Institute for Counselling & Psychotherapy StudiesAcademic & Student Support

Student & Learner Resources

A comprehensive student hub for the systems, academic expectations, assessments, professional standards and support services used throughout the ICPS College learning journey — from first enquiry and enrolment through live-online study, assessment, qualification and continuing professional development.

Moodle LMSZoom Live LearningFreshdesk SupportAcademic AssessmentStudent WelfareOpen Moodle LMSOpen Helpdesk Resource Directory

Everything You Need in One Place

This page expands the College resource guide into a practical reference for prospective learners, enrolled students and graduates. Use the sections below to understand where information is stored, which communication channel to use, how live-online learning operates, and what is expected when preparing for assessment or professional progression.

Moodle LMSHelpdeskEnrol NowCollege PoliciesAssessmentZoom & ResearchStudent WelfareRegistry Support Student Journey

From Enquiry to Qualification

Students move through a structured sequence of course selection, enrolment, orientation, live participation, independent study, assessment and award. Each stage carries its own academic, administrative and professional responsibilities.

Explore

Review programme aims, delivery, dates, attendance, assessment, eligibility, professional scope and accreditation information before deciding whether a course is suitable.

Enrol

Use the College enrolment page, secure the place with the required payment and complete any interview or documentation steps attached to the programme.

Orient

Activate Moodle access, confirm Zoom readiness, read policies, note deadlines and understand the official communication channels for your cohort.

Engage

Attend live teaching, complete self-directed study, participate professionally in discussion and skills practice, and monitor Moodle for updates.

Demonstrate

Complete all programme-specific assessment components, meet academic-integrity requirements and follow Registry instructions for results and awards.

Learning Platform

Using Moodle LMS Effectively

Moodle is the College's central learning environment for lecture notes, readings, module materials, assessment guidance, announcements, revision resources and recorded content where available. Students should treat Moodle as an active part of their weekly learning routine rather than a storage area visited only near assessment deadlines.

01

Secure access

Use only the login credentials issued for your account. Keep passwords private and contact the Helpdesk if access fails rather than sharing credentials or asking another learner to access materials on your behalf.

• Use the Dashboard or My Courses area.

• Keep contact details current.

• Check announcements regularly.

02

Weekly learning

Work through the module sequence, lecturer notes, reading and revision resources in parallel with live teaching. Where advanced voiceover or recorded learning resources are supplied, use them to consolidate rather than replace live participation.

• Plan independent study each week.

• Download only permitted materials.

• Keep assessment dates visible.

03

Technical support

If a course is missing, a file will not open or an account is inaccessible, submit a Helpdesk request with enough detail for the issue to be traced efficiently.

• Describe the problem clearly.

• Include screenshots where useful.

• Do not rely on informal cohort chat for technical fixes.

Protected academic material: course notes, recordings and other learning resources are supplied for authorised student use. Students must respect copyright, confidentiality, College branding and any restrictions applied to password-protected or encrypted materials.

Before Your Course

Enrolment, Interviews, Fees & Readiness

Good preparation starts before the first class. Students should read the published programme criteria carefully and make sure the course's academic, attendance, reflective and professional expectations are realistic for their circumstances.

Choosing the programme

Compare subject matter, learning outcomes, delivery format, attendance requirement, assessment method, professional relevance and any programme-specific entry criteria. The course page is the primary source for the requirements attached to that award.

Enrol Now

Interview preparation

Where an interview applies, be prepared to discuss motivation, prior experience, professional goals, readiness for reflective learning, availability for live attendance and your understanding of boundaries and emotionally demanding subject matter.

• Join from a private location.

• Test camera, audio and internet.

• Discuss support needs appropriately.

• Answer honestly and professionally.

Fees & deposits

A deposit secures a place subject to the relevant enrolment conditions. Unless another arrangement has been formally confirmed, students should observe the payment dates stated for their programme and retain payment confirmations for their records.

Contact Registry promptly where an approved payment arrangement or clarification is required.

Academic Assessment

Understanding Assessment at ICPS College

Assessment evaluates more than factual recall. It is designed to examine academic understanding, critical analysis, reflective capacity, ethical judgement, course integration and — where applicable — the learner's ability to demonstrate safe and professionally appropriate counselling, psychotherapy and relational skills.

Written summative work

Where offered, written assessment ordinarily requires a structured academic essay that integrates programme theory with critical analysis, ethical awareness, reflective thinking and appropriate referencing. Follow the brief, word count, submission instructions and academic-integrity requirements supplied for your course.

