Service objectives
- Introduction
- Mission Statement
- Aims
- Interventions
Broad objectives, detailed objectives and performance indicators are specified for each intervention.
4.1 Client Contact
4.2 Staff Counselling
4.3 Student Counselling
4.4 International Student Services
4.5 Study Advice
4.6 Mental Health Information Provision and Communication
4.7 Staff Training and Development
4.8 Consultancy
4.9 Systems
4.10 Monitoring and Reporting - Plans for the Future
- Endnote
1. Introduction
From time to time staff of the University Counselling Service are asked about what the Service does. This leaflet is an attempt to address the issue in a way which we hope will suit most enquirers. We are happy to address any particular interest and follow up in conversation should it be helpful to the reader.
We draw the attention of the reader to leaflets which might be relevant to some interests: Student Counselling; Staff Counselling; Service Levels and Professional Standards; Confidentiality and Data Protection. All may be found on our website along with many other leaflets intended for clinical and information needs. The information leaflets provide a national and international perspective on many topics.
In drawing up objectives for the Service, we take into account:
(1) Documents which The University of Reading produces such as The University Corporate Plan, the Strategy for Teaching and Learning, etc. We also discuss and agree objectives with University Management and implement them in the light of the outcome of resource allocation process bids.
(2) Documents which outside education sector bodies produce, such as Universities UK, HEFCE, HUCS, AMOSSHE, etc. These documents advise us on service issues.
(3) Documents which are produced by the Department of Health, the NHS and professional organisations such as the British Psychological Society. These documents largely concern standards.
There is no formal Student Services Mission Statement. However, we take it to be that "Student Services provide high quality responsive services to support student personal development needs from pre-entry to graduation". What follows is entirely congruent with that and the content of all formal documentation mentioned above.
2. Mission Statement
To make available and promote the use of evidence based psychological interventions to support students and staff in functioning to their academic, social and emotional potential in a highly achieving academic community.
3. Aims
To be responsive in meeting demands for clinical and developmental support in the context of individual, group and community need.
To be proactive in promoting developmental readiness for services and information regarding access to services.
To be as professional as the evidence base permits in all our interventions.
To support the development of skills and knowledge of our field amongst other University staff, so they in turn can provide high quality student support.
To promote student self-help.
To be as user friendly and accessible as possible at all stages of the student life style.
To enable the Service to act as a primary clinical risk (suicide, self harm, other harm) manager for the University in fulfilling its duty of care.
To work in partnership with University management, the Students Union, other Student Services and other University and external bodies to meet these aims.
To monitor what we do to ensure quality and appropriateness and to report on that to University management.
To contribute through research and publications to the wider development of the field.
To be as cost effective as possible. (A separate note is available on this).
To enable the Service to make a contribution to University Disaster Contingency Planning and Critical Incident Management.
4. Interventions
The Service approach to interventions is based on the underlying belief that people are integral with the systems in which they function. The individual, social groups and institution are dynamically interdependent. Counsellors therefore use system-oriented models of intervention as well as intrapsychic ones. Conceptualizing intervention in a system-oriented way lends itself to the integration of preventive strategies and traditional curative strategies.
Developmental theory also underpins the work of the Service. Young adults who are undergoing developmental transitions and straining to master new age-related tasks can be particularly vulnerable. While some react to challenge by developing prolonged emotional problems, our brief support in strengthening cognitive, emotional, or behavioural coping skills often helps young adults to reorganize their lives or their identities, in the process of getting through a developmental crisis. In this way, a period of serious emotional upheaval can be transformed into a growth experience, which in turn can lead to a higher level of functioning both personally and academically.
For each intervention below we provide a perspective of (a) Broad Objective (b) Detailed Objectives and (c) Performance indicator activities.
4.1 Client Contact
4.1 (a) Broad Objective
To treat clients courteously and respectfully giving clear information about the range of services available.
4.1 (b) Detailed Objectives
To ease entry to University for students with social or emotional difficulties.
To make initial contact with clients and referrers helpful and welcoming.
To guide clients towards the most appropriate part of the Service, cross-refer or refer out as appropriate.
To ensure potential referrers are aware of appropriate crisis management pathways for individual students and staff.
To ensure relationships with associated Services within and without the University are managed effectively.
To ensure equity in the provision of services, especially for the disabled and disadvantaged.
To ensure the highest professional standards and be transparent in our application of them.
