Safeguarding Policy

Skills & Learning Designated Safeguarding Contacts

Contact email for all safeguarding referrals	safeguarding@salbcp.com
In emergency, do not delay, always call:	999
Designated Safeguarding Lead	Sarah Rice Curriculum & Quality Manager srice@salbcp.com 01202 112266
Designated Safeguarding Officer	Cheryl Bascombe Learner Support Officer cbascombe@salbcp.com 01202 123585
Designated Safeguarding Officer	Dan Parker Assistant Curriculum Manager dparker@salbcp.com 07467 687529
Designated Safeguarding Officer	Nicky Payne Learner Support Officer npayne@salbcp.com

Overarching purpose

We believe that Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility. We want to help everyone to play a part in helping vulnerable people, learners, staff, friends, families and communities to be safe by knowing the potential sources of harm, the signs to look out for, where to get help and how to report concerns.

Policy intent

Skills & Learning Adult Community Education is dedicated to providing a safe space in which to learn and thrive. We are committed to safeguarding all of our learners and protecting their right to live and learn in safety, free from abuse and/or neglect.

Skills & Learning Adult Community Education has a statutory and moral duty to ensure that we promote the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults receiving education and training with us and through our partners and subcontractors. We have thorough and effective Safeguarding arrangements in place. This includes how we respond to our duty for Prevent. 4 Version 3

The Governing Board takes seriously its responsibility under the Education Act 2014 and the Keeping Children Safe: statutory guidance for schools and colleges, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and (in line with the Information Sharing Guidance 2008) to
work together with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements within the organisation to identify, assess, and support those young people and adults who are suffering harm.

Adult safeguarding is about preventing and responding to concerns of abuse, harm or neglect of adults. We recognise that all staff and Governors have a full and active part to play in protecting our learners from harm and that their welfare is our paramount concern.

Skills & Learning promotes an ethos where everyone feels safe and secure, valued and respected, is encouraged to talk and is listened to.

We actively promote British Values and act responsibly and swiftly if we suspect that any learner is or could be exposed to or involved in activities linked to terrorism or extremism.

Staff and learners should all be aware of how they can raise concerns about themselves or others and will know how their concerns will be dealt with.

The aims of this policy

That:

• all reasonable steps are taken to make sure learners and staff are, and feel safe
• learners and staff have up to date knowledge of potential sources of harm and how to take steps to keep themselves their families and their communities safe
• learners and staff recognise the signs of abuse, including radicalisation
• staff know how to respond to safeguarding concerns and disclosures with confidence
• learners and staff know how to report concerns within Skills & Learning and to external agencies
• learners and staff know how to find out more and get help
• we meet our legal and statutory obligations
• we support BCP Council’s safeguarding strategy

How we will achieve our aims

By:

• professional, ethical and moral leadership and management of the Service
• keeping safeguarding and welfare at the heart of planning and delivery
• encouraging a culture of respect, openness, vigilance and whistleblowing
• ensuring our policy and guidance is up to date and useful
• following appropriate processes in the recruitment of staff and learners, including ensuring at least one member of staff has been trained in safer recruitment when recruiting new staff
• ensuring sound induction and training of staff and learners, supported by relevant and local information and resources
• promoting a culture of health, safety and wellbeing (policies and guidance, lone working, activity, personal, venue risk assessments,)
• developing a proactive team of experienced, trained safeguarding officers with strong links to external partners and agencies
• ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation, guidance, policies and procedures, including for managing ‘Allegations against employees and volunteers’
• obtaining disclosure and barring service checks for staff in all roles with enhanced checks for staff in specific roles, following assessment
• working with subcontractors and employers so they understand their responsibilities and alerting procedures
• reviewing our safeguarding arrangements to support continual improvement
• maintaining up to date records of alerts to inform follow up and prevent patterns being missed
• working with external agencies and partners to understand when and how to refer, communication protocols and share best practice
• risk assessing learners with unspent criminal convictions, referred by the probation service, or identified by JCP prior to acceptance

Scope

This policy applies to Skills & Learning staff, governors and learners including those who are learning with subcontracted partners.

