Guidance Counselling Service
BCFE offers a Guidance Counselling Service to its fulltime students, which aims to assist them to get maximum benefit from their College experience. There are three Guidance Counsellors in the college; Anne Marie, Helen & Orla. Each class group/department has a designated Guidance Counsellor. The service follows the two strand model and incorporates both GUIDANCE & COUNSELLING within an educational setting.
Guidance
Guidance in BCFE refers to information sessions in group settings with your guidance counsellor where information regarding your onward progression routes is shared.
We recommend the following websites for researching progression routes:
Students taking a QQI Level 5 course may apply to:
- Irish Universities and ITs through the CAO using the QQI CAS points system
- Related courses in UK universities through UCAS or
- Higher National Diploma (HND) courses or QQI Level 6 Courses in BCFE/other FE colleges.
Students are advised that this is a competitive process. All students under 23 must meet the minimum entry requirements of the course they are applying to.
Students taking a HND may apply for:
- Advanced entry to related courses in individual ITs here in Ireland,
- Advanced entry or top-up degrees in related courses in UK universities through UCAS
- Top up degrees in Colleges of Further Education here in Ireland.
Students are advised that this is a competitive process.
Counselling
Some students find college years can be an anxious and stressful time with lots of adjustments to make. The guidance counsellors provide a support service within an educational setting to students who are willing to engage in change and are prepared to face challenges in new ways. Students can have a variety of issues: academic or college related, personal, or mental health issues. All are important to the student concerned. The Guidance Counsellors may offer a limited number of one to one support sessions by appointment to students of BCFE in a caring, supportive and non-judgmental environment. To make an appointment with the guidance counsellor who looks after your class group please email using the emails in the chart below.
Guidance Counsellors will also refer students to outside agencies when this is the most suitable course of action. While this is a confidential service there are limitations to confidentiality. These limitations are clearly defined in the BCFE Student Diary/ Handbook. Students who wish to avail of the service should familiarise themselves with these guidelines. This service is supported by CDETB Psychological Service.
Class Groups for Guidance & Counselling
Please make appointments by email. Thank you.
Helen Bradley (Guidance Counsellor)
E-Mail helen.bradley@bcfe.cdetb.ie
Extension 211
Office Main Building, beside Room 5
Art, Design & Illustration ADM, ADT, AGH, AGP, AIC, AIH
Games DGH, DLO
Media DMC, MJC, MJH, MND, MPH, MPM (BA), MRH
TV, Film, Visual Effects IFC, IFH, IMP (BA), ITC, VFA
Orla Ni Bhriain (Guidance Counsellor)
E-Mail orla.nibhriain@bcfe.cdetb.ie
Extension 215
Office Main Building, opposite Room 24
Available Tues, Wed, Thurs
Adult & Community Education RTL
Business BAT, BLC, BMC, BSC
Education & Learning APL, ELT
Health & Science ELC, SCH, SNC, SPN, SVC
Music PEH, PMC, PRH, PTH
Annemarie Lyons (Guidance Counsellor)
E-Mail annemarie.Lyons@bcfe.cdetb.ie
Extension 286
Office Art Block, end of left-hand corridor beside Studio 3
Animation CCH, CDA (BA), CDG (BA), CDS
Confidentiality
The information which a student shares with a Guidance Counsellor during a session is confi dential. Sometimes it may be necessary to share disclosed information with an appropriate third party. This happens when the Guidance Counsellor needs to:
- Protect the interests of the student.
- Protect the interests of others.
- Safeguard the welfare of another individual or the student.
Guidance Counsellors may sometimes break confidentiality to comply with the Children First Act 2015 and the Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons Act 2012.
This may result in a disclosure to another relevant person or agency, but the Guidance Counsellor will not divulge information to third parties without the knowledge of the student concerned.
An appropriate third party can usually refer to any member of the BCFE Leadership Team, BCFE Care Team, City of Dublin ETB Psychologists, TUSLA, An Garda Síochána, a health professional or external support agency.