4.1 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
We write to all incoming Freshers in August each year (excluding those who have declared a disability) to invite any who on the basis of experience anticipate problems such as a lack of confidence or social skills, which may undermine their settling in process. We provide assessment and follow-up (take up 1%). We participate actively in Freshers Week and International Student Welcome Week. We run courses for students prior to re-entry to their own culture.
We provide Tutors, Wardens, and other key members of staff with information about the Service to enable them to refer effectively as "gate keepers" for the Service. We provide client self-referral facilities and welcoming reception on all sites. Our client surveys check, and have clients evaluate, the in-take process.
Extensive information for students is available from staff members, from leaflets in hard copy and on our web site. When we cross-refer we prepare the client to make relevance clear and encourage motivation. In crisis we accompany the client, for example, to the Duty Doctor.
The Tutor Handbook contains our advice to Tutors in dealing with a range of problems. We run and support training courses for tutors and others on a range of issues.
We meet regularly with other student services to ensure adequate procedures in providing a seamless service both routine and in crisis. We jointly plan for events and jointly write some information leaflets.
4.2 Staff Counselling and Staff Consultancy
4.2 (a) Broad Objective
To provide staff with professional counselling and consultancy.
4.2 (b) Detailed Objectives
To provide individual members of staff with short term counselling
To support staff in their dealings with students whether in the role of Tutor or any other role.
To ensure an immediate response is made in a crisis or emergency.
To provide consultancy to Heads of School and others in a position to manage staff and if necessary, to provide mediation.
Within policy initiated by Personnel to take responsibility for practical stress management issues among staff.
4.2 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
The Head of Service speaks at CSTD induction programme for new staff.
The leaflet "Staff Counselling" is freely available.
Counsellors discuss cases with Tutors and others by telephone on a daily basis and encourage Tutors to support students without referral to Counsellors, making regular Tutor support available as requested.
As a Service we aim to provide support to staff who would like to consult about how best to support students in distress. Staff consult on a wide range of staff and student matters.
The Service provides training on stress.
Close links with Human Resources and CSTD ensure mediation and training needs are integrated.
4.3 Student Counselling
4.3 (a) Broad Objective
To provide students with professional counselling and consultancy.
4.3 (b) Detailed Objectives
To provide individual students with short-term counselling.
To ensure all students are aware of the service available.
To act as a primary clinical risk manager to help fulfil the University's duty of care to its students.
To assist and support students both in Halls and out of them who are concerned about other students and how to support or otherwise deal with them.
To train students to support other students.
To reduce inappropriate drop out from academic courses.
4.3 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
Records show that over 700 students are seen for individual counselling each year; averaging 4.7 sessions per student.
The leaflet "Student Counselling" is freely available. Referrals from a wide range of sources.
The Service screens all students on intake for risks; such as suicide, self-harm, harm to others, harm from others. A protocol is in place for dealing with identified risk.
The leaflets "Service Levels and Professional Standards" and "Confidentiality and Data Protection" are freely available.
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Consultancy is available to all students. In some cases, students consult the Service for support when they are concerned about other students who may be at risk, especially where the subject of concern is not in the Hall system.
We provide skills training and information training through our Living Positively programme. We also train students to become Peer Supporters as part of the Peer to Peer student support network.
The Service provides support to all students, and we provide integrative and culturally sensitive support to international students.
We assist CSTD in providing training for welfare staff, especially Tutors and others in frequent face-to-face contact, in cultural awareness and sensitivity.
4.4 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
Many international students prefer to present physical symptoms to a GP prior to counselling and we schedule appointments appropriately.
4.5 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
4.6 Mental Health Information - Provision and Communication
4.6 (a) Broad Objective
To provide a range of mental health information and to promote awareness of such information across the University.
4.6 (b) Detailed Objectives
To provide readily accessible mental health crisis information to address "At Risk" behaviour.
To provide information on how to access mental health support - both within the University, local community and nationally.
To provide resources and advice for all University staff in supporting students through the academic life cycle.
To provide easily digested self-help information on common mental and emotional problems for members of the University community.
To liaise with relevant local and national organisations.
To promote Service activities and inform the discussions through wide representation on University committees and groups.
4.6 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
A series of five "At Risk" leaflets (see inside of front cover of this leaflet) are printed in hard copy and on the Counselling Service website.
A series of four information leaflets (see inside of front cover of this leaflet) direct members of the community to relevant sources.
