Student Welfare, Counselling & College Nurse 2015/16 www.solihull.ac.uk 0121 678 7000
Introduction to Student Welfare, Counselling and the College Nurse Welcome to Solihull College The Welfare, Counselling Service and College nurse are available to help you make the most of your time here at Solihull College. Solihull College provides great opportunities to broaden your learning, social and leisure experiences. This is a time of major change where you are faced with freedom, choices and decisions. There may be issues around your personal circumstances, accommodation, friends and relationships, family relations, caring responsibilities, physical, emotional and mental health, benefits and managing your finances. Our service can provide: links to external specialist support, advice and guidance information about agencies and organisations which could support you. Our service wants to: identify problems at an early stage intervene before problems become a crisis give you support at key moments in your life. An understanding of your own needs is important being aware of healthy lifestyle options and the importance of sleep, food, exercise, interests and friends. The Welfare service offers a wide range of information to support you during your time at College. This approachable service offers intensive and practical support as well as signposting you to specialised agencies that can offer further help if needed. Getting support early means you can remain on course. 01
Welfare Service Welfare Co-ordinator: Sarah Miles Welfare Officer: Helen Davis Where to find our service: Sarah and Helen are based in the Student Information Centre (Blossomfield) and Reception (Woodlands) having access to the interview rooms for meetings of a confidential nature. Contact Details Telephone: 0121 678 7031 Email: welfare@solihull.ac.uk Accessing our service You can self-refer by coming to one of the drop-in sessions or by making an appointment directly. Your tutor may refer you providing he or she has asked you first. Drop-in Service Available daily at Blossomfield between 12pm 1pm. Available Monday and Thursday at Woodlands (ask at Reception for drop-in times). Ask at The Student Information Centre help desk at Blossomfield or the Student Services help desk at Woodlands for further details. One-to-one Appointments You can book with The Student Information Centre help desk at Blossomfield or the Student Services help desk at Woodlands where a diary is kept for both one-to-one or drop-in sessions. Or you can contact Student Welfare direct on 0121 678 7031 or email welfare@solihull.ac.uk Counselling The Solihull College and University Centre Counselling Service offers individuals an opportunity to explore aspects of their life ot feelings, freely and openly which is rarely possible with friends and family, and in a safe setting within the Blossomfield and Woodlands Campuses. If you need help with addressing any emptional needs that you are struggling with, in response to an experience such as family breakdown, reconfiguration, bereavement, loss, difficult relationships either peer or family, anxiety, bullying and low selfconfidence, then you can access this support to enable you to function better in and outside of college life. It can provide you with the resilience and resources to manage your life in the future, enabling you choices or a reduction in confusion. 02
Appointments can be made ar Blossomfield and Woodlands campuses via these methods: Phone: 0121 678 7219 (confidential answering service) Email: counselling@solihull.ac.uk or satya.sandhu@solihull.ac.uk Text: Talk to 07624 802 743 and leave your name and number Alternatively, an appointment can be made via reception, your personal tutor or your Support Officers. What do the services provide? Individual Support Drop-In Sessions Tutorials on a variety of topics Referrals to external agencies I feel very welcome to talk to my Welfare Officer. She s very helpful and friendly. Whenever I have a problem I know where to come. Support offered by Student Welfare If you are facing any of these issues but do not know which agencies in Solihull or Birmingham could support you, please contact the College Welfare Officer: Accommodation issues including Homelessness Help to access Benefits and financial support Personal and Emotional issues Family Life Teenage Parent / Pregnancy / Sexual Health Substance Misuse Illness (Physical and Mental Health) Support with Leaving Care Support with acting as a Carer Forced marriage advice and support The Welfare Officers will be working with students every day at the Blossomfield Campus and Monday/ Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday/ Thursday mornings at Woodlands Campus. The focus will be on prevention, early intervention and enabling and empowering young people and their families to make healthy choices. 03
