Keeping you safe and well

We are dedicated to you

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Over the Festive Break, The College Safeguarding & Wellbeing Team will be unavailable from Friday 20 December 2024 until Monday 6 January 2025. Should you have any difficulties that require support during this time please contact the most appropriate agency below. If your life is at imminent risk, please call 999 for immediate help.

Concerns for the Safety of a Child

Essex Children Social Care               0345 603 7627 (Out of hours – 0345 606 1212)

Thurrock Children Social Care         01375 652 802 (Out of hours – 01375 372 468)

Southend Children Social Care        01702 215 007 (Out of hours – 0345 606 1212)

Concerns for the Safety of an Adult

Essex Adult Social Care                     0345 603 7630 (Out of hours – 0345 606 1212)

Thurrock Adult Social Care               01375 511 000 (Out of hours – 01375 372 468)

Southend Adult Social Care              01702 215 008 (Out of hours – 01702 215 000)

Mental Health Support

Samaritans                                        116 123 (24 hours)

CALM                                                 0800 58 58 58 (5pm - midnight daily)

Domestic Abuse Support

Essex Compass                                   0300 333 7 444 (8am-8pm Monday to Friday & 8am-1pm Weekends)

Alcohol Misuse Support

Alcoholics Anonymous                       0800 9177 650 (24/7)

Drug Misuse Support

FRANK                                                 0300 123 6600 (24/7)

Alternatively, a whole host of resources are available to discover on the Safeguarding & Wellbeing Dashboard on the MyUSP app.

We hope you have a great break, and look forward to welcoming you back to College in 2025.

USP College Safeguarding and Wellbeing Department

We are dedicated to supporting the wellbeing and personal development of all learners here at USP College. 

During your time studying with us, you will have access to a variety of friendly and professional wellbeing support services that will help you get the most out of your college experience. 

All staff are trained to ensure that you feel safe and secure whilst with us and we have a specialist team that can assist with: 

  • Wellbeing
  • Counselling
  • Confidentiality
  • Specialist Support
  • Safeguarding
  • Safety

If you would like any more information about any of the topics raised below or have a concern for the safety of yourself or someone else, please contact the Safeguarding Team using the details at the bottom of this page. 

Wellbeing

If you're struggling with your college or personal life, don't worry. Our Wellbeing Advisors are here to ensure you get the help you need. We offer a discrete, one-to-one service that gives you the opportunity to work with someone that can help you through the difficulties you're facing. Where appropriate, we can also secure the help you need outside of college. Our team is based in Student Services and we offer a drop-in service that encourages all students to visit us, should they feel the need to. 

Our Wellbeing Advisors offer a range of support, including:

  • One-to-one mentoring and guidance
  • Financial help and advice
  • Arranging support from both internal and external agencies
  • Referrals to our college counsellors
  • Acting as an advocate between you and your curriculum area
  • Supporting you with the transition from school to college
  • Group workshops - mindfulness, mental health, resilience, improving positivity

Counselling 

Counselling is a supportive service that provides individuals with guidance and help to understand, accept and overcome emotional issues, problems and concerns.

A Counsellor is not there to tell you what to do. But instead, they will encourage you to talk about what's bothering you in order to help you gain a better understanding of your feelings and thought processes, and find your own solutions to problems. Some students may experience emotional and personal issues that need to be shared with a qualified counsellor. Here we offer a counselling service that is professional, varied and accessible. 

Counsellors can help with a wide range of difficulties which include:

  • Difficulties at home
  • Relationship problems
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Bereavement
  • Eating disorders
  • Difficult emotions - eg. low self-esteem
  • Stress
  • Sexual and cultural identity
  • Negative past experiences

This list is not necessarily comprehensive and our College Counsellors are here to talk about any issues that are having a negative impact on your life.

Confidentiality

Both our counselling and wellbeing services are confidential. This means we will only pass on information if you are happy for us to do so. In some situations, confidentiality may be broken if we feel that you or someone is at risk of serious harm, although we would always try and discuss this with your first.

