FOI: bereavement services

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Dear Sheffield 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

FOIA, Sheffield College

Dear Poppy,

Please find below answers to you Freedom of Information Request:

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

No, we do not offer counselling services to students specific to bereavement, however we employ an external service called ‘The Listening Service’ who are qualified counsellors and offer a range of support to students who wish to book in with them / speak with them.

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

Yes

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?

Our attendance policy specifically mentions bereavement as a category where absence is authorised. Our Tutorial Mentors, pastoral support, will support individual students on a case by case basis and help them to access appropriate external services as required.

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

The College has an Extenuating Circumstances policy which allows students to request an extension to a coursework deadline, request a planned break in studies or request to repeat an assessment.

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

Money has not been specifically allocated to a category of bereavement counselling, money is allocated to afford the Listening Service and a significant team of pastoral support (Tutorial Mentors) however their remit is far broader than bereavement so any attempt to allocate a figure would be guess work.

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?

There is always more that can be done to support individuals who suffer a bereavement, often the individual will be away from College immediately after a bereavement so it is important that the college enables the period away to be as stress free as possible from a coursework / college point of view and has the support in place to make returning to, and remaining at, college as easy as possible.

This concludes the College’s response to your request. If you are dissatisfied with the College’s response you have the right to ask for an internal review. Please contact me to request an internal review with your reasons and I will arrange for it to be undertaken. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. Information on how to do so can be found here:
https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Kind Regards
Seb Smith
Data Protection Officer, The Sheffield College

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