MENTAL HEALTH
The Mental Health Team at Loughborough College are on hand to support you in a variety of ways. If you're already seeking support for mental health difficulties outside of College, we can work with you, and anyone involved in maintaining your mental health, to enable your studies and help you to progress towards your goals.
If you've never had support in this way, you can still meet with us. We'll support you in College and help you make contact with other services if appropriate. This service is free, impartial, and confidential. We'll make an initial appointment with you to discuss how we can help. This meeting will be very informal. To arrange an appointment, email learner.welfare@loucoll.ac.uk or contact us via the student dashboard
Alternatively, you can speak to your Progress Tutor, who will help you to make contact with us.
Get in touchINCLUSION
If you're in care, leaving care, or are a carer yourself, there is support available to assist with your transition to College life. We also offer support to young offenders who are going through rehabilitation. We can help you to find strategies for managing student life, provide information, and, if needed, access to other services within the College and local services.
We want to make sure that you're confident about what you need to do at College and want to support you to get the most of your time here. You'll have the opportunity to discuss any support needs in a private and confidential setting. With your permission, we can also liaise with your tutors to ensure they understand your needs.
Either talk your tutor or
- Email learner.welfare@loucoll.ac.uk
- Contact us via the student dashboard
MEET MYLIE
Loughborough College's Therapy Dog
We're pleased to have Mylie, our four-legged friend on campus to support our College community's mental health and wellbeing. Loughborough College is the first further education institution to welcome a therapy dog, so be sure to give her a cuddle when you see her around campus!
Therapy dogs are shown to provide a range of benefits including:
- Cognitive – Companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem-solving and game-playing
- Social - A dog provides a positive mutual topic for discussion, encourages responsibility, wellbeing and focused interaction with others
- Emotional - A school dog improves self-esteem, acceptance from others and lifts mood, often provoking laughter and fun. Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things as well as relieving anxiety
- Physical – Interaction with a furry friend reduces blood pressure, provides tactile stimulation, assists with pain management, gives motivation to move, walk and stimulates the senses
- Environmental – A dog in a college increases the sense of a ‘college family’ environment, with all of the above benefits continuing long after the college day is over.
LISA VINE LGBTQ+ Advocate, Consultant and Trainer
Our 1-1 sessions for LGBTQ+ learners are either 25 minutes or 50 minutes in length, are completely confidential, and are either in person at Loughborough College or online via Teams. They are facilitated by Lisa Vine, who's pronouns are she/her and who has eight years of experience supporting LGBTQ+ children, adolescents and adults. To date Lisa has worked with over 400 LGBTQ+ people through 1-1 sessions.
These sessions give LGBTQ+ learners and those questioning their gender identity and/or sexuality a safe space to talk and share, as much or as little as they want to or are ready for. They are a space where LGBTQ+ learners will be guaranteed an active listening ear, positive body language and validation for who they are, what they are feeling and how they are feeling it. LGBTQ+ learners are also offered advice and guidance relating to their identity, perhaps around disclosure, transitioning gender and navigating relationships, to give just a few examples. To arrange an appointment, email learner.welfare@loucoll.ac.uk or contact us via the student dashboard
Get in touchMEET THE TEAM HEALTH, WELLBEING & INCLUSION
Heather Clarke
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Dannii Donovan
Safeguarding and Inclusion Lead
Keira Hand
Safeguarding Coordinator
Robyn Leader
Well-being Mentor
Chantelle Bramley
HE Welfare Coordinator
Deborah Houlton
Mental Health Coordinator
Michelle Hought
Well-being Mentor
Mylie
Therapy Dog
sexual health & wellbeing
We offer a free, impartial and confidential one to one service - for sexual health and wellbeing support. We can support you to understand and address your worries, so you have a productive and enjoyable time at College and for your future.
We can support you on a range of areas, for example if you struggle with exam stress, self-esteem or are having a difficulty with relationships you can come and speak to us. We'll make an initial appointment with you to discuss how we can help.
