FOI: bereavement services

The request was successful.

Dear Manchester Metropolitan 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

FOI, Manchester Metropolitan University

Thank you for your email.  
The University aims to respond to all Freedom of Information requests
within 20 working days of receipt.  If this is not possible, we will
contact you within 20 working days to explain why and will provide you
with an alternative response date.
Please note that the 20 working day timescale under the Act starts to run
the following working day after the date the request is received.
Regards
[Manchester Metropolitan University request email] 
"Before acting on this email or opening any attachments you should read
the Manchester Metropolitan University email disclaimer available on its
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FOI, Manchester Metropolitan University

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Damon

 

Please find below the information held by the University in the categories
you have requested:

 

 1. Do you offer special provisions for counselling services for students
specific to bereavement? Y/N

No.  Students will be referred to Counselling which is student-centred and
will focus on the issue presented, which could include bereavement.

 

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

Yes, see the University website for information about our Counselling,
Health & Wellbeing Service: [1]https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/counselling/

 

 3. Do you have an institution wide policy/guidance regarding caring for
students following a bereavement? Y/N

No

 

 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?

No

 

 5. Can you tell me what special provision you have for offering
extensions and academic breaks in study after a bereavement?

Students are able to request a break in study after a bereavement and will
also qualify for extensions for assessed course work.

 

 6. How much money did you allocate to counselling and support services
for bereavement per year (Jan 2016-Jan 2019)? 

The University does not hold a budget specifically for bereavement.

 

 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 the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the University is not obliged
to create data or provide opinions to be able to answer a question.  The
Act provides rights only in relation to recorded information held on file
at the time of your request, this is not a valid FOI question since it
does not relate to recorded information.

 

If you are dissatisfied with this response and wish to appeal our
decision, please write to [2][Manchester Metropolitan University request email] giving your reasons for
appealing.  You must appeal within 2 months of the date of this email. 
Under s5.3 of the Freedom of Information Act Code of Practice, we are not
obliged to accept appeals/internal reviews after this date.  You also have
a subsequent right of appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office
(ICO), see their contact us page at:
[3]https://ico.org.uk/Global/contact-us/ for more information.

 

Regards

 

Michelle Gretton | Senior Information Governance Officer

Legal Services | Manchester Metropolitan University

Email: [4][Manchester Metropolitan University request email]  

All Saints Building | Oxford Road | Manchester | M15 6BH | United Kingdom
| mmu.ac.uk

[5]Manchester Metropolitan University

 

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