Who are you?
Video: The Solihull College Student
Additional Support
The College welcomes applications from those with additional needs and our support team are fully trained to give you all the encouragement that you need to get the most out of your learning experience. If you are disabled or have any special needs, then our team of support staff are here to help you. When you have accepted your offer from us we will invite you to attend a transition planning meeting and will ensure that you are familiar with the college before you begin your course.
We offer the following specialist support:
- Aspergers/ADHD/ADD
- Blind/Visual Impairment
- Deaf/Hearing Impairment
- Physical Disability
- Mobility Difficulties
- Mental Health
- Moderate Learning Difficulties
- Specific Learning Difficulty
- Down’s Syndrome
- Acquired Brain Injury
- Tourette’s Syndrome
- Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia
View our Statement of Our Commitment to Students with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities:
Contact The Additional Support team:
Bursaries & Welfare
Higher Education Bursaries
Solihull College & University Centre offer a Higher Education bursary programme.
HE Welfare Fund
If you experience financial difficulties which might impact on your participation in higher education whilst enrolled on your course, the College has a HE Welfare Fund of which the primary purpose is to help you remain at university during these times. If you require financial support, we may be able to provide support with the cost of completing your studies. This fund is for emergency payments to assist students on a short-term basis with financial difficulties with attending university and is not a fund that can be used to provide ongoing support.
College Nurse
- Monday-Thursday 08:30-16:00
Counselling
Counselling services at Solihull College & University Centre
The Counselling service offers term time support to all students enrolled at the college and provides a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space to talk through issues you are struggling with. You may wish to talk about difficult life events, your relationships and emotions or explore negative thoughts and actions. Sessions are delivered by trained professionals who will help you to understand your thoughts, feelings and behaviours so you can develop acceptance of yourself and others.
Your Counsellor will not give you advice or try to solve your problems, but they will listen to enable you to better understand yourself and make positive changes to your life.
The service is free to all students at the College.
Counselling support can be requested once you have enrolled at the college by completing the self-referral form on the counselling page in the Student Hub. This is available using the following link:
In the meantime, the following links give information on how to manage your emotional wellbeing, especially if you are affected by the pandemic:
The options below give you the opportunity to self-refer for external counselling support.
Disability Statement
If you have a learning difficulty or a disability, you may need additional support to obtain access to College facilities. You may discuss your particular needs confidentially with a member of staff. For more information contact the Additional Support Team:
Enrichment Team
The Enrichment Team are here to make your time outside of lessons, fun, exciting, interesting and informative. All throughout the year, our student liaison officers organise trips, excursions, events, volunteering, themed events and a varied, engaging range of great activities, ensuring your time with us isn’t all work and no play.
We support Learner Voice which gives you, the student, the opportunity to tell us how your time at college is going, what we are doing well and what you would like to see improved. We also hold elections for School Representatives and Governors, giving our students a say in matters regarding school funding and quality of education.
If you have any questions or queries regarding student enrichment, you can contact them:
Equality & Diversity
Solihull College & University Centre has a culture where difference is respected and diversity celebrated. The College welcomes all students, regardless of age, race, colour, ethnic origin, religious belief, gender, sexuality or disability. We expect all members of the college community to recognise and respect this.
The College will continue to treat all students and employees with respect and dignity, and seek to provide a positive working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment or victimisation.
Mental Health Support
About Cameron Grant Memorial Trust
Evan Grant introduces the Cameron Grant Memorial Trust, describing why it was created and the work it does to encourage all in need to ask for help.
Mental Health Support
It is quite normal for us to occasionally experience anxiety, low-mood or feelings of not fitting in. Deadlines, worries about achieving the required standard and the pressures of workload are all expected challenges of study. However, when these difficulties become overwhelming or start to have a serious and negative impact on your day-to-day living, we would encourage you to seek specialist advice and support. When your mental health is suffering, the mental health team at Solihull College & University Centre is here to support you every step of the way; we have a wide range of services in place to ensure that you’re getting the most from your time as a student.
What can we help with?
You do not need to have a diagnosed mental health problem to refer yourself to the college mental health team. If you’ve already been diagnosed with a mental health condition, you can still refer yourself to the college mental health team and with your consent, we can link up with external services to offer you the most appropriate form of support.
We can support you if you have a mental health diagnosis such as:
- personality disorders
- mood disorders
- eating disorders
or if you have started to experience symptoms such as:
- Loss of reality
- Having very unusual beliefs
- Rapid weight loss
- Having plans to self-harm or suicidal ideations
- Confused or disturbed thoughts that may not make sense to you or others
- Major changes in mood
- Feeling out of control
- Impulsive behaviour that causes you harm
- Seeing or hearing things that other people don’t.
The role of the mental health team
The college mental health team is part of student services and can offer assessment, advice and develop a personalised plan of support. The aim is to help you get the most out of your college experience by linking in with appropriate services both within college and external agencies.
