The Student Hub provides a wide range of services and specialist support for students experiencing short-term or long-term challenges. These may include family or relationship concerns, housing difficulties, caring responsibilities, financial worries, or issues affecting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, including sexual health, drugs, and alcohol.
Our experienced and approachable team of Support Coaches are available to all students throughout their time at North Hertfordshire College. We offer confidential, non-judgemental support in a safe and welcoming environment, helping students to overcome barriers, succeed in their studies, and achieve their highest aspirations.
Support Coaches work closely with each student’s Progress and Inclusion Lead to deliver the tutorial programme, ensuring learners receive the right support at the right time. They provide targeted one-to-one intervention sessions that focus on individual circumstances, challenges, aspirations, and goals, helping students to develop the skills and confidence needed for success.
We recognise that some students may require additional specialist support. Where appropriate, Support Coaches can help students access external services by making referrals to organisations such as counselling services, housing support providers, and mental health teams.
Students are also welcome to drop into the Student Hub if they have a concern they would like to discuss or need support on the day. All of our Support Coaches are trained in Mental Health First Aid, enabling them to provide initial support and guidance to students experiencing mental health difficulties.
The team works closely with a range of external organisations and regularly arranges for these services to visit the college throughout the year. This gives students opportunities to learn more about the support available and access specialist advice directly from partner agencies.
Safeguarding
North Hertfordshire College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all students and apprentices, with a particular statutory duty of children, young people and adults at risk.
Safeguarding means:
- Promotion of your health and development
- Ensuring your safety and care
- Ensuring you are offered the best life chances
- Protection from abuse and neglect
- Prevention of bullying and harassment.
We expect all staff to share this commitment to safeguarding and have developed a staff policy to ensure this commitment is met.
Our approach covers:
- Protection of children and adults ‘at risk’
- Reporting processes
- Signs of abuse, neglect and radicalisation
- Safeguarding apprentices and work-based learners
- Safer recruitment
Prevent
The Prevent strategy is part of the Government’s wider counter-terrorism approach and aims to safeguard individuals from being drawn into terrorism, extremist ideologies, or acts of extreme violence. It focuses on early intervention, helping to identify and support people who may be vulnerable to radicalisation while promoting safe, inclusive, and resilient communities.
The key objectives of Prevent are to:
- Challenge the extremist ideologies and narratives that can lead to terrorism or serious violence.
- Safeguard and support individuals who may be at risk of radicalisation by ensuring they receive appropriate advice, guidance and intervention.
- Work with education providers, community organisations and other partners to identify and address factors that may increase vulnerability to radicalisation, terrorism, or extreme violence.
At North Hertfordshire College, Prevent is embedded within our safeguarding responsibilities, ensuring that students are protected from harmful influences and supported to think critically, stay safe, and succeed in a diverse and inclusive environment.
Young Adult Carers
A Young Adult Carer is someone aged between 16-24 who cares for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.
Young Adult Carers may not always recognise or tell others that they have caring responsibilities. At NHC, we have processes in place to identify Young Adult Carers at the earliest opportunity to ensure we can explore additional support the student may need to access and succeed in their studies.
At NHC we have two Support Coaches, who are dedicated Young Adult Carer Leads. Our Leads are on hand to discuss your caring responsibilities, how this impacts you, and put any support you may need in place. The Leads work closely with the curriculum teams and external services to ensure you can achieve your full potential.
If you want to discuss Young Adult Carer support visit the Student Hub, speak to your Progression and Inclusion Lead or any member of staff.
Togetherall Mental Health Support
If you’re struggling to cope, you don’t have to do it alone. Togetherall offers a 24/7 digital mental health service and is a safe, and anonymous community to connect from anywhere, at any time. Students and staff can register for free using their college email and join an online community dedicated to creating a safe place and starting conversations about mental health.
There is always someone to talk to at the college, but there are also many other organisations available if you need help and support throughout your studies or during college holidays.
Financial Support and Bursaries
It’s really important that you don’t let money-matters get in the way of you attending college.
At NHC, we offer a range of financial support options through our college bursaries that support learners to access our courses. Whilst tuition is free for many NHC students, there may be some small costs throughout your course for things such as equipment, enrichment, and activities. Our bursaries can help eligible learners with the costs of travelling to college, free college meals, essential kit, DBS checks, and trips.