Equality, Diversity and Inclusion/Social inclusion Strategy

University of Warwick Counselling and Psychotherapy Services CAPS

Introduction

The University of Warwick is a vibrant and diverse community and we endeavour to ensure CAPS is accessible to all students.

CAPS adheres to the University of Warwick Social Inclusion strategy launched in 2019 which supersedes the ED&I strategy. We also align with the Wellbeing Strategy which includes in its prevention element a commitment to ‘Ensure the principles of Equality and Diversity and Inclusion are fully reflected across employment related policies, procedures, guidance and practices’.

This is in addition to the specific guidance and legislation of our professional body, the BACP. 

The purpose of this strategy document is to outline what we currently do to ensure overall accessibility to CAPS and identify any areas for improvement. Although the strategy is a dynamic document and as such can be updated at any point, it will be formally reviewed each academic year (summer vacation) to ensure improvements are implemented.

To ensure we are continually accountable, we continue to liaise with a range of student groups and staff across the university to support our EDI/social inclusion endeavours. We arrange annual focus groups of student CAPS users of the service and ask them about our accessibility through the wide lens and we invite challenge to any EDI accessibility issues. The Head of CAPS is also involved in staff groups and meetings to consider EDI issues from a broader perspective which is then brought back to the attention of CAPS.

Areas of Accessibility

1)Physical accessibility

All CAPS provision is readily accessible by those with mobility issues. We are situated in a modern building with ramped access. Internally there are lifts available to first floor consulting rooms; ground floor consulting rooms are available to book if required. W&SS is adjacent to ample disabled car parking facilities. Toilets are accessible with a wheelchair. Chairs are of a modern standards quality. Rooms are equipped with dimmable lighting and non-ticking clocks to support neurodiverse students. We use app technology (Relay.uk) to support students who are deaf/mute.

Areas identified for improvement:

• Hearing loops to be more readily accessible

2)Accessibility of Information

CAPS’ information is embedded within the University Wellbeing & Student Support website. Students are not encouraged to directly self-refer to counselling, but rather to go through a brief consultation process to ensure that counselling is the most appropriate form of support. To this end, the information is not readily accessible without several click links to access information, unless the referral to CAPS has been confirmed, in which case the link to information is sent directly. Students are provided with the relevant software to read websites if they have accessibility issues so we do not provide any paper/braille/large print information.

Areas identified for improvement:

• The website information is text heavy and could be redesigned to be more accessible with indexes and search links, etc
• More use could be made of video clips/animations/graphics rather than text

3)Accessible range of counselling

We appreciate that some students can find certain ways of engaging with a therapist particularly challenging. For example, a student may find the intensity of one to one, face to face therapy overwhelming. To this end we offer a range of modalities to support the diverse student need: students can engage with therapy one to one in person; one to one on line/remotely; in a group setting (which some can find less intimidating than one to one); or via email counselling. Support is also available through Togetherall, a 24/7 online platform and the website resources are accessible 24/7.

There is an option to identify any accessibility issues on the counselling referral form (pre counselling) or they can be discussed in the pre counselling consultation meeting, or addressed in the counselling session with the counsellor.

Areas identified for improvement:

• Consider telephone therapy
• Consider synchronous messaging therapy

4)Accessible capacity to offer counselling

We acknowledge that some students have busy schedules and are not readily available to attend counselling appointments in business hours. To this end we offer evening appointments on 2 days per week. We also offer the email counselling service where emails can be submitted any time to suit the student’s schedule.

Counselling services are consistently available throughout the calendar year and not only in university term times. This ensures equitable accessibility to services for undergraduates and post graduates who tend to work through the university vacations.

We try to ensure that counselling is available to students in a timely manner so that they are not waiting too long for their counselling appointments. To maintain this we need to continue to ensure staffing levels are kept to an optimum level wherever possible.

Areas identified for improvement:

• Consider extending working hours of the service
• Ensure staffing levels are maintained

5)Access to specific therapists

On occasion, students may request a specific profile of a therapist, eg a particular gender, ethnicity, religion, language, etc. We try to encourage students to work with the therapist they are allocated to explore the issues of difference and diversity directly with the therapist and often this is fruitful and rich with learning. A student may request to work with a counsellor of a certain sexual preference, but it may not be appropriate for a counsellor in the team to be so identified prior to meeting for the initial appointment as it pre-sets a complex therapy dynamic which could hinder the therapy process.

We make the point that it is not equitable, for example, to provide a therapist who can offer counselling in Mandarin if we are not able to also provide counselling in Cantonese. Given that the university community speaks a range of over 100 languages, it would be an unreasonable and unfair adjustment for the university to make.

Areas identified for improvement:

• Ensure staff engage with working with difference and diversity training regularly
• Continue to engage in a wide net of recruitment to ensure a diverse a team as possible is represented in CAPS
• All recruiting/interviewing staff to continue to engage in unconscious bias training

7)Accessibility for students with a range of issues

CAPS is not suitable to access for students who are not able to engage with therapy. This may include those who have certain mental health diagnoses which would be beyond the remit and competence of the therapists’ role. We do however ensure that we have access to services who would be more suitable so that students whose mental health is significantly challenged will still have access to relevant services.

Areas identified for improvement:

• More MH nurses available to access within the W&SS to liaise with relevant statutory services

8) Overall Inclusivity, Diversity and equality

CAPS has a commitment to encourage collaboration with a range of colleagues through shared professional development opportunities to maintain opportunities to mix with a diverse range of experiences.

Areas identified for improvement:

• More staff networking events

 

 

Document Control
Version	Date	Author	Action Requested / Taken	Review date
V1	October 2023	Sam Tarren	First strategy document draft.	August 2024