The University Counselling Service has provided most of the input to a document edited by the University Disability Adviser "A Staff Guide to Policy and Practice in Supporting Students with Mental Health Difficulties". This tracks the student through the academic life cycle and most importantly outlines crisis resources.
Common mental health issues are addressed in a self-help format in the Service general topics information leaflets.
Members of Service Staff are involved in AUCC (Association for University and College Counselling) and HUCS (Heads of University Counselling Services).
Members of staff are involved in a range of University bodies, including: the Advisory Committee for Student Welfare, Guidance and Counselling; Mature Students Committee; Special Needs Committee; Health and Safety Committee; Senate Committee on Examination Failures; Senate Committee on Academic Appeals; Senate Committee on Discipline, SCEA Working Party.
4.7 Staff Training and Development
4.7 (a) Broad Objective
To provide training for all staff.
4.7 (b) Detailed Objectives
To provide continuing professional development for all Counselling Service staff.
To provide skills training for tutors and other front line welfare staff.
To provide factual training on mental health issues for all staff.
4.7 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
See Continuing Professional Development specifications in the leaflet "Service Levels and Professional Standards".
Service Staff provide or contribute to a wide but evolving range of seminars and workshops for staff through CSTD - for example, basic counselling skills "A shoulder to cry on" on how to support students in distress.
4.8 Consultancy
4.8 (a) Broad Objective
To provide a source of professional expertise on organisational and community issues as that level of "reasonable care" required to fulfil legal obligations..
4.8 (b) Detailed Objectives
To provide professional evidence based input to diverse topics involving human behaviour.
To provide input to Disaster Contingency Planning.
To provide support for traumatic incident management.
[Other Consultancy Objectives are outlined in 4.2 (c) 5]
4.8 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
The Head of Service attends on the instruction of Senate, Senate Committees on Failures, Academic Appeals and Discipline as required.
Disaster Contingency Planning, whilst traditionally focussed on back up physical facilities, is complemented by our advice on human behaviour and management following trauma. A leaflet is available for quick reference by line managers.
Advice on critical incident management is available during term time during normal office hours and (b) Service Call Out Staff List (Cascade) lodged with the Security Control and Wardens in major incidents only.
4.9 Systems
4.9 (a) Broad Objective
To keep all Service systems under review to be as efficient as possible.
4.9 (b) Detailed Objectives
To keep all client records to professional standards.
To manage the Service according to client need and demand within available resources and guidance on priorities from University Management.
4.9 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
All records are kept to British Psychological Society standards. See our leaflet "Client Confidentiality and Data Protection".
All systems are networked included client database and appointments over all sites.
All activity is logged on an "Inform" Database which produces "at a touch" information about what the Service is doing so resources can be shared accordingly. For example, data on time from request for a first appointment to client first being seen is always available.
4.10 Monitoring and Reporting
4.10 (a) Broad Objective
To monitor our activities and report appropriately upon them.
4.10 (b) Detailed Objectives
To monitor our activities.
To seek feedback on our success or failure in meeting our objectives.
To report appropriately and amend activities as necessary.
4.10 (c) Performance Indicator Activities
Most activities are logged on computer databases.
The process of counselling gives immediate feedback but in addition we survey client opinion by questionnaire, targeting a different client group each year; use CORE "before" and "after" questionnaires to evaluate our counselling.
The Service produces a comprehensive Annual Report in October each year.
5. Plans for the Future
Currently we are developing actively a number of areas, each of which will evolve over a number of years. These are:
Student Peer to Peer Support Network - an important part of supporting students' wellbeing and enhancing their experience at university.
Mental Health Support across the University - policy, practice, training etc.
Student Self-Management psychoeducational presentations - to provide students with knowledge to develop strategies to overcome many hurdles to succeed. Enhanced motivation and confidence are therefore at the centre of this initiative.
Ever closer working relationships of the Services, internal to the University and external too, such as the NHS, to gain maximum synergy. A good example is a NHS local community mental health team interactive bulletin board about eating disorders on our web site beside our eating disorders leaflet.
We are planning to develop our work to meet the developing needs of students who are increasingly aware and use new technologies in their day-to-day.
6. Endnote
We hope the reader will have gained the distinct impression of a purposeful Service working to fulfil its broad mental health remit in accord with University objectives. That we are a deeply embedded team member within student services is obvious We are proud of our professional standards and determined to maintain them, especially through the use of "leading edge" systems such as CORE, while initiating exciting projects such as the Student Peer to Peer Network and the Self Management presentations.