Specialist Support

We work closely with external agencies so we can offer you easy access to a range of specialist support. Where possible we encourage services to work with you at the College, this gives you the option of being supported in a place that is familiar and feels safe.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding of young people and vulnerable adults is our top priority, we are committed to ensuring a safe, positive and secure environment for students and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Throughout your time at college, you will receive information, advice and support to allow you to stay safe both inside and outside of college. We have a dedicated Safeguarding Team, who are always available to assist with difficult or potentially harmful problems that students may face at college or at home.

To ensure the safety of our students:

  • We require everyone to wear lanyards with photo-card IDs in order to gain entry to the campus, this includes, students, staff and visitors.
  • Every student has access to our specialist Safeguarding Team who are on hand to support with any issues, including wellbeing and counselling experts.
  • Every member of staff received regular safeguarding training and raise concerns or report issues relating to safeguarding and welfare.
  • We are committed to creating a culture where British Values are promoted and practised in all aspects of college life, in line with the government's counter-terrorism strategy - PREVENT.
  • All staff are DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked; without this approval, staff will not be allowed access to the College without supervision.
  • The College provides a safe and friendly learning environment compliant with UK Health & Safety legislation.
  • CCTV is installed at various points around each campus.

British Values

The Government set out its definition of British Values in the 2011 PREVENT Strategy. We understand our responsibility in promoting and encouraging a culture and ethos that upholds these values and are committed to creating an environment that is inclusive, mutually respectful and free from discrimination. 

These values underpin everything we do as they are embedded and promoted within our curriculum and through other experiences that learners receive through the college year. It is our aim to prepare you for life in modern Britain, and that you leave us with a strong sense of community as well as social and moral responsibility.

Democracy

We demonstrate to learners the importance of democracy through Learner Voice, Student Champions, Student Union, Enrichment Activities, Learner Voice Surveys, Tutorials, Student Conferences and Principal's Question Time.

The Rule of Law

Everyone is expected to adhere to our Values & Behaviours. There are policies in place to ensure that our college community is kept safe and compliant, these include College Code of Conduct, Bullying and Harassment Policy, Student Positive Behaviour Policy. College rules regarding ID cards apply to both staff and students. 

Individual Liberty

We encourage the values of Freedom of Speech without causing offence or distress to others. 

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

We value diversity and respect each other. We will not tolerate prejudice, discrimination or harassment against anyone. 

Further Information

The PREVENT Duty 

What is PREVENT? 

PREVENT is part of a Government strategy which aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. From 1 July 2015, Colleges have a statutory duty under the 'Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015' to have 'due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism'.

Preventing terrorism also means challenging extremist views and intervening to stop people from moving from extremist ideas into terrorism. 

Extremism is seen as vocal or active opposition to fundamental British Values, including Democracy, The Rule of Law, Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect and Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. 

Having due regard requires educational establishments to: 

  • Actively promote fundamental British Values. 
  • Demonstrate awareness and understand the risk to learners in their school/college and their geographical area. Local Safeguarding Children's Boards (LSCBs) will have carried out risk assessments, taking account of local issues/tensions, local police intelligence and the political context at home and abroad. 
  • Equip staff to identify 'vulnerable' learners and how to challenge extremist ideas. 
  • Act when concerning behaviours are observed - this means using the processes set out in the safeguarding policies. 
  • Have robust safeguarding policies in place - this does not require schools/college to create distinct policies on implementing the Prevent duty. 
  • Assist and advise families who raise concerns and point them to the right support. 
  • Provide a safe space for debate and help learners to understand how they can influence and participate in decision-making both at school/college level and in a wider arena. 
  • Provide secure access online - schools/colleges need to have appropriate filters and monitoring systems so that no learner can access harmful content via the school/college's IT systems. 
  • Work in partnership with the Local Safeguarding Children's Board and relevant community organisations. 

We play an important part in allowing young people a safe space to explore their concerns and ideas and to challenge prejudicial, discriminatory or extremist views. 

Students being drawn into extremism is a safeguarding issue which can also be a 'child protection' issue. All concerns of this nature will be immediately reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead who may report the concerns to the police PREVENT team.