Somerset College

Our ambition is to create the college of the future providing a unique blend of professional and vocational further and higher education to meet the needs of our local and regional economy for employment, prosperity and success.

Our Vision is that:

• Every learner will excel and develop their talents and potential for employment, independence and life
• Somerset College will be a catalyst for economic and social change in Taunton and Somerset

Our Aims are to:

• Provide educational opportunities for all ages in applied vocational learning and skills training for those aged of 14 years through to further and higher education and employment.
• Be a recognised centre for higher education and excel as a college recognised regionally, nationally and locally for our specialist areas.
• Be the provider of choice for employer based training and employment based solutions for innovation, enterprise, development and growth.
• Excel at student success and achieve a local, regional and national reputation for quality.
• Be pivotal to greening the economic environment of Taunton Deane and Somerset.

Click here to see the full report

Our pledge to you is that we will:

• Promote equal opportunity for all.
• Deliver a wide range of courses aimed at enabling students to achieve nationally recognised qualifications.
• Ensure that learning and social activities take place within a safe environment.
• Publicise the courses and services we offer.
• Publicise student achievements and results.
• Provide advice on an individual basis.
• Provide you with a relevant introduction to the College and your course.
• Record and report on student progress and provide necessary support.
• Provide information on opportunities available in employment and training, further and higher education and give individual support as required.
• Consult with students, employers and the community to improve the quality of our work.
• Provide information to parents and guardians.
• Meet the needs of the employers.

University-level students on University of Plymouth programmes also benefit from the University's assessment rules and regulations.

The Matrix Standard is a unique quality framework for the effective delivery of information, advice and/or guidance on learning and work. It is a quality standard for information advice and guidance services. The College's Customer Services Team achieved this prestigious national quality mark in recognition of the excellent service we offer. This was achieved as a result of a rigorous inspection during which the team were observered at work and the views of both students and partner agencies about our service delivery were taken into account.

The Investors in People Standard allows us to:

• Review current policies and practices against a recognised benchmark.
• Develop a framework for planning future strategy and action.
• Have a structured way to improve the effectiveness of our training and development activities.

We have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of our students under the age of 18. We have developed a Safeguarding Policy on Child Protection and Vulnerable Adults that aims to meet these duties.

The policy includes child protection, prevention of bullying, harassment and discrimination, dealing with attendance issues and meeting the needs of sick students and security.

If you, as a student here have any concern about your wellbeing, safety or rights, then you should:

• Talk to any members of staff
• Talk to your personal tutor.
• Talk to staff in the Student One Stop.

• Talk to any Member of the Somerset college Safeguarding team who are :

  

  Pat Griffin: Learning Support Tutor
  Telephone: 01823 366 525
  Email: pat.griffin@somerset.ac.uk

  

  Andrew Heap: Head of Customer Services
  Telephone: 01823 366439
  Email: andrew.heap@somerset.ac.uk

  

  Tim Yeandle: Director of Student Services and Marketing
  Telephone: 01823 366410
  Email: tim.yeandle@somerset.ac.uk

In the event that you are unable to speak to any of the above contact Somerset Direct on 0845 345 9122

Safeguarding our students is of vital importance to us. You should let the College know straight away if you have any concerns about your welfare or the welfare of another student.

We will treat all our students with the respect they deserve and expect our students to show the maturity and responsibility of adults when they are at Somerset College.

To read our Safeguarding Policy in full click here

Vetting and Barring Scheme for people working or volunteering with children or vulnerable adults

The Vetting and Barring Scheme is a new system recently introduced, so it may be subject to change and modification. For up-to-date information and further explanation please visit
http://www.isa-gov.org.uk/

Information for students:

Where indicated in the College's prospectus or on the College's website, specific programmes/courses may involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults, also known as regulated activity.

Where this is the case, students will be legally required to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) which is administered by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). The ISA has recently been established as a single agency to monitor all individuals who want to work or volunteer with vulnerable people. Registration with the scheme will cost £64 (as of April 2009) and is a one-off payment which will cover both the cost of registration and a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. Following successful registration you will be issued with an ISA Registration Number which will stay with you for the rest of your career. The College will send further instructions on registering with the VBS as part of the admissions process. For further guidance please look at the information shown against the programme/course or contact the College directly.

Information for staff:

Somerset College is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. From July 2010 all new entrants to roles working with children or vulnerable adults will be asked to register with the Government's Vetting and Barring Scheme and be assessed by the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Further information will be sent to all prospective staff as part of the application process.