Support services

This guide is designed to help you find the right organisation or service to support you with a particular issue.

If you need to call an organisation or business, you may:

have to wait on hold for a long time before you are connected, and/or
be asked to select from several options before you are connected

This can be frustrating so make sure you are prepared for the call. Before you call:

gather all the information and documents you might need,
have your customer reference number ready,
if you are calling about tax or benefits have your National Insurance Number ready,
write down a list of questions you would like to ask or issues you would like to discuss,
have a pen and paper ready to take notes,
find a quiet private space, and
ensure you have enough time to make the call.

During the call:

ask for the name of the person you are speaking to and write it down,
make a note of the time and date you made the call,
if you do not understand something, ask for it to be explained again,
before the call ends, refer to your list of questions to ensure everything you wanted to discuss has been covered, and
ask for information to be emailed to you after the call.

If you feel you are being obstructed or the person you are speaking to is not able to help with your issue, ask to speak to a more senior member of staff.

Finance

After you have completed your course, and if you are looking for work, you may be eligible for Universal Credit.

Citizens Advice provide information on and support with accessing benefits, they also provide money and debt advice.

Turn2us is a charity that provides information and support to people facing financial difficulties. Use their benefits calculator to find out what you can claim. They also provide information on what grants may be available to you, and have a range of useful guides, these include:

what to do if you need help with utility bills,
debt advice, and
help for carers.

MoneyHelper provides impartial guidance, back by the Government, on a wide range of money topics.

Once you have completed your course, you will no longer be exempt from paying council tax. If you need help with your council tax bill, support is available from Sheffield City Council for some people in financial hardship. Other local councils may have similar schemes.

Housing

There are many different organisations that can help you find affordable housing, and that can advise on housing issues. These include:

Sheffield Property Shop – Sheffield City Council's website for allocating council and housing association properties for rent in Sheffield.
South Yorkshire Housing Association – Information on finding and renting a home, with links to other local council housing sites.
Roundabout – A housing charity providing shelter and support for people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Depaul – A charity supporting homeless young people, their housing advice service provide guidance to people staying temporarily with friends and family, people facing eviction and people facing homelessness due to family breakdown.
Shelter – A charity providing a wide range of housing advice and free legal support.
Barnardos – A charity supporting young people with housing, training, and counselling. They have a guide on accommodation options for care leavers.

Hallam Students’ Union also offer support with various aspects of housing including checking your tenancy agreement, repairs, recovering deposits, and problems with utility bills.

Employment

The Careers and Employability Service offers lifelong support to Sheffield Hallam graduates, they can help you make the change from studying to entering the world of work and beyond.

They provide information about graduate jobs, and have created a final year careers checklist to help you identify which areas you may need to work on and make progress in your career journey as you approach the end of your course.

Their graduate support page has information on what is available to you after you have completed your course. This includes access to:

Handshake – So you can search for jobs.
Career Centre 360 – For support resources and practical tools.
Graduates First Portal – For application and interview tips, practice psychometric tests, and video interviews.
Appointments and practice interviews – For bespoke feedback on CVs, applications, and interview skills.
The Enterprise Team – For support if you would like to work for yourself.

Contact the Careers and Employability Service to find out more and to book an appointment with them.

The Government’s Job Help page provides support to help you find work.

Mental Health

There are lots of helpful websites and organisations that can support you with your mental health and wellbeing.

The Sheffield Mental Health Guide provides information about a range of services and lists local mental health friendly activities.

Other websites and organisations, based in Sheffield, include:

National organisations and helplines include:

Alumni

As graduate of Sheffield Hallam, you can access a wide range of support and benefits, including:

free access to facilities,
discounts from the University and partner organisations,
volunteering opportunities, and
lifelong career and enterprise support.

To get involved and stay connected, visit our alumni community page.

Legal

If you need legal support, free services are available.

The Hallam Legal Advice Centre provides a legal service to students, staff and graduates.

Citizens Advice provides advice and advocacy on a wide range of subjects.

Shelter provides advice and legal support on a wide range of housing issues.

The Law Society provides information on getting free legal advice, and the Law Centres Network provides information on how to find your local law centre.

Priority groups