How to access support at college
Support for your mental health can be accessed via the Student Services Mental Health section of the Student Hub. It is important to us that you access the right support services for you when you need them – that’s why we use a ‘Feelings First’ approach, to make it easier for you to identify how you’re feeling, thinking, and behaving, and to help find the best options to suit your individual needs. Simply click the box that best describes how you feel, and then browse the wide range of support available. To access support from the college mental health team, please complete the personalised support referral form which you will find in the Feelings First guide. Once we receive your referral form, you will be booked in for an appointment to speak with one of our mental health practitioners.
It is important to note the college mental health team do not provide an urgent or crisis service. Appointments are normally booked in on a first come first served basis. Our appointments are scheduled between 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday (term time only) and will normally last up to an hour to give you chance to talk though any difficulties that you are experiencing. We offer appointments over Microsoft Teams, phone, or face-to-face.
In an emergency call 999 or go to Accident & Emergency if someone’s life is at risk – for example they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose or you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe.
A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one. You will not be wasting anyone’s time.
Other helpful services
These free listening services offer confidential advice from trained volunteers. You can talk about anything that’s troubling you, no matter how difficult:
CAM Support Messenger
The CAM Support Messenger; text CAM to 85258 for confidential, free support at any time of day or night. Support Messenger can help with urgent issues such as: suicidal thoughts, abuse or assault, self-harm, bullying, relationship issues. For more details please see: www.camgrant.org.uk
Campaign Against Living Miserably
CALM provides listening services, information and support for anyone who needs to talk, including a web chat.
Charlie Waller Memorial Trust
Charlie Waller Memorial Trust educate young people, and those with responsibility for them – so parents, educators, employers, GPs and Practice Nurses – about their mental health and wellbeing.
Childline
If you’re under 19, you can call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.
Hopeline
If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned for a young person who might be you can contact Hopeline UK for confidential support and practical advice.
Opening hours 9am – midnight every day of the year (weekends and bank holidays included).
Kooth
Kooth are an online service that provides easy to access online mental health services that work alongside you to provide compassionate and effective support. Visit www.kooth.com
Let’s Chat
Created for people studying and working in further education colleges across the country, Let’s Chat offers a great selection of tools and resources, developed by experts, to help you look after you. Topics include: loneliness, social isolation, stress, resilience, sleep, anxiety and many more. The resources are free and can be used one to one, for groups or individually.
Mind
Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
Visit www.mind.org.uk
Samaritans
Call 116 123 to talk to the Samaritans or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours.
Shout 85258
Text SHOUT to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text YM if you’re under 19.
Student Minds
Student Minds works with students, service users, professionals and academics to develop new and innovative ways to improve the mental health of students. Whether you are looking for support for your own mental health at university, support for a friend or loved one, or for services that might be available to you as a student, help is available. Please visit: www.studentminds.org.uk
Personal Tutors
As soon as you arrive here on your very first day at college you will be assigned a Personal Tutor. Your Personal Tutor will be there to provide support, advice, guidance and information throughout your time here.
You will meet regularly with your tutor for individual tutorials to discuss your learning and ensure you are on track with work and getting the most out of your experience with the college. You will also have group tutorials with your friends.
Safeguarding
We are committed to the protection and safety of our students.
We want you to feel that you can come to us with your concerns, whether about yourself or a fellow student.
Solihull College & University Centre is committed to providing a safe environment for young people and vulnerable adults, identifying young people and vulnerable adults who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm and to taking appropriate action to ensure that such young people and vulnerable adults are kept safe, both at home and at the College.
The College is also committed to providing students with the necessary skills and knowledge to keep themselves and others safe. Education, like other key sectors, has a responsibility to promote values of openness and tolerance and to facilitate free debate which is characteristic of being a British citizen. It is in this context that the College provides the following policies and reference to external guidance.
Safeguarding & Prevent Policies
Please be reminded that if you are at immediate risk or harm contact the Police on 999.
Please use the ‘feeling unsafe’ page on the Student Hub to report any concerns for yourself or a friend.
Email or call the number listed below – they will be manned during working hours only.
Emergency Safeguarding Contact Details
- Adam Thomas – adam.thomas@solihull.ac.uk 07860720198
- Kully Dhaliwal – kully.dhaliwal@solihull.ac.uk 07712300617
- Tracy Harper – tracy.harper@solihull.ac.uk 07712300616
- Peter Stone – peter.stone@solihull.ac.uk
Below are number of Local Safeguarding Children Boards that you can contact directly if the need arises.
Student Finance
Funds are available for trips, equipment and travel but are limited and will run out. You should apply as soon as possible. The following groups of students are eligible to apply:
- Priority 1 (household income under £35,000) – will be awarded financial help on submission of a successful application. If you are eligible for this, an early application is recommended.
