must be optional and additional to the
regular emergency contact protocol. The latter is compulsory and typically
restricted to serious incidents and/or emergency situations, that may
present an imminent threat to a student’s vital interests.

Further particulars can be found at:

[1]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

[2]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

[3]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

This important scheme has been implemented at a number of universities,
and perhaps at your institution as well. If so, please provide me with the
following information as absolute numbers and percentages.

For each academic period (2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) and year-of-study
(e.g. 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year) sub-division:

•       How many students opted-in at registration?

•       How many students subsequently rescinded their consent?

•       How many times was the opt-in consent used to contact somebody?

•       How many times was use of the opt-in consent considered, but with
you deliberately choosing not to contact a parent or nominated individual?

Yours faithfully,

Gillian Green

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[FOI #734783 email]

Is [Leeds College of Art request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Leeds College of Art? If so, please contact us using this
form:

[4]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

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For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
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[6]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

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1. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
2. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
3. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
4. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
5. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
6. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Katie Machin, Leeds Arts University

Dear Gillian 

 

I am writing further to your request dated 09/03/21 relating to parental
contact opt-in schemes at Leeds Arts University. 

 

I can confirm that this scheme has not been adopted at Leeds Arts
University. 

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of this response and
should be addressed to: the Vice-Chancellor, Leeds Arts University,
Blenheim Walk, Leeds, LS2 9AQ. 

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF. 

 

Yours sincerely, 

Katie

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Gillian Green <[1][FOI #734783 email]>
Sent: 09 March 2021 12:25
To: LAU Freedom of Information <[2][email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Statistics of number of parents
/ nominated persons contacted by university regarding student mental
wellbeing.

 

Dear Leeds College of Art,

Following a spate of sudden student deaths in 2018, an ‘opt-in scheme’ was
pioneered by the University of Bristol as part of a set of measures aimed
at preventing suicide. In 2019, a coroner wrote to the Department for
Education and Minister for Suicide Prevention suggesting that these
measures might be shared throughout the sector. I am now seeking to
establish the extent to which ‘opt-in’ has been subsequently adopted
and/or utilised.

The ‘opt-in’ or ‘consent at registration’ scheme implemented by Bristol
University comprises an additional personal information sharing agreement
that supplements when information might be shared. It gains consent at
annual registration for the university to contact a ’safe and nominated’
parent, guardian or friend in situations that are not emergencies, but
where staff have serious concerns that something bad might happen to an
enrolled student, and/or where their health, wellbeing or welfare could be
affected. Essentially it involves lowering the bar at which parents or
nominated others could be contacted by a designated professional at the
university, from ‘vital interests’ to ‘serious or significant concerns’.
It could for example apply in cases of trauma or distress associated with
suspension / expulsion / non-attendance / mental health issues etc.

To qualify as ‘opt-in’ a scheme must be optional and additional to the
regular emergency contact protocol. The latter is compulsory and typically
restricted to serious incidents and/or emergency situations, that may
present an imminent threat to a student’s vital interests.

Further particulars can be found at:

[3]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

[4]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

[5]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

This important scheme has been implemented at a number of universities,
and perhaps at your institution as well. If so, please provide me with the
following information as absolute numbers and percentages.

For each academic period (2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21) and year-of-study
(e.g. 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year) sub-division:

•       How many students opted-in at registration?

•       How many students subsequently rescinded their consent?

•       How many times was the opt-in consent used to contact somebody?

•       How many times was use of the opt-in consent considered, but with
you deliberately choosing not to contact a parent or nominated individual?

Yours faithfully,

Gillian Green

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[6][FOI #734783 email]

Is [7][Leeds Arts University request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Leeds College of Art? If so, please contact us using this
form:

[8]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[9]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:

[10]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #734783 email]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
4. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
5. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
6. mailto:[FOI #734783 email]
7. mailto:[Leeds Arts University request email]
8. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
9. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
10. https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...