Current student support
In order to support you during your time at the Tavistock and Portman, we offer a range of services to help you get the most out of your education and training.
We have an inclusive approach to supporting our students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties. We respond to the requirements of individuals to ensure that you have equal and fair access to our courses wherever possible. We design our curriculum and assessment with all students in mind.
We can offer advice and support if you’re concerned about the impact your disability could have on your education and training opportunities. Please contact Sara Riley if you would like a confidential discussion about how we can support you in your studies.
Facilities for disabled students include:
- An automatic entry system
- Ramps
- Opening swing doors
- Toilets for people with disabilities (located on the ground floor)
- A low-level reception counter
- Signs in Braille
- A Portable induction loop
In addition, our library service provides a range of support services available for library users with disabilities. These include:
- One-to-one follow-up library induction session
- One-to-one follow-up literature search and database training
- Assistance from friendly staff
- Cheaper photocopying (please ensure you retain your receipts if you wish to claim money back from your local authority)
- Copying/printing on coloured paper for dyslexic/visually impaired users
- Dedicated workstations for visually-impaired and wheelchair users.
- Extended loan periods
- Postal loans
- Special reservation service – most items can be reserved via the online catalogue, however if you require additional assistance, please contact us at least 2 working days in advance with details of the items you require and we will put them aside for you
- Microsoft accessibility application on all library computers. Please ask for help at the issue desk.
- Readings in Braille or other alternative formats.
Please also see our Students Disabilities Procedure for more information.
We understand that you may require some emotional support throughout your course. Three main sources of support are available to all students:
1. Your personal tutor
Throughout your time with us, you’ll have a personal tutor who will meet with you regularly. As well as discussing your progress, your tutor can support you with any difficulties you may encounter.
2. Student advice and consultation service (only available in term time)
Students are encouraged to talk to their personal tutor about any matters, personal or professional impacting on their studies. However, the Trust is aware there may be some situations which are causing a student to worry and which they wish to discuss completely confidentially. In these circumstances the Trust offers a Student Advice and Consultation Service.
This accessible, confidential and professional service aims to be a first ‘port of call’ for students who are seeking help with a wide range of issues that are affecting their personal and working lives and including their capacity to study. The consultations can address specific problems, offer help in making decisions, or give support in coping with crisis such as bereavement, relationship breakdown or experience of trauma.
The Consultation
The consultation consists of up to three sessions, not all of which may be required. In the initial meeting an assessment is made of the nature of the difficulty. The follow-up sessions will review whether any further help of a specialist or a longer term nature is required and the student will be given assistance in finding such help.
Consultation staff
The service is run by members of the professional staff within the Trust. This mainly includes clinical staff all of whom have extensive experience in counselling and psychotherapy and who come from a variety of diverse backgrounds. Most of the staff are also experienced teachers who will be aware of the emotional impact of learning upon students. There will be a sufficient pool of staff available to ensure that any student wishing to use the service would be able to see someone that they do not know and who is not involved in their studies. Confidentiality is assured and no notes will be kept of the consultation.
Accessing the service (in term time only)
The service is coordinated by Kate McWilliams.
Please contact Kate who will provide you with the details of available staff. Please note Kate works on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday in term time only.
3. Personal Therapy
If you’re on a clinical course where you’ll be seeing patients, you’ll need to have personal therapy throughout the length of the course.
In some instances, you may need to be in therapy for a year prior to, as well as during, your clinical training.
If you have any concerns arising from this, you should discuss them with your personal tutor, organising tutor or the course administrator, and we’ll endeavour to support you however we can.
If your course is accredited by a University partner, you’ll usually have access to the university’s student support services as well as ours.
We can offer financial support to you in the form of loans and bursaries. Please see our fees and funding pages for further information. We also provide a variety of ways for you to pay your fees.