Supporting you
Whatever your background or circumstances, we believe that any student studying at Kirklees College deserves a rewarding educational experience. An experience that can create opportunities, change lives and can lead to an exciting future.
Get in touch
Contact us regarding any support related queries by email or telephone; we are here to help you achieve the very best during your time at Kirklees College.
How can we support you?
Whatever your background or circumstances, we believe that any student studying at Kirklees College deserves a rewarding educational experience. An experience that can create opportunities, change lives and can lead to an exciting future.
Safeguarding at Kirklees College
Safeguarding is our highest priority at Kirklees College and we take every possible action to make sure all students, staff and the wider college community are kept safe and protected from harm.
All students, staff and visitors must wear a visible ID at all times.
If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s safety or wellbeing, please contact any member of college staff or the Safeguarding team.
Telephone: 01484 437000 Email: safeguarding@kirkleescollege.ac.uk
Safeguarding support is available during college opening hours.
Click here to see information about local services to contact during summer closure. Click here to see our Safeguarding team’s out of hours message.
You will have access to a huge range of internal support including:
|
|
Your progression, achievement and development are important to us. We work with employers, parents and carers to ensure you get the support you need to achieve your goals with specific support for young parents, young carers and estranged students.
We believe in the importance of a person’s health and wellbeing which is why we actively support and promote this to all our students.
Students have access to our free counselling service. We employ an excellent team of skilled professionals who can help you get back on track should you need support to deal with difficult and challenging times in your life.
- Our Counsellors can help to deal with anxiety and depression, or cope with relationship problems, loneliness, troubles at home or whatever it is that’s worrying you.
- Our Counsellors are non-judgmental, respectful of all views and open to all our students.
- Students will also be supported to access external mental health and wellbeing services if needed.
- There is an on-site gym supported by our programme of health and wellbeing activities such as mindfulness and meditation.
Financial support
Once you are enrolled you will have access to the KC Student Community where you will get the free access code for the app and the helpline.
At Kirklees College we have high expectations of all of our members; staff, students and apprentices. It is everyone’s responsibility to contribute to a safe and welcoming learning environment. Our values of Kindess, Unity and Excellence underpin our approach to behaviour and all members are expected to uphold these values, every day. Our Positive Behaviour Policy can be read here.
By enrolling at Kirklees College you are agreeing to abide by our Student Code of Conduct which outlines your rights and responsibilities as well as what you can expect from staff.
We recognise that sometimes we all make the wrong choices and when this happens we may need support to put things right. Our team of Student Engagement Mentors work with students who have barriers to learning through 1:1 mentoring and small group work.
There are always a range of factors that may affect behaviour and our SEMs will work with a student or apprentice to identify these and support solutions.
Care Experienced
Being care experienced means you have spent time living with foster carers under local authority care, in residential care (e.g. a children’s home), looked after at home under a supervision order, or in kinship care with relatives or friends, either officially (e.g. a special guardianship order) or informally without local authority support.
Care Leavers
If you are a young person aged 16 – 25 who is or has been looked after in public care at some point since the age of 14 we are here to support you, if you need it, to make the transition and enjoy a rewarding educational experience.
You will be supported by the College Care Co-ordinators team, whom you can meet before starting your course and will support you throughout your time at Kirklees.
They will work with other members of college staff to maximise your learning and arrange access to the following if required:
- Additional Learning Support
- Careers and Progression Advice
- Counselling
- Financial Support
- Transport Support and Advice
- Liaison with appropriate agencies
- Advocacy for a range of situations including entry and on course requirements
- Peer mentoring
Children Looked After
A child is ‘looked after’ if they are in the care of the local authority for more than 24 hours. A child will stop being ‘looked after’ when they are either adopted, returned home or turn 18 and the local authority will continue to support children leaving care at 18 until they reach 25.
As a child looked after student, you will be supported by the College Care Co-ordinators who you can talk to before joining the college, and who will be there throughout your study programme to support progression.
