Our aim is to offer a customer focused service, which is convenient for all clients to access and provide up to date, comprehensive and impartial information, advice and guidance.
About Our IAG Service
This service is designed to help you to make an informed decision about your future options. This statement briefly outlines the available services and facilities.
Our Clients
- Current students of East Durham College
- Potential students
- Past students
- Employers
East Durham College strives to provide an Information, Advice and Guidance service based on providing you a service that is:
- Free
- Confidential
- Impartial
- Open
- Transparent
- Accessible
- Committed to Equal Opportunity
- Based on needs of the individual
- Compliant with the 1998 Data Protection Act
The service is designed to help you:
- Understand learning opportunities available to you
- Find ways of overcoming barriers which might obstruct you from learning and progressing
- Work with trained staff to make informed decisions on what is the best route for you to take
- Signpost and refer you to other agencies if we are unable to offer the information, advice or guidance you require
What you can expect from us:
- A welcoming and friendly service
- We will explain to you what the service can and cannot do for you
- Where appropriate, provide you with an action plan, following any one to one appointment
- We will treat all personal information about you in confidence. It will only be passed on with your consent or where legally necessary
- We will be professional and knowledgeable, if we don’t know something we will do our best to find out for you
- We are happy to answer your enquiry by telephone, e-mail or in person
- We will treat you fairly and equally
- We will tailor services in response to your needs
- We will respond to written requests within 5 working days and telephone and email within 7 working days
- All staff have been checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure your safety
- All staff have an understanding of safeguarding and who to refer to should a safeguarding issue occur
- Telephone/internet services providing information and advice including social media.
In return we expect you to:
- Bring as much relevant information as you can give us to us respond to your query fully e.g. evidence of previous qualifications, your CV etc
- Think about ideas you already have and what you want to find out, bring a list of questions if necessary
- Switch off your mobile phone
- Attend appointments on time
- Treat members of staff and other students/clients with respect and politeness
- Be patient with requests for information
- Let us know if you need to cancel/ re-schedule an appointment
- Let us know how the service was by giving us feedback
We will not tolerate:
- Verbal abuse, violence, racist or sexist behaviour
- Offensive or foul language
- Harassment, indecent or threatening behaviour
- The consumption of alcohol or taking of illegal drugs on any of the College premises
Limitations of Service
- We do not write CVs, complete job application forms, write covering letters or UCAS personal statements for you. We can however provide you with templates/ examples and enable you to do this for yourself
- We can’t tell you which career, learning opportunity or business is the right one for you, but we can help you assess what might suit you best
Equality and Diversity
East Durham College welcomes enquiries from all people regardless of their age, race, colour, gender, religious or political beliefs, disability, marital status, or background. East Durham College is committed to the aim that everybody is given equal opportunity to access resources.
Help us to improve the Colleges’ service by:
• Telling us what we are doing well, and not so well • Completing a feedback card or client satisfaction questionnaire on the quality of service you have received, available from Student Services • Participating in college focus groups and use the class representative system and Student Governor to voice your opinions on the service
Complaints
If you wish to make a complaint a copy of the procedure is available from Student Services which explains how complaints should be made and how these will be dealt with. All complaints are dealt with in the strictest of confidence.
How to contact us
Peterlee Campus: 0191 518 8222
Houghall Campus 0191 375 4700
Appointments can also be made in person or by email enquires@eastdurham.ac.uk
Opening Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 8.30am - 5.00pm
Fri: 8.30am - 4.30pm
Out of terms hours may vary, please call to check.
Support