NAMSS Student Services Awards 2025

This year we received a fantastic number of nominations and our Executive Team faced the real challenge of choosing just a few runners-up and winners.  As always, those chosen were invited to attend the Awards as part of our Annual Conference Gala Dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool on Monday 10 March.

Colleagues short-listed received a certificate and, the winners from each category were presented with a certificate, one of our brand new NAMSS Award Winner enamel badges, a trophy to display and £500 to spend on a team activity or departmental resource.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a colleague and, thank you to each person nominated for all the brilliant work you do every day.

Congratulations to these amazing members of Student Services Team:

Inspirational Project of the Year

Winner
Student Commission for Racial Justice, The Birmingham Metropolitan College

Runners up
Addressing Emotional Based Non-Attendance in Rochdale, Hopwood Hall College
Project SafeHaven, Sandwell College

Newcomer of the Year

Winner
Walsall College – Charlotte WoodRunner up
The Birmingham Metropolitan College – Francis Page

Student Services Team – Sponsored by Uwill

Winner
Wellbeing and Safeguarding, Heart of Worcestershire College

Runners up
Student Support, MidKent College
Youth Safety Team, Newham College of Further Education

Outstanding Contribution

Winner
The Sheffield College – Sarah Le-good, MBE

Middlesbrough College have been working with TACaccess since March 2024. TACaccess is a service that connects students with mental health therapists, it addresses the long waiting times for external mental health support and the limited capacity of the college’s counselling services. TACaccess offers cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), and other types of counselling through registered counsellors whose professional member body is affiliated with either the Health Care Professional Council or the Professional Standards Authority.

or example, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy or the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. Counselling can be accessed either online or face-to-face.

The service has been instrumental in supporting students with severe mental health issues. For instance, the college has referred high-risk students to TACaccess, the service has also been crucial in managing suicidal ideation among students with an increase of individuals currently receiving support compared to the previous academic year.

Middlesbrough College were approached by The Teesside Charity who are a local organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people in Teesside, they asked us what is the biggest barrier to achievement of students – and we replied MENTAL HEALTH!!

Our Performing  Arts students worked with the charity to produce an impactful video about student mental health for The Teesside Charity annual ball and £13,500 was donated to the college to support student mental health.

The charity’s support has enabled the college to provide more comprehensive mental health services to its students. The funds have been used to cover the costs of TACaccess sessions, ensuring that more students can receive the help they need without financial barriers or long wait times. The charity’s involvement has also raised awareness about the importance of mental health support and encouraged other organisations to contribute to similar initiatives.

The collaboration between TACaccess and The Teesside Charity has had a profound impact on student mental health at Middlesbrough College. Students who have accessed TACaccess services have reported significant improvements in their mental well-being. For example, one student who struggled with attendance due to mental health issues saw their attendance increase from under 85% to 96% after receiving support from TACaccess. The service has helped students manage their mental health more effectively, leading to better academic performance and overall well-being.

This article has been submitted by the guest author. The products/services included within the article may be of interest to our members, however, they are not endorsed by NAMSS and we do not have any affiliation with the organisation.

In the ever-evolving landscape of further education, the role of student services is pivotal in shaping the experiences and outcomes of learners. NAMSS has long been committed to understanding and enhancing the relational dynamics that underpin student behaviour and engagement.

The Behaviour Insights Report is a testament to this commitment. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of learner engagement, participation, and behaviour, particularly in the context of the significant societal shifts we’ve witnessed in recent years.

Our survey of 63-member colleges across the UK has revealed critical insights into the factors influencing student disaffection, with social media and the cost-of-living crisis emerging as predominant concerns. The report also highlights the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and family dynamics on student behaviour.

In response to these findings, NAMSS has partnered with behaviour expert Paul Dix and his team at When The Adults Change to explore how relational practice can be harnessed to foster trust, empathy, and high standards within college communities. This collaboration has resulted in a set of actionable insights and recommendations designed to support colleges in embedding relational practices into their culture and policies.

We believe that by focusing on relational practice, we can create environments where students feel safe, respected, and motivated to engage positively with their education. This report is not just a reflection on the challenges we face but also a call to action for all of us in the further education sector to be the change we want to see. Together, we can continue to build college communities that are characterised by mutual respect, belonging, and human kindness.

You can download the full report here

Our programme of online events continues to grow with 31 sessions being run during 2023/24.  NAMSS Online includes our Professional Networks which ‘meet’ termly and are a great opportunity for members to talk about emerging themes, discuss challenges and share practice.  Networks cover:  Safeguarding, Student Engagement, E&D, Residential Provision, Personal Development and Student Finance.

We also host lots of sessions under the umbrella ‘Share Practice’ and these informal 1-hour events do exactly what they say on the tin – provide a great place for members to talk about a particular subject and share what works and what doesn’t.  These sessions are created on-demand and so far this year we’ve covered Designated Teacher responsibilities, Criminal Convictions & Investigations, Careers & the CDI and Tutorial Programmes.

NAMSS Online is free to all our members and recordings can be accessed 24/7.

Visit our events page to see our upcoming NAMSS Online events.  Please note:  members will need to log in their NAMSS account to book places.

Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 March 2025, Hilton Liverpool City Centre

We are really looking forward to another 2 days packed with speakers, workshops and networking time and we’re back in one of a favourite venues!

Our 4 keynotes – Paul Dix, Solat Choudary, Diana Osagie and Kheron Gilpin – will provide thought provoking and motivational sessions whilst our 20 workshops will give delegates the opportunity to listen to industry experts and ask questions on such subjects as Using AI, Inclusion, Knife Crime, Leadership, Enrichment, Careers and much much more.

As always, our Market Place will be packed with organisations that provide services and products that support the work of student services teams.

On Monday evening we’ll host our Gala Dinner and Student Services Awards.  This is such a lovely event which celebrates the work and dedication of Student Service staff across the UK.  We will also be running our annual charity raffle and there will, of course, be a photobooth and live band!

The full programme and ticket booking link can be found here.