Viva voce

Where a viva option is available, students complete a structured verbal examination, commonly around 45 minutes. The learner should be ready to explain theory, apply concepts, respond to examiner questions and demonstrate professional reasoning. Recording may be required with consent for moderation and quality assurance.

Skills examination

Where required, live-online skills assessment may use a fishbowl format with paired learners and two examiners. The focus is on integrating course-specific knowledge into ethical, reflective and professionally appropriate practice, including boundaries, relational skill and clinical judgement.

Preparing well

• Review every module and learning outcome.

• Use course terminology accurately.

• Link theory to practice rather than merely describing theory.

• Demonstrate ethical awareness and scope of competence.

• Use supervision and reflective practice to identify learning edges.

Academic integrity

Submitted work must comply with College rules concerning authorship, citation, plagiarism, unauthorised collaboration, assessment declarations and the use of artificial intelligence. Students should keep accurate source notes and distinguish their own analysis from referenced material.

Digital Learning Systems

Zoom, Research & Online Study

Live-online study depends on professional use of technology. Privacy, reliability and preparation matter because the classroom may involve confidential discussion, reflective exercises, breakout rooms and applied skills practice.

Zoom classroom preparation

Join using your correct name from a private environment with a stable connection. Keep Zoom updated, test audio and video before class and use headphones when needed to protect confidentiality.

• Use only the official class link.

• Do not redistribute meeting links.

• Follow lecturer instructions in breakout rooms.

• Report technical disruption promptly.

Recordings & confidentiality

Where recordings are made available, they are for authorised learning and revision. Routine breakout-room work may not be recorded. Students must not independently record, copy, publish or distribute protected classes, screenshots, clinical examples or other learners' contributions.

EBSCOhost & academic research

Where EBSCOhost access is provided, use it to locate scholarly literature and develop stronger evidence-informed assignments. Search with focused keywords, subject headings and filters, evaluate sources critically, preserve accurate citation details and observe permitted-use restrictions.

Course Operations

Attendance, Participation, Recordings & Rescheduling

Live-online professional education depends on consistent engagement. Students should understand the attendance rules attached to their own programme and use official College communication when an absence, technical issue or extenuating circumstance may affect participation.

Live attendance

Attend the lecturer-led hours specified for your programme and participate in teaching, discussion, breakout-room work and skills practice. Where a programme specifies an 80% attendance requirement, that threshold remains part of qualification eligibility unless approved extenuating circumstances apply.

Absence notification

Where attendance is affected, notify the College through the appropriate official channel. Do not assume that a message in an informal group automatically constitutes formal notification or approval.

Rescheduling

Lecturer illness, technical failure or another unavoidable event may occasionally require a class to move. Confirmed replacement arrangements should be followed through official College communications and Moodle announcements.

Self-directed study

Independent learning may include reading, revision, Moodle engagement, reflective writing, skills rehearsal, research, assessment preparation and review of lecturer-provided resources.

Student Welfare

Wellbeing, Reflective Capacity & Therapeutic Support

Counselling and psychotherapy education can involve emotionally demanding material, personal reflection and encounters with trauma, loss, attachment and clinical complexity. Students are encouraged to monitor their wellbeing and recognise when additional support, supervision or personal therapeutic space is appropriate.

Personal process

Reflective learning does not require indiscriminate personal disclosure. Students should retain agency over what they share, remain attentive to their own limits and distinguish educational reflection from personal therapy.

Psychotherapist support sessions

Where issues arise from engagement with in-depth course material, students may access up to four sessions with a psychotherapist through the College's designated support process, subject to current availability, referral arrangements and applicable confidentiality boundaries.

Supervision & professional support

Learners already working in practice should use appropriate supervision and professional supports when course material intersects with client work, countertransference, ethical uncertainty or scope-of-competence concerns.

Important: College learning support and designated psychotherapist sessions are not an emergency or crisis service. Immediate risk or urgent health concerns require appropriate emergency, medical or crisis support.

College Community Standards

Policies, Boundaries, Safeguarding & Professional Conduct

Enrolment brings students into a professional learning community. Respect, confidentiality, safeguarding, appropriate boundaries and responsible communication apply in live classes, Moodle, assessment activity, email, cohort messaging and any College-related digital space.

Respect & dignity

Students are expected to communicate without bullying, harassment, intimidation, exclusion, discriminatory conduct or reputational harm. Difficult issues should be addressed proportionately and through appropriate College processes.

Inclusivity & non-judgement

Professional formation requires openness to diverse identities, cultures, relationships, beliefs, backgrounds and lived experiences. Students should practise cultural humility and avoid imposing personal values.

