Fitness to Study Rachel Dodge

Fitness to study policies There are times when a college feels that a student’s studies are so detrimental to their health, and their health so detrimental to their studies, that the student’s ability to study needs to be considered. In considering a policy there are statutory obligations that need to be considered: Health & Safety at Work; Equality Act; Human Rights Act; Data Protection Act; Freedom of Information

Assessing Risk Individual and Institutional Risk = the potential that a chosen action, choice on inaction or lack of consideration of a need for action will lead to an undesirable outcome. Risk can be to: individual student/member of staff Others who may be affected by our own or our students’ actions or inactions Our institution – including reputation

Factors that may increase risk to students Having a specific learning difficulty Experiencing mental health difficulties Being young (under 18) Being immature & inexperienced Having expectations that are different to those of their peers Having experienced significant difficulties in the past Being without robust emotional support Having insufficient funds Being pressured/ bullied by others Having low emotional resilience Having to adjust to an alien culture Being academically under-prepared for their course Not understanding the responsibility they should have to others

How might students present risk to others Behaviour that negatively impacts on other students’ learning Behaviour that negatively impacts on other students’ environment and social life Causing harm to others Damaging the institution’s estate Posing a potential threat to future students Behaving ‘unprofessionally’ in a placement environment Causing nuisance with the local community Damaging the institution’s reputation

Developing policy to minimise risk The role of a fitness to study policy is to ensure students can: benefit from their programme of study pursue their studies with a reasonable chance of achieving the award not in any way prevent, hinder or disrupt study of other students not constitute a risk to themselves or others

Policy documents Policies from 7 FE Colleges in Wales In groups, look at the stages used by the colleges and create your ‘ideal’ process to follow.

Thank you Diolch