Hull College has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award after transforming the way young people access safeguarding and wellbeing support.
The college is one of the finalists for The Safeguarding Award at the Children & Young People Now Awards 2026, which celebrate outstanding practice and innovation across children’s services and sectors in the UK.
The nomination recognises Hull College’s Open Door: No Waiting, No Barriers, No Young Person Left Behind project - an ambitious programme designed to remove barriers to support and ensure students can get help when they need it.
The achievement comes against a challenging local backdrop. Hull is the sixth most deprived local authority in England and the second most educationally deprived, with more than 50 per cent of children experiencing economic deprivation.
For young people in education, this can mean facing significant challenges beyond the classroom. Yet historically, students requiring counselling support could wait up to 16 weeks for an appointment.
The college decided this was not good enough and invested in its safeguarding, counselling, and welfare provision and completely redesigned its referral pathways, creating a more accessible and responsive service for students.
The results have been significant. While safeguarding referrals have increased by 24 per cent in one year and 44 per cent over two years, waiting times have been reduced to just three weeks.
The project has also strengthened the college’s safeguarding culture, increased confidence around disclosure, and helped hundreds of young people access the right support at the right time.
David Greenway, Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead at Hull College, said: “Student support and welfare is central to every decision we make. We listen. We care. We act. We challenge ourselves constantly to do better because the young people of Hull deserve nothing less.
“We recognised that waiting up to 16 weeks for support was not acceptable. Our young people deserve to know that when they reach out for help, someone will listen and something will happen.
“Through Open Door, we have fundamentally changed the way students access support. We have reduced waiting times, strengthened our safeguarding culture and helped hundreds of young people get the help they need when they need it.
“None of this would have been possible without our incredible colleagues. They work tirelessly and go above and beyond every day because they genuinely care about the young people they serve. Their commitment, resilience and kindness have made a real difference to students’ lives.”
The college says the success of the project demonstrates what can be achieved when safeguarding, counselling, and student welfare are placed at the centre of decision-making - particularly in communities where young people can face multiple barriers to accessing support.
David Greenway added: “To be shortlisted for The Safeguarding Award is a huge achievement for everyone involved. It recognises not just a project, but the culture we are continuing to build across Hull College.
“We want every student to feel safe, listened to and supported. Being there for young people when they need us most is at the heart of what we do.”
The Children & Young People Now Awards are celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2026. The awards provide a national platform to recognise the organisations, professionals and services making a difference to children, young people and families across the UK.
Hull College will now go forward to the national awards, where the winner of The Safeguarding Award will be announced at a gala dinner and ceremony on Thursday 26th November at Novotel London West, Hammersmith.