Welcome to Activate Learning – support for your young person 

Starting college is an exciting time, but we know that young people can sometimes experience challenges alongside their studies. Changes at home, relationships, worries about money, health and wellbeing, or difficulties with learning can all affect how a young person feels and how they engage with college.

Your young person does not have to manage these challenges alone. Our staff are here to listen, provide support and help learners access the right help at the right time.

Support available at Activate Learning

Tutor and teaching team

Your young person’s tutor is usually the first point of contact for questions or concerns about their course, attendance, progress or day-to-day experience at college.

Tutors can work with learners and, where appropriate, parents and carers to understand what may be affecting them and identify the right support.

Learning Support

Learning Support can assist learners with a range of additional learning needs, assignments, organisation, literacy, assistive technology, study skills and in-class or out-of-class support.

Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) work with learners in class. Study Mentors can help learners develop effective study techniques, complete coursework and prepare for examinations.

If your young person previously received exam access arrangements, such as extra time, or if they have a disability, learning difficulty or medical condition that may affect examinations, please encourage them to speak to Learning Support as soon as possible.

Arrangements do not automatically transfer from school or another setting, so early contact is important. The team can talk through their needs and explain what evidence and assessment may be required.

Learners can speak to the Learning Support team on campus or contact: gss@activatelearning.ac.uk.

If your young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), they will have an annual review in college. The EHCP Coordinator will contact you about this, and you will be invited to attend the meeting. If you would like to get in contact directly, please email us:

Careers guidance

Our team of qualified, careers advisers are here to help you make informed decisions about your future education, employment, and training options.

Learners can book a careers appointment through ALO Careers, scanning the QR code on careers posters around college or by asking their tutor. Parents and carers are welcome to attend appointment with students.

Safeguarding and Student Support

Our Safeguarding and Student Support team is here to help if a learner is worried about their own safety, wellbeing or circumstances, or is concerned about someone else.

This might include concerns about mental health and emotional wellbeing, bullying or relationships, abuse or exploitation, housing or difficulties at home, domestic abuse, caring responsibilities, money worries, online safety, or anything else that is making a young person feel unsafe, worried or unable to cope.

Please do not wait for a situation to become a crisis before asking for help.

When you contact us, we will listen, understand what is happening and help identify the most appropriate support for the learner. This may include:

  • Transition and Retention Adviser support – providing personalised, one-to-one support to learners who are in care or care experienced, have caring responsibilities, or are young parents.
  • Counselling and wellbeing support – helping learners who are experiencing difficulties with their emotional wellbeing to access appropriate support and develop strategies to manage challenges.
  • Safeguarding support – where there are concerns about a learner’s safety, protection or wellbeing, including concerns relating to abuse, exploitation or other safeguarding risks.

You do not need to know exactly what support is needed before contacting us. If you are worried, get in touch and we can help work out the next step together.

Learners, parents and carers can contact the safeguarding team via:

Behaviour and Welfare Officers

Behaviour and Welfare Officers help create a safe, respectful and positive college environment for all learners. They support learners who may be experiencing difficulties with behaviour, peer relationships or following our Code of Conduct, helping them understand expectations, resolve issues and make positive choices.

If a young person works with Youth Justice or Young Offenders service, Probation, Liaision and Diversion, or Police teams please let the Behaviour and Welfare Officers know so they can support them at college. This can be done by emailing safe@activatelearning.ac.uk.

Enrichment Officers

Provide activities and opportunities that help learners build confidence, meet others, develop interests and feel a sense of belonging.

Financial support and bursaries

Financial support and bursaries may be available to eligible learners to help with the costs of attending college and completing their course. Find out more about financial support and bursaries at Activate Learning and apply here.

Support beyond college

Sometimes support from organisations in the local community can also be helpful. The organisations below provide information, advice and support for young people, parents and carers:

  • Young Minds – mental health and emotional wellbeing support
  • Childline – support with mental health, relationships, bullying, abuse and online safety
  • NSPCC – information and advice for young people, parents and carers
  • BEAT – support for people affected by eating disorders
  • Samaritans – emotional support, available 24 hours a day
  • Mind – information and support about mental health and wellbeing
  • Refuge – support for people experiencing domestic abuse
  • Men’s Advice Line – support for men experiencing domestic abuse
  • Galop – support for LGBT+ people
  • Shelter – advice and support around homelessness
  • Citizens Advice – free advice about money, benefits, housing, etc
  • Step Change – support with debt and money worries
  • Talk to FRANK – advice about drugs and alcohol
  • Switchboard LGBT+ – support and a listening service for LGBT+
  • Cruse Bereavement Support – support for those experiencing bereavement
  • Internet Matters – practical advice about online safety, social media, gaming and digital wellbeing
  • National Careers Service – careers support and resources for all ages

If someone is in immediate danger, always contact the emergency services on 999.

Please ask for help early

Please get in touch early if you are concerned. We will work collaboratively with learners, parents and carers while respecting the young person’s privacy and involving them appropriately in decisions about their support.

We look forward to working with you to help your young person feel safe, supported and ready to learn at Activate Learning.

Kind regards,

Activate Learning