To arrange an appointment, email learner.welfare@loucoll.ac.uk or contact us via the student dashboard.
Alternatively, you can speak to your Progress Tutor, who will help you to make contact with usLoughborough College Sexual Health Drop-in provides a range of services and is completely confidential.
This means that you can tell others about your visit, but we won’t. The only reason why we might have to consider passing on specific information would be to protect you or someone else from very serious harm, however we will always try to discuss this with you first. Staff running the drop-in offer impartial advice and guidance as well as supplying free pregnancy testing and free condoms. It is run by friendly members of staff that receive ongoing training.
OPENING TIMES Monday, Wednesday and Friday 12.30-1.30pm, B022 (term-time only).
You can also email learner.welfare@loucoll.ac.uk for any questions, booking or support. You can also book a sexual health session on your learner dashboard.
Get in touchfeeling safe
We want you to be and feel safe at all times - at College, travelling to and from College, when you're out and about, when you're online, and when you're at home. If, for any reason, you don't feel safe, or you know someone who doesn't feel safe, please contact the College's Safeguarding Team on 07979 737474.
Be safe from:
- Bullying - No one should say or do anything that makes you feel scared. You shouldn't be made to do anything that you don't want to do.
- Discrimination - No one should treat you badly because of your age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
- Physical abuse - No one should cause you physical hurt or be violent towards you.
- Sexual abuse - No one should touch you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable. No one should make suggestive sexual remarks to you. Remember, we all have a right to healthy relationships.
- Emotional abuse - You don't have to accept other people's opinions about you. No one should upset you by making hurtful remarks either in person, online, by text, or by email.
- Neglect - You should not be neglected by whoever looks after you. You should feel cared for.
e-safety
We provide safe access to the Internet and digital technology to help students learn and achieve. Staying safe in the digital world is as important as staying safe in the real world.
Keep it private
Online - Make sure that you keep your own and other people’s personal information private. Adjust the privacy setting on your personal profiles so that you can control who views your pictures.
On your mobile - Don't give out your mobile number to people you don't know. Keep your security number or PIN private. Keep your mobile hidden when you're on the street.
Keep it cool
Online - If you are being bullied online, you have a right not to have to deal with it on your own. Save any bullying messages or conversations and show them to an adult you trust to help you deal with the problem.
On your mobile - If you start getting texts that upset or annoy you, don't reply. Keep a record and report the texts to an adult, network operator, or the police. You can also speak to your Progress Tutor, Teacher Learning Coach, or member of the Safeguarding Team.
If you are worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you online, contact CEOP.
Whether you play games online, by yourself or on your mobile. Being bullied or trolled in games Childline have all the advice to keep you safe.
Internet Matters provides expert support and practical tips to help you benefit from connected technology and the internet safely and smartly
You can anonymously and confidentially report: Child sexual abuse content and Non-photographic child sexual abuse images to the Internet Watch Foundation
Get in touchEMMA NICHOLSON STUDENT COUNSELLOR
Counselling offers a safe and respectful environment where you can talk to a trained professional in order to enable you to explore your thoughts, emotions and behaviours in a non-judgmental, confidential space. It can help you to develop a better understanding of yourself and others. A counsellor will not give you advice, a diagnosis or prescribe medication. They are available to work with you in order to help you to process your experiences and find your own way forward.
I have over 14 years' experience of working one to one with clients of varied ages, backgrounds and circumstances, including working for a mental health charities, in private practice and within education settings. I have a well established private practice that welcomes everyone regardless of gender, sexual identity, age, or background. To arrange an appointment, email learner.welfare@loucoll.ac.uk or contact us via the student dashboard
Get in touchGet in touch
To get in touch or arrange an appointment please email our learner welfare team and a member of the team will reply as soon as possible. If you have an immediate issue please call the Safeguarding team using the number below.
Email: learner.welfare@loucoll.ac.uk
Safeguarding Team: 07979 737474