FOI-264-21

Date: 8 October 2021

Summary:

Mental Health Services Offered to Students.

Request: 

Please can you direct me to the mental health services your University offers to students?   

Response:

In accordance with Section 1(1)(a) of the FOIA, I can confirm that the University does hold the requested information in full. 

I have decided to withhold the requested information in full in accordance with Section 21 of the FOIA. 

Section 17 of the FOIA provides that: 

 17. Refusal of Request

17. —(1) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is to any extent relying on a claim that any provision of Part II relating to the duty to confirm or deny is relevant to the request or on a claim that information is exempt information must, within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice which—

          a. states that fact,

          b. specifies the exemption in question, and

          c. states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

Section 21 of the FOI Act provides that:  

21. Information accessible to applicant by other means 

21. (1) Information which is reasonably accessible to the applicant otherwise than under section 1 is exempt information. 

      (2) For the purposes of subsection (1)-  

       a. Information may be reasonably accessible to the applicant even though it is accessible only on payment; and

       b. Information is to be taken to be reasonably accessible to the applicant if it is information which the public authority or any other person is obliged by or under any enactment to communicate (otherwise than by making the information available for inspection) to members of the public on request, whether free of charge or on payment. 

The FOI Act gives rights of public access to information held by public authorities. The purpose of Section 21 of the FOI Act is to ensure that there is no right of access to information via the Act/FOI process, if it already available to the applicant via another route.  

This exemption applies if the requested information is already accessible to you as the Applicant/Requester. This exemption is applied where it is either know that, you already hold the information or it is available to you (with the information already being in the public domain). 

When the University is applying this exemption, it has a duty to confirm or deny whether it holds the information and where possible inform you of how you can access the information.  

Given that the information is available in the public domain, it is entirely reasonable and appropriate to withhold disclosure of the requested information pertaining to the scope of your request, in accordance with Section 21 of the FOI Act.

The requested information can be found at:  

https://www.wlv.ac.uk/current-students/student-support/mental-health-and-wellbeing-advice/