Confidentiality

Personal disclosures, clinical examples, case material, assessment observations and cohort discussion must be handled carefully. Identifiable information should not be shared outside authorised educational settings.

Safeguarding & scope

Students should understand the limits of their role, recognise safeguarding concerns, seek lecturer or supervisory guidance where appropriate and refer onward when a situation falls outside competence.

Official WhatsApp communication

Where cohort WhatsApp groups are used, official College moderation and professional standards apply. Course-related groups should not bypass College oversight.

Disciplinary implications

Serious or repeated breaches of policy, confidentiality, professional conduct or safeguarding expectations may lead to formal College procedures and proportionate disciplinary outcomes.

Read College Policies Practical Support

Which Support Channel Should I Use?

Using the correct channel helps the College respond accurately and creates an appropriate record where a query affects enrolment, assessment, fees, access or student documentation.

ICPS Helpdesk

Use Freshdesk for Moodle access problems, account issues, technical faults, resource-access difficulties and other support requests that benefit from a tracked ticket.

Open Helpdesk

Registry Office

Use Registry for enrolment, fees, attendance, assessment administration, formal documentation, awards, accreditation-pathway queries and student-record matters.

Contact Registry

Moodle announcements

Check Moodle for course-specific notices, lecturer materials, assessment information, learning resources and updates relevant to your programme.

Open Moodle LMS

Official cohort communication

Use College-approved communication channels for cohort logistics. Important academic, welfare or administrative matters should still be raised through Registry, Moodle, email or the Helpdesk as appropriate.

Results, Awards & Verification

After Assessment: Documentation & Digital Credentials

Following successful completion, Registry manages the formal award and documentation process according to the requirements attached to the programme. Students should keep their personal details accurate and follow any instructions issued concerning parchments, certificates, verification or professional progression.

Results & qualification

All assessment components required by the programme must be completed successfully to receive the full qualification. Where course criteria provide for alternative outcomes, Registry will communicate the documentation applicable to the student's result.

Digital parchments

For eligible awards, ICPS College can issue digitally verifiable credential documentation through its partnership with POK. The aim is to strengthen authenticity, portability and independent verification of qualifying College awards.

Blockchain-supported verification

Where applicable, eligible digital parchments may include blockchain-supported verification and a public or QR-enabled verification pathway. Eligibility, issuance format and the official academic record remain subject to Registry and the requirements of the particular award.

Academic Development

Study Skills, Referencing & Reflective Integration

Professional learning is strengthened by disciplined reading, critical thinking and clear academic writing. Students should use scholarly sources thoughtfully and develop an argument rather than collecting quotations or reproducing lecture material.

Critical reading

Ask what a source claims, how the claim is supported, which assumptions are present, how recent the evidence is and how the source relates to alternative perspectives. Compare rather than merely summarise.

Referencing

Record bibliographic details as you read. Cite ideas, quotations and evidence consistently in the referencing style required by the assessment brief and retain a complete reference list.

Reflective integration

Connect theory with professional observation, ethical reasoning, personal learning and practice implications without disclosing identifiable client or third-party information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Student Resource Questions

Where should I look first for course materials?

Moodle should normally be your first point of reference for module resources, lecturer materials, announcements and assessment guidance associated with your enrolled programme.

What if I cannot access Moodle?

Use the ICPS Helpdesk and provide enough detail to identify the account, course and error. Avoid sharing passwords or asking another learner to access protected material for you.

Are all live classes recorded?

Recording arrangements depend on the learning activity and programme. Live teaching may be recorded where appropriate, while routine breakout rooms are generally treated differently because they may contain practice discussion and peer activity.

How do I know which assessments apply to my course?

Use the published course criteria, Moodle assessment information and Registry guidance for your programme. Written assessment, viva voce and formal skills examinations can differ by award.

Can I share course notes or recordings?

No. Protected learning resources are provided for authorised student study and remain subject to copyright, confidentiality and College-use restrictions.

Who should I contact about fees or award documentation?

Contact the Registry Office through the College Contact page for formal administrative matters including enrolment, payments, results, certificates, parchments and student records.

Where do I enrol for a new course?

Use the dedicated ICPS College enrolment page. Enrolment calls to action are standardised as Enrol Now and lead to the College booking pathway.

What if course material affects me personally?

Use appropriate personal, supervisory and professional supports. Where available under the College's current arrangements, designated psychotherapist-support sessions may also be accessed through the relevant process.

Continue Your Learning

Ready to Study with ICPS College?

Explore the current course pathway, enrol through the dedicated enrolment page, or contact Registry if you need guidance before choosing a programme.

Enrol NowContact RegistryMoodle LMS