Communication of the Policy & Guidance

Details of the Policy & Guidance will be made available to:

• All staff and volunteers including Governors by means of induction and training or when the policy & procedure has been reviewed and amended. Staff will confirm they have read and understood the policy through completion of the induction and probation period. Following this, annual declarations will be collected from staff along with acknowledgment of having read part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

All staff will as a minimum be expected to undertake Safeguarding and Prevent training and update their training in line with this policy & guidance.

• Learners will be made aware of the Policy & Guidelines by means of a summary published on the internet and elsewhere as appropriate.
• Sub-contracted partners will be made aware of the Policy & Guidelines by the relationship manager, through the annual induction process and regular contract review meetings.
• Partner, commissioned, or freelance providers of activities and learning sessions will be asked by the relationship manager leading on the activity to provide their own safeguarding and prevent and safer recruitment operating procedures along with any supporting evidence and documentation.

Operating Arrangements

Our service arrangements for safeguarding children and learners are in line with BCP Council’s Safeguarding Strategy and the Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership (SCP) multi agency safeguarding procedures.

We will ensure that:

1. The Governing Body understands and fulfils its safeguarding including prevent responsibilities.

2. The Curriculum & Quality Manager will be the designated senior member of the leadership team for Safeguarding including prevent.

3. A designated member of the Governing Board will act as the Link Governor for Safeguarding including prevent.

4. We have a member of staff who will act in the Designated Safeguarding Lead’s absence who has also received multi agency training and who will have been briefed in this role.

5. All new members of staff, volunteers and Governors will complete essential Safeguarding training which includes Prevent as part of their induction programme. Refresher safeguarding training will be completed by all staff and Governors every 2 years.

6. All members of staff, volunteers and Governors know how to respond to a learner or customer who discloses abuse or a safeguarding concern and the procedure to be followed in appropriately sharing this information.

7. All staff (including temporary tutors and volunteers) new to Skills & Learning will be made aware by their line manager of the service policy and procedures, the name and contact details of the Designated Safeguarding Lead and safeguarding team and will be given a copy of the Staff Alerting Guide and Code of Conduct.

8. No staff will be able to work with learners without supervision until mandatory induction training has been completed, satisfactory references are received and a basic DBS check has been received. In exceptional circumstances, a risk assessment process may be used by managers where one of these control measures is not fulfilled.

9. We have clear and visible policies in place covering, staff, learners, use of premises which identify where learners or staff may be at risk of being drawn into terrorism.

10. A safer recruitment policy is in place for staff and volunteers. Pre-employment checks to determine staff and volunteer suitability will be undertaken for all staff recruited to work for Skills & Learning and appointment will not be confirmed unless satisfactory checks have been completed. These checks will include references and eligibility checks.

11. A basic Disclosure and Barring Check will be made on all new entrants and staff working with learner information

12. An Enhanced and Barred List check will be undertaken for any member of staff or volunteer recruited to work in a regulated activity. Regulated activity at Skills & Learning will include:
a. Tutors and LSAs on Family Learning programmes
b. Tutors and LSAs on programmes with 16-18 year olds (19-25 vulnerable adults)
c. Tutors and LSAs delivering programmes under the HAF (holiday activities and food) programme
d. Adult Social Care tutors who frequently visit care or nursing homes are eligible for the enhanced DBS check but not including the barred list.
e. Tutors on any other programmes which fall within the definition of regulated activity
f. Line managers of tutors and LSAs delivering on any of these programmes described

13. In line with ESFA contract requirements all staff with a DBS will be required to declare with immediate effect annually whether there has been a change in their circumstances relating to the background checks. An annual declaration will also be requested by all staff.

