There may be times when you will need support and assistance with your studies or with personal issues. The College provides a wealth of services from trained and qualified professionals. Here you can view our safeguarding policies and procedures, and what support we have on offer .
Safeguarding at Bath College is how we help everyone to feel and be physically and emotionally safe. It’s also about how we respond to any incidents of bullying, harm or abuse.
Click on each section to find out more about what types of welfare and safeguarding support we can offer at Bath College. Support is available to you no matter how big or small the problem.
- Equity & Diversity
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At Bath College we are committed to maintaining a respectful community where all of our students and staff can learn develop and grow within a dignified and safe place. Find out more below:
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
- Counselling
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The College has a counselling service for students with a core staff of two experienced counsellors who are both accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), supplemented by sessional counsellors who are also BACP Members. All counsellors adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice.
The specific focus of the Student Counselling Service is to provide support for the student’s mental or emotional well-being. In general our role is not to provide information or advice but to help the student to speak about their difficulties, to make sense of what they are experiencing and to explore possible ways forward for themselves.
Counselling can help with:
Exploring difficult relationships Coping with stress, depression, trauma, abuse, life crisis, loss, bereavement, transitions, phobias Developing self-knowledge, exploring body image or sexual identity Working through difficult feelings such as anger, anxiety, fear or emotional pain Talking about personal or learning problems Making decisions or choices for yourself Looking after your mental, physical, emotional and sexual health Working towards increased independence Gaining improved sense of personal well-being Addressing concerns about use of drugs, alcohol or other substances Understanding reasons for self-harm or eating difficulties
Telephone: 01225 328 698 (including 24-hour confidential voice mail)
Confidential Text: 07791 766784
studentcounsellingservice@bathcollege.ac.uk
Room M312
Somer Valley
Telephone: 01225 312 481 (including 24-hour confidential voice mail)
Confidential Text 07787 418 248
studentcounsellingservice@bathcollege.ac.uk
Room W028
Students can normally receive a first appointment within one week of first making contact with the service. Students can contact the service directly by confidential telephone or text, through their tutor, or through the Student Participation and Well-Being team.
City Centre
Telephone: 01225 328 698 (including 24-hour confidential voice mail)
Confidential Text: 07791 766784
studentcounsellingservice@bathcollege.ac.uk
Room M312
- Mentoring
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Our mentors provide practical support tailored to the individual.
This could include:
Signposting to useful services in college and the local area Money management Applications for Financial Support: e.g. Learner Support Fund or charity funding Help with housing Arranging meetings and accompanying students to appointments e.g. The One Stop Shop for housing or benefits advice Resolving problems with other students Overcoming difficulties on your course Help with planning for coursework deadlines Arranging a college buddy to help you settle in
City Centre – Katherine Freeman
Katherine.freeman@bathcollege.ac.uk
01225 328 541 or text 07973 851 462
Room ML16
Somer Valley – Ivanna Harvey
Somer Valley – Student Welfare Officer
07811 980754
Ivanna.harvey@bathcollege.ac.uk
Room W029
- Faith & Spirituality (College Chaplain)
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Bath College has a multi faith Chaplaincy representing all faiths and none, provided in partnership with the Bath and Wells diocese. The Chaplain helps the College to mark special events throughout the calendar and provide support to students of any faith or none, when required, through our excellent links with the local community or just through conversation. We also have a dedicated prayer and meditation room open to all as a space for quiet reflection, meditation or prayer.
Eden the College Chaplain can be contacted on:
Tel: 01225 328 703
Email: Eden.Hunter@bathcollege.ac.uk
- Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG)
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The College achieved the Matrix Standard in February 2016 and the report noted ‘there are cohesive links between advice and support services available for students at the College, including those between personal tutors, careers advisors, staff in Welfare Support and Student Services. These links contribute to learners’ progress towards successful completion and achievement, and all IAG services are well explained in prospectuses, during induction weeks and at tutorials.’
As a student, you can access information, advice and guidance through a structured tutorial programme, for example, help with UCAS applications, job seeking and volunteering opportunities. Careers advice is a part of each course and takes place in various ways, such as work experience, industrial and educational visits, assignment work, tutorials, talks and discussions in class. Our Student Advice Centre staff can give you guidance on all career-related matters or you can book an appointment with one of our Employability Officers to discuss the next steps you can take.