Sexual health, contraception & pregnancy At set advertised times in the year we run workshops to explore sexual health issues such as the symptoms and effects of sexually transmitted infections, the importance of contraception and how condoms should be used. Chlamydia testing kits are available from Student Welfare and Student Enrichment. Condoms are also distributed free of charge from Student Welfare and Student Enrichment office in the Student Centre. Just 4 You-2 Sexual Health and Teenage Pregnancy The services Just4You offers FREE confidential advice and support on Relationships and Sexual Health, Condoms, Emergency Contraception, Pregnancy testing and Chlamydia Screening. Just4You drop-in clinics: Grove Road Clinic Mon 3.30pm-6pm Wed 2.30pm-5pm Sat 11am-1pm Tel: 0121 705 8737 Kingshurst Clinic Wed 4pm-6pm Tel: 0121 329 1920 Craig Croft Clinic Thurs 4pm-6pm Tel: 0121 770 3228 There are extensive resources within the community covering a range of health, safety and well being issues. The Welfare Officer will be able to provide you with information on a range of support and the contact details for the agencies offering this support. Teenage parents If you think you may be pregnant please come and visit the Welfare Service. This can be a worrying time for you and the Welfare Team is here to help. We have useful information on Care to Learn funding, and pregnancy wellbeing information. We can also make referrals to external agencies for additional support, advice and guidance. 04
Smoking Cessation These clinics run at both campuses. Ask Student Welfare for details. Safeguarding - Keeping You Safe This college has a Safeguarding Policy to protect students from all kinds of abuse. If you are concerned for yourself or for a fellow student regarding any form of abuse, you should contact a Safeguarding Officer at your campus or centre or you can telephone them. You can also report a safeguarding concern through the Report Abuse function on the Student Hub. Abuse takes many forms: physical sexual emotional neglect domestic abuse bullying (including cyber bullying) You can talk to us. Hilary Baird...(7138) hilary.baird@solihull.ac.uk Kully Dhaliwall...(7033) kully.dhaliwall@solihull.ac.uk Tracey Harper...(7096) tracey.harper@solihull.ac.uk Pete Haynes...(7363) pete.haynes@solihull.ac.uk Sarah Miles...(7031) sarah.miles@solihull.ac.uk The Campus Manager at Woodlands, Wendy Harrington wendy.harrington@solihull.ac.uk Adam Thomas...(7150) adam.thomas@solihull.ac.uk Ellie Lander...(7011) Ellie.lander@solihull.ac.uk Christine Slater...(7304) christine.slater@solihull.ac.uk To contact one of our Safeguarding Officers or the Student Services Manager you can either send them an email or telephone using 0121 678 and the appropriate extension: 05
College Nurse The College employs a dedicated qualified nurse who is available if you are unwell, for advice on health issues and first aid. The College Nurse works term-times only and is situated at the Blossomfield Campus: Monday-Tuesday 09:30-16:00 Wednesday-Thursday 09:30-16:30 Friday 09:30-14:30 If you feel ill when you are at College let your teacher or the Student Support Officer know. The College Nurse and first aiders can assess your condition and advise you and us on what needs to be done. If you are over 18 we will not contact parents, partners or friends unless you ask us to. Your safety is our priority so we will support you in getting the correct medical attention, should you need it, whatever your age. Our staff follow this procedure: Procedure 1 If the College Nurse s or First Aider s assessment is that the student is suffering from a serious condition then the following should take place: Ambulance called and you will be taken to hospital Your parent or guardian will be contacted immediately and advised of the situation. Procedure 2 If the College Nurse s or First Aider s assessment is that the student is not suffering from a condition of serious concern then your parent or guardian will be contacted and advised of the situation. It is for them to decide the course of action. Any of the following is an acceptable next stage: The parent/guardian comes to collect you You and your parent/guardian agree that you are able to travel home unaided. If you do not feel well enough to travel home unaided and your parent/guardian cannot collect, then you would be taken to the medical room and checked on regularly until your parent/guardian can collect you. If you do not feel well enough to travel home unaided and your parent/guardian cannot collect you at any point then you will, with your parents approval, be sent home by taxi making use of the approved company details at reception. 06
Meningitis Be aware and be prepared. Did you know that the second highest risk group is the 15-19 age group and, therefore, the student population is vulnerable? Know the signs: very bad headache vomiting stiff neck dislike of bright lights confusion / delirium severe sleepiness / losing conciousness rash cold hands and feet severe limb pain pale blotchy skin I found the service very useful. I wanted to take a gap year but with this support it has made a massive, massive difference. You won t develop all these symptoms and they can appear in any order. Information on meningitis is available from Student Welfare. Please ask for details. All circumstances of a student leaving college due to illness should be recorded on an SR1 and the personal tutor and the Student Support Officer should be informed. 07
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Blossomfield Campus Blossomfield Road Solihull, B91 1SB Woodlands Campus Auckland Drive, Smith s Wood Solihull, B36 0NF www.solihull.ac.uk 0121 678 7000 enquiries@solihull.ac.uk