All students can access Pathways, our student counselling and wellbeing support service remotely using Zoom.
Your mental health and wellbeing continues to be supported by our Pathways counsellors, Safeguarding Team and Pastoral Teams, including your Pastoral Manager.
You can access support in two ways:
- Student wellbeing questionnaire emailed out fortnightly.
- Online referral which can be accessed at any time.
This support could be a single session or a therapeutic consultation and up to four sessions of counselling.
If you need same-day support, request a drop-in session by emailing Pathways.
Students who would like to register for an appointment should complete our online self-referral form.
Fill in this self-referral form and email to Pathways
We look at these daily and you will be contacted with the offer of counselling or pastoral support.
What happens during a Zoom session?
- During our online sessions we speak to you using Zoom, an online video conferencing system.
- Before your sessions you will be sent emails containing a unique URL for each session. Please make sure you keep these emails and click on the correct URL for the correct day.
- At the appointed time you and the member of staff you are meeting will click on this URL opening Zoom on both of your devices. This provides a secure, private chatroom.
What do you need for a session?
You need to have downloaded the free version of Zoom onto your desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. You can get this from your App store or download it here:
Download Zoom
For help with Zoom visit the Zoom Help Centre.
You will need a webcam, sound and microphone on your device*. If you are using a tablet or mobile device, please ensure that it is fully charged or plugged in before your session begins. We recommend using a microphone and headphone headset if you have one. When the session is finished, click off Zoom.
It is important you are in a private location where you cannot be overheard for the duration of the session. Sessions cannot take place if we believe you are in a public place.
*Please let us know if you are having any technical difficulties (i.e. webcam not working) and we will help you.
Email IT Support
What to do when you have an appointment?
- At the agreed date and time click on the URL that has been emailed to you to access your session.
- When you click on the URL, a private, secure, chat window will appear, and you will be able to see and hear the staff member when they have also clicked on the URL at their end.
- When you are both logged on, you can speak to each other for the duration of the session.
- If for any reason your session goes down you can simply log in again and pick up where you left off.
- As with the face to face counselling you would have in school, sessions are not recorded, they are totally private.
How to ask for Zoom Counselling Support?
- Fill out our self-referral form to make an online appointment with Pathways.
- We recognise that it can be difficult to write about what is troubling you, however, your answers help us to understand your situation and direct you to the most appropriate member of our team.
- Your counsellor, a member of the Safeguarding Team or Pastoral Manager will be provided with a copy of your completed online self-referral form before your first meeting.
- In order to receive the service you must provide a telephone number, your location and an emergency contact.
- Once we have agreed these dates and times, we will send you the URLs for your sessions.
Technical problems
- If we're having problems with Zoom, we will try to tell you by email and give you an appointment for the same time the following week.
- If we're unable to email you we will telephone you on the number provided.
- When we leave you a message it won't identify us as a service. It will say something like: "This is a message for [your name] from BCHS. You had an appointment with [staff member's forename] at 11 this morning. We have made another appointment for you [with details]."
- Contact us if you believe the security or confidentiality of your connection to us has been in any way compromised.
Confidentiality notes and records
Just like if you were seeing Kate and Nuji in school in Pathways any information you provide will be kept strictly confidential unless we feel there is a safeguarding issue. If there is a safeguarding issue we will discuss what we have to do to keep you safe.
Protecting your own confidentiality
Please ensure you are in a private location where you will not be interrupted or overheard for the duration of your appointment.
Consider whether you can be overlooked/overheard. If you leave your station, no matter how briefly, minimise the page to the bottom of the screen so it cannot be casually seen by others. Also consider whether anyone else has access to your computer or email account. We suggest you protect your computer and email account with a password which you change regularly.
At the end of a session, we suggest you delete the browsing history, temporary internet files and cookies so the next user doesn't see that you visited our website.