- Priority 2 (household income of £35000-£40000) – applicants in this group will be awarded financial help after the October half term – subject to sufficient funds remaining. We would still encourage you to apply early although a decision is not likely until after the October half term.
For more information please view:
Student Finance (University Level)
- Only courses registered with the Office for Students are eligible for funding from Student Finance England.
- Solihull College & University Centre were registered with the OfS as a higher education provider in November 2018.
- The student finance package includes a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan only:
- you can apply for a tuition loan to help pay the tuition fee that your university or college is charging;
- it doesn’t depend on household income;
- Student Finance England pay this loan straight to your university or college.
- the maintenance loan will help with your living costs;
- the amount you can apply for will depend on your personal circumstances;
- the loan is repayable once you have completed or left your course.
- you can apply for a tuition loan to help pay the tuition fee that your university or college is charging;
- If you have a disability, mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty (e.g. dyslexia or dyspraxia) you may be eligible for a disabled students’ allowance.
- A DSA does not have to be paid back.
- There are Special Support Grants available for full time students, including:
Useful Links & Resources
Student Support Officers
Your Student Support Officer is your point of support that will ensure you stay connected with all the support services and information you may need during your time with us. Your Student Support Officers are available from Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Each curriculum area has a student support officer or ‘SSO‘ for short, and their main responsibilities are as follows:
- Your SSO is here to help and support you when you feel you are struggling with social, emotional, or behavioural problems. Whether you may be experiencing them, yourself, or someone you know in college.
- To answer any worries or questions you or your family may have about your time here.
- To monitor and support your attendance and punctuality.
- To aid in the disciplinary process, ensuring that students are aware of the procedure, its expectations, and its outcomes.
- Your SSO will be invaluable as they will be able to communicate barriers you have felt and talk with the curriculum area about support services you may be eligible for so, please keep in touch and communicate with your SSO as often as you need and feel comfortable to do so.
We are based at our Blossomfield campus in B024 overlooking the student area and in student services in reception at our Woodlands campus. You will have a designated Student Support Officer allocated to your area of study. Both offices operate an open-door policy, but you can ask to speak to your Student Support Officer in private.
Our aim is to support you at college and be on hand to make sure your experience with us is a rewarding one.
Tuition Fund (16-to-19)
The ESFA has made funding available to colleges to support students who have had their learning affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. The tuition fund is designed to mitigate the disruption to learning arising from coronavirus, and can be used to provide small group tuition for 16-19-year olds on a study programme where their learning has been disrupted.
Support is being prioritised where students will benefit most from small group tuition, usually in groups of up to 5 students, with particular regard to disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Solihull College & University Centre has committed to using the tuition fund that the ESFA has made available, by offering:
- GCSE resit preparation
- Support for SEND and high needs students
- Vocational support where assessments were deferred
- Vocational catch-up sessions focussed on the development of knowledge and practical skills
- 1-to-1 study skills sessions to support academic progress.
Implementation
- Deploy / recruit tutors across our college to work with students in small groups to support teaching and learning;
- Run 1-to-1 or small group sessions in addition to the existing timetabled hours, where appropriate and beneficial to the learner.
- Run additional skills development and revision sessions out of term time.
- Support will be offered and provided based on the individual needs of each student.
Our commitment
The College is committed to a no detriment approach to learners, to ensure no student is disadvantaged by the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. The College will ensure that the tuition fund is used in accordance with the Government’s guidance on the 16-to-19 tuition fund by:
- Producing this statement setting out how the fund will be used to support the most disadvantaged students.
- Publishing this statement on the College website.
- Recording the use of the fund, including references to individual students who receive support, the needs of those students, the number of hours of tuition delivered and retaining the evidence of the tuition provided.
- Delivering the extra tuition and spend the allocated funds in the academic year 2021/22
- Notifying the ESFA of any underspend from the Fund for it to be reclaimed.
Welfare
Starting at College is a major change, where you are faced with more freedom, more choices and have more decisions to make. The Welfare Service can offer support and practical help to manage the changes going on in this period of your life.
Help and support on the following issues:
- Accommodation
- Homelessness
- Finance
- Relationships
- Sexual Health
- Mental wellbeing
- Young Adult Carers
- Care Leavers
- Access to external organisation
Please contact your Student Support Officer or Learning Coach for more support.
Young Adult Carers
Young Adult Carers are young people who help care for a family member who is disabled, physically or mentally ill, has a long term serious illness or has a substance misuse problem.
This is a role that many young people are happy and proud to do.
Solihull College & University Centre is very keen to help and support young adult carers to get the best out of college.
Achieve their goals and improve their lives
What can we offer?
We offer free and confidential information, advice and Support:
- One to one support
- Young Adult Carers cards
- Help with student finance
- Help with attendance issues
- Specialist Young Adult Carers Drop-in service