They will work with Carers, Personal Development Coaches, Pastoral Mentors, Personal Tutors, Lecturers and other relevant staff to ensure you are fully supported and can access the following:
- Additional Learning Support
- Careers and Progression Advice
- Counselling
- Financial Support
- Transport Support and Advice
- Liaison with appropriate agencies
- Advocacy for a range of situations including entry and on course requirements
Young Parents
Young parents are considered to be mothers, fathers or those that are due to give birth and are under 25 years old.
You can disclose whether you are a young parent/pregnant prior to joining college, or at any point during your study programme.
We guarantee that any disclosure of your pregnancy will be treated with respect and confidentiality, especially regarding your wishes about informing parents and/or support agencies, except if there are concerns around safeguarding.
We are not here to judge you, but for us to be able to support appropriately, we will ask following questions such as:
- Has the pregnancy been confirmed?
- Do you need any support with getting the pregnancy confirmed?
- Who else have you spoken to?
Pastoral Mentors will work with personal tutors, lecturers, and other relevant staff to ensure that you are fully supported in the following areas:
- Referrals to Young Peoples Support Services if required.
- Provide you with support and continued liaison throughout antenatal and postnatal phases.
- Support through ‘Care to Learn’ applications.
- Authorising absence for your antenatal appointments/scans, including young father’s attendance.
- Support in the planning of any activities which have to be missed due to pregnancy or parenting.
- Where possible, we will look to plan flexible timetables.
- Support Health and Safety issues in college with an appropriate risk assessment completed.
- Offered support and understanding if you suffer from competing pressures of pregnancy, parenting and education
Please contact support@kirkleescollege.ac.uk to find out more.
Young Carers
Young carers are young people up to 25 who have caring responsibility in their personal life.
As a young carer, you will carry out tasks and responsibilities that are additional to those appropriate for someone of your age.
Tell your Pastoral Mentor if you care for a family member or friend with one or more of the following:
- Physical disability
- Mental Health issues
- Learning difficulties
- Alcohol or drug misuse
- Long-term illness
Pastoral Mentors can provide you with support throughout your study programme, and you can meet them before starting your course.
They will work with personal tutors, lecturers, and other relevant staff to ensure you are fully supported and can access the following:
- Additional learning support
- Careers and Progression advice
- Counselling
- Financial support
- Transport support and advice
- Liaison with appropriate agencies
We will endeavour to ensure that parents/guardians can access college for open evenings and progression days. If this is not possible, we will consider how alternative arrangements can be made to keep a communication link.
Please contact support@kirkleescollege.ac.uk to find out more.
Estranged Students
If you are living without the support of a family, we understand how difficult this can be. We can help support you whilst you are studying with us.
Pastoral Mentors can provide you with support throughout your study programme, and you can meet them before starting your course.
They will work with personal tutors, lecturers and other relevant staff to ensure you are fully supported and can access the following:
- Additional learning support
- Careers and Progression advice
- Counselling
- Financial support
- Transport support and advice
- Liaison with appropriate agencies
Please contact support@kirkleescollege.ac.uk to find out more.
More Support
Financial Support
Kirklees College offers a range of support funds to help
students overcome any financial problems that may prevent them from studying.
Costs such as travel or meals may stop some students from joining or continuing a course or programme. The Financial Support Team can offer advice on financial matters and help in applying for any available grants or funding.
SEND
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Kirklees College is committed to delivering the provisions of the Children and Families Act 2014. We embrace our statutory duty to fulfil our obligations under the SEND Code of Practice for those aged up to 25 and are committed to making every effort to meet your support needs.
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass is a police and education early information sharing partnership enabling schools and colleges to offer immediate support for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse.
Information is shared by the police with the College’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead or Safeguarding Advisor prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended an incident identified as domestic abuse. This then enables the College to provide appropriate support, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the student(s).
Click the logo to the left for more information.