At North Hertfordshire College, we’re proud to work with a range of organisations to help our students achieve their full potential. That’s why we’ve been working with the North Herts Community Safety Partnership (NHCSP) Joint Action Group for several years, providing experience to our students and keeping our local area safe.
Our Head of Wellbeing and Safeguarding, Emma, reached out to the organisation and put them in touch with our Protective Services tutors. As a result, a class of NHC’s Protective Services learners gained real-life work experience alongside Hertfordshire Constabulary and started our close collaboration with NHCSP.
The partnership has since worked closely with our students to proactively support community safety in North Hertfordshire by working with serving police officers on a series of operations – valuable work experience that helps them start their careers after college.
For example, our students supported Operation SARGUS, which formed part of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s wider initiative for the implementation of the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) policy across Hertfordshire. The operation saw our students visit hotels across North Hertfordshire alongside much older male plain-clothed police officers, who would try booking a double room with the young learners.
The operation helped Hertfordshire Constabulary assess whether Child Protection procedures were being followed. The results also helped inform further development of CSE prevention strategies for the protection of vulnerable young people across Hertfordshire.
Following the success of Operation SARGUS, our learners supported Operation DEVITO. This initiative was designed to test allegations that taxi drivers operating from local train stations refused late-night fares they deem unprofitable, leaving young women to walk home alone at night.
Our female protective services students acted undercover in the role of a lone woman trying to get home, who would approach a taxi and attempt to book a very low fare. Students kept an open phone line with police officers who were recording the interaction. Operation DEVITO worked to support the prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls across Hertfordshire, helping female residents feel safer.
John Marshall, Community Safety Team Leader at North Herts Council and Chair of the NHCSP Joint Action Group kindly reached out to NHC Principal Kit Davies to say:
“During this time the students have shown total professionalism, enthusiasm and skill and have been a credit to you and the College. Their work has been invaluable in keeping the residents of North Hertforshire safer. It has undoubtedly meant businesses have reviewed their practices to prevent criminality.
“On behalf of the North Herts Community Safety Partnership, I would personally like to thank the following people for their hard work and continued support in making North Herts a safer and better place.”
John extended a huge thank you to our NHC staff for their support:
- Emma Masters, Head of Wellbeing and Safeguarding at NHC and Joint Action Group (JAG) Member
- Adam Newland, Protective Services Lecturer
- Liz Chatman, Head of Protective Services
And shared praise for the current Protective Services students who are involved in the NHCSP’s work:
Ollie Barker
Thomas Horner
Soffia Brisson
Ruby Budd
Liam Delaney
Patryk Olezewski
Cassidy Davies
Joe Cotterall
Fraser Barnes
Mia Thomas
Libby Gladstone
Harry Whiston
Finn Walker
Sam Mythen
Thomas Perryman Ford
A huge thank you to North Herts Community Safety Partnership Joint Action Group for allowing us to provide such valuable, real-life work experience opportunities for our Protective Services learners.
We’re incredibly proud to work alongside the organisation to support public safety in our local community.
Do you want to work alongside the emergency services to conduct real life operations? Be the best you. Ever. Start your Protective Services career at North Hertfordshire College.