- College Nurse
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Bath College works in partnership with Virgin Care to provide a College Nurse to all our students. Our Nurse runs drop in sessions for students to seek confidential advice on any aspect of their health. This can range from stop smoking support to healthy eating advice or contraception to sexual health advice. We also run a number of awareness events over the year as part of our enrichment calendar which gives students the opportunity to find out more about specific well-being topics.
City Centre – Julie Richardson
Location: Medical Room, Roper Reception
Telephone: 07967 837 053
Email: nurse@bathcollege.ac.uk
Offering drop ins at City Centre Campus on Tuesdays 12-2pm and can also be text to make alternative appointments.
Somer Valley – Clare Traub
Location: C014, Cam Building
Telephone: 07810 851 061
Email: svc.nurse@bathcollege.ac.uk
Offering drop ins at Somer Valley Campus on Wednesdays 12-2pm and can be text to make an alternative appointment.
- Additional Learning Support & LLD/SEN
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For students enrolled on courses at Bath College, additional learning support is available in certain subject areas. Students who feel they would like extra help with their literacy, language and numeracy skills can contact the Learning Skills Department. The staff of this department can be found on the ground floor of the Macaulay Building at the back of the Blended Learning Centre. Support is also available for students with learning difficulties including dyslexia, visual impairments and hearing impairments as well as mobility issues. For further information, please feel free to contact the Learning Skills staff by e-mail at learningsupport@bathcollege.ac.uk or call 01225 328653.
LLD/SEN Key facts:
- Bath College is suitable for learners aged 16+ who are ready to take the next steps towards independence.
- There are very good transport links and support with travel training and reduced cost bus travel.
- The College campus occupies a city centre position with unrestricted access into and out of the building.
- It is a busy college environment with large numbers of students.
- There are quiet spaces and lunch clubs to support our more vulnerable learners.
What can I study?
Bath College offers a wide range of qualifications, from Entry levels, through levels 1, 2 and 3 to Higher Education (HE) covering a variety of vocational subjects.
How am I going to find out if the College is right for me and my family?
Come and see for yourself if this could be the right place for you. Visit one of our open days. You will be supported with appropriate advice and guidance from a range of advisers and specialists at the college. We can arrange for you to meet staff and current students to help you get a feel of college life. You will have the opportunity to work with our support team to create an individual support plan for the time you are in college. We will liaise with other professionals and link to your existing plans (My Plan/EHC Plan, LDA/SENStatement/ etc.). We also offer transition planning and meetings.
What are the progression routes through college programmes and into the world of work?
All the courses at college have progression routes and embed employability skills. Bath College also offers progression onto ProjectSEARCH. This programme is entirely embedded within various departments of B&NES Council offering supported internships for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities. Other Foundation programmes at the College offer real and simulated work experience opportunities as well as a well-established volunteering programme.
How will my additional learning support be funded?
Additional learning support is funded through the College, the Local Authorities and the Education Funding Agency
For more information
Please contact the Student Advice Centre on 01225 328720 or email Sally Eaton on sally.eaton@bathcollege.ac.uk. For details of the B&NES Local Offer please visit their website.
- Tutorial Support
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Full Time Students
If you are a full-time student, you will have a personal tutor, who is usually someone who also teaches you.
This tutor will:
- Help you to set targets that you need to make progress through your course.
- Keep an eye on your attendance, punctuality and progress on your course
- Provide you with an induction into the College.
- Check if you need additional learning support to help you on your course.
- Help you to develop good study skills.
- Write a reference for you when you complete your course.
- Listen to you if there are personal issues that you want to discuss and advise you of extra support you can have to address these issues; if you need help with a particular issue your tutor will probably know where you can get it.
- Organise an enrichment programme that will give you opportunities outside your course.
- Address issues you and your fellow students raise about your courses and the College.
- Meet with you regularly for a ‘1 to 1′ tutorial.
- Produce a written review of your progress at least 3 times each year – and send a copy to your parents/guardian if you are 18 or under or your employer if they have paid for your course
Part-Time Students
We believe that part-time students should be provided with support and feedback on how they are doing on their course. If you are a part-time student you will have a tutor who will be someone who teaches you. As a part-time student you will receive the same support as a full-time student although you may not receive as many written reviews of your progress.
Parent Information
The tutor also acts as a ‘gateway’ to the support services that the College provides to help students with personal matters that may affect their studies. You will be invited to meet your son or daughter’s new tutor within 3 weeks of the start of the course to give you a chance to find out more about College life and the course they are studying.
