FOI: bereavement services

The request was successful.

Dear New College Durham,

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, New College Durham

Dear Poppy Damon and Georgia Coan

We are in receipt of your request and intend to provide a response on or before 31 July 2019.

The line breaks in your email made some of your questions read oddly so please note we are assuming (unless informed otherwise) that the questions you want answering are:

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?

Kind regards

Information and Records Team

[New College Durham request email]

New College Durham | Framwellgate Moor | Durham | DH1 5ES
Website: www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk

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Suzy Taylor, New College Durham

Dear Poppy Damon and Georgia Coan

Our responses are as follows:

Do you offer special provisions for counselling services for students specific to bereavement?
N
Do you offer any support or counselling services for students?
Y
Do you have an institution wide policy/guidance regarding caring for students following a bereavement?
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?
N
Can you tell me what special provision you have for offering extensions and academic breaks in study after a bereavement? New College Durham have a procedure for consideration of application for suspension of studies and for consideration of extenuating circumstances for extension and mitigation.
Applications are considered on an individual basis.
How much money did you allocate to counselling and support services for bereavement per year (Jan 2016-Jan 2019)?
No specific budget for bereavement counselling

Please note we have responded in full

Regards

Information and Records Team

[New College Durham request email]

New College Durham | Framwellgate Moor | Durham | DH1 5ES
Website: www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk

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