Fitness to study procedure

Stage 1: Initial case consideration meetings

If you might benefit from a discussion of your circumstances and needs, you may be referred for an initial case consideration meeting. You may refer yourself, or an academic department or a support service may refer you.

Aims

• To consider the range of support or other options that you have or could have.
• To make sure that reasonable adjustments are considered for you, in all areas of the University.
• To put coordinated and holistic packages of support in place for you, and consider progressing to Stage 2 if this will help to manage crisis or improve your experience and the experience of staff supporting you.

Format

1. You will be asked to give your express consent to have your case discussed, by signing the "Support Packages for Students with Mental Health Difficulties: Consent to Share Information" form.
2. If there is a serious concern, members may wish to discuss anonymous cases. In some instances, services might believe that they need to discuss your case without your permission, because of their duty of care.
3. If you give permission to use your name, the referring service will email this to members in advance of the meeting. Some members may not attend if they feel it would be inappropriate.
4. If you do not give permission to use your name, some services will still name you, due to their policies or duty of care.
5. If the process will be progressing to Stage 2, you will be invited to attend the next meeting. Your coordinator may also offer to meet with you, to determine your views, wishes and needs.

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Stage 2: Support package meetings

Support Services and departments work together to agree what support will be helpful for you.

Aims

• To agree expected engagement with the support package.
• To set a review schedule, if appropriate. This will be led by the coordinator.
• To establish everyone's remit, responsibilities and boundaries.
• To explore the best options for support, as defined by specialist staff.

Format

1. The meeting is set up by the coordinator from Stage 1, with membership agreed with you.
2. In some cases, you will be present to set up a support package.
3. If you are attending, the staff involved in the meeting will agree boundaries and ground rules before your arrival.
4. If you have received information and advice about support packages but choose not to engage at this stage, the referrer will inform the next meeting.
5. Once it's in place, your support package will be reviewed at the time scheduled, or when you or your support staff request this.

In exceptional cases, if the appropriate support and reasonable adjustments agreed at this stage are not successful, referral to Stage 3 will be considered.

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Stage 3: Regulation (26) meetings

Before reaching Stage 3, the team will usually have spoken with you or discussed your case at Stage 1 or 2. If a case is considered urgent, it will be referred to Stage 3 directly.

In some instances, a case conference might be held before or instead of the full Regulation 26 meeting.

Case conference meeting

A case conference meeting is held if the relevant support services think that having all parties together will

• clarify the full picture
• enable attendees to better understand their roles, remits, boundaries and options
• allow everyone to reach a shared understanding of your support needs
• provide an opportunity to avoid a Regulation 26 meeting, if the group think that you might be able to engage better with support or that they will be able to provide you with more appropriate support if they have more information

You might attend this meeting.

This is not a necessary stage before a Regulation 26 meeting, but this meeting will be considered as a possible or probable next step.

Regulation 26 meetings

A Regulation 26 meeting is held to decide whether the group will recommend to the relevant Pro-Vice Chancellor (PVC) that you should be required to take a Leave of Absence (LOA) or withdraw. This decision will be made if, for health reasons, it would not be in the interest of you or the University that you should begin or continue a programme of study.

The options to defer, take a LOA or withdraw will be presented to you before this stage, and you will be given the choice to discuss this.

Regulation 26 will only be considered if you are unwilling to defer, take a LOA (on medical grounds) or withdraw.

Relevant evidence, such as medical evidence or opinion, will be considered at the meeting.

Format

1. Before the meeting, you will be invited to meet relevant support staff to discuss its purpose and possible outcomes.
2. You can give written evidence before the meeting.
3. Support staff, academic faculty representatives and any other specialists will attend.
4. Alternative next steps to Regulation 26 will be considered, such as a progress review or a disciplinary route.
5. If it's agreed that Regulation 26 should be invoked, the chair will recommend this to the PVC.
6. If the PVC accepts this, you will be deferred, withdrawn or placed on a LOA. You still have the option to request deferral, withdrawal or a LOA at this point.

During the meeting, careful consideration will be given to

• disability legislation
• the support offered
• medical and other evidence
• the University's equality and diversity policy
• the impact of behaviours on other students and on staff
• reasonable adjustments or support that might enable you to be fit to study
• any submission made by you, including any new medical evidence
• the likelihood of academic progress in the current situation and in the future
• your current health and presentation
• any advice about prognosis, if you remain in the University