BACP members working within University and College Counselling Services can from today take advantage of the updated University and College Counselling Sector Resource.
The publication was launched at The University of Cambridge by Dr Hadyn Williams CEO of BACP, and BACP Chair Dr Andrew Reeves, alongside Geraldine Dufour, Chair of BACP Universities and Colleges and Head of Counselling at The University of Cambridge.
This updated resource is the latest published by BACP Universities and Colleges (UC) and BACP, taking into account new working practices, such as multi-disciplinary working in counselling wellbeing services, new delivery modes such as online counselling and BACP’s Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.
The resource looks at all aspects of an embedded counselling service including the service’s role, working with this particular age group including vulnerable clients and safeguarding and reporting. The resource also covers practical guidelines on staffing, management and location through to caseload management, evaluation and monitoring and good practice principles for counselling services.
Andrew Reeves, Chair of BACP, who worked for many years in a higher education context, said:
“Properly resourced counselling in universities can provide accessible, timely, specialist support to distressed students, helping them to continue with, and successfully complete their studies, as well as cope with the specific pressures of university life and common mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety.
“A service provided within the university setting provides an easy to access, familiar and less stigmatising environment in which to receive mental health support; and so is more likely than traditional NHS-based services to be used by, and be useful to, a student population.
“Waiting times for assessment and beginning therapy in university and college counselling services are also generally better than primary care mental health services.
“With NHS IAPT support services already oversubscribed and students facing increased emotional and psychological pressures, university-based counselling services are required more than ever.”
Sector Resources are not contractually binding on members, but are intended to support practitioners by providing general information on principles and policy applicable at the time of publication, in the context of the core ethical principles, values and personal moral qualities that BACP promotes.
Sector overview 003: University and College Counselling Services (pdf 0.3Mb)
Notes to editors:
BACP Universities and Colleges (UC) was founded in the 1970s as the Association for University and College Counselling and has become the largest professional body for counsellors working in UK colleges and universities. BACP UC offers a range of benefits to its members, including a quarterly journal, a dynamic and well-used email-based networking and resource sharing group, regular events and an advisory service.
BACP members can join for £40 with a reduced fee of £20 available to eligible members.