14. Our procedures will be reviewed and updated every 2 years or sooner in response to new guidance and/or regulations

15. The name of the Designated Safeguarding Lead will be clearly shown in learning centres

16. All learners new to Skills & Learning will be made aware by their tutor of the service policy and procedures, the name and contact details of the Safeguarding Team and be given access to an electronic or hard copy of the Learner Handbook to confirm this.

17. We are clear that there is a zero-tolerance approach to hate speech, sexual violence and sexual harassment and it is never acceptable, and it will not be tolerated and it will never be passed off as “banter”, or “just having a laugh”

18. We provide clear guidance on e-safety and online learning protocols

19. Employers offering work placements or apprenticeship posts are supported to recognise their responsibilities for safeguarding young people in their workplace

20. We have a comprehensive risk assessment process in place that is regularly reviewed to ensure we are compliant with the Prevent Duty. This will include a specific risk assessment for 16 – 18 year olds (and 19-24 with SEND) learning with us or a sub-contractor.

Responsibilities

Skills & Learning recognises that it is an agent of referral and not of investigation. It is not Skills & Learning’s responsibility to investigate abuse.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for the following.

Referring a vulnerable learner if there are concerns about their welfare, possible abuse or neglect to the Local Adult or Children’s Safeguarding Board (whichever is relevant to the case) using the stipulated referral procedure as soon as possible within the working day.

Any person identified as being at risk of radicalisation is referred to the Channel programme through the BCP Council Channel Co-ordinator

Ensuring that detailed and accurate written records of concerns about a vulnerable learner are kept even if there is no need to make an immediate referral.

Ensuring that all such records are kept confidentially and securely and are separate from other records with a front sheet listing dates and brief entry to provide a chronology

Acting as a focal point for staff concerns and liaising with other agencies and professionals.

Ensuring that either they or another appropriately informed member of staff attends case conferences, core groups, or other multi-agency planning meetings

Keeping themselves up to date with knowledge to enable them to fulfil their role, including attending all required essential training provided by the appropriate body.

The Roles and Responsibilities of the Safeguarding Officers (Designated Persons)

The roles and responsibilities of the Safeguarding Officers fall into 3 areas.

Referrals

• Refer cases of suspected abuse or allegations to relevant statutory agencies
• Act as a source of support, advice and expertise to staff when deciding whether and when to make a referral
• Act as a source of support, advice and expertise to all learners and staff affected by a safeguarding incident
• Ideally seek advice from and share information with relevant statutory agencies after seeking consent or informing parents or carers of a referral, unless to do so would place the person at increased risk of harm
• Report hate crime https://www.dorset.police.uk/do-it-online/report-a-hate-crime-or-incident/

Training

• Recognise how to identify the signs of abuse, neglect and radicalisation and when it is appropriate to make a referral to other agencies
• Ensure each member of staff has access to and understands the safeguarding policy and procedures, especially new or part-time staff who may work at different establishments and or locations
• Ensure all learners have access to and understand the organisations safeguarding policy and procedures.
• Ensure all learners and staff have induction training covering safeguarding and are able to recognise and report any concerns about safety and welfare immediately they arise
• Be able to keep detailed, accurate, secure written records of referrals and or concerns
• Obtain access to resources and attend any relevant or refresher training courses

Raising awareness

• Ensure the safeguarding policy and procedures are updated and reviewed annually and work with the Management & Performance Committee regarding this
• Ensure learners know that disclosures or concerns about suspected abuse or neglect may be referred to the police or social services

The 2021/2022 safeguarding officers are Cheryl Bascombe, Nicky Payne, Dan Parker and Sarah Rice (DSL).

Allegations against Staff

All staff should take care not to place themselves in a vulnerable position with a child or learners. It is always strongly recommended that interviews, tutorials or work with individual young people or learners to be conducted in view of other adults.

We understand that a child or learner may make an allegation against a member of staff. If such an allegation is made, the member of staff receiving the allegation will immediately inform a member of the Senior Management Team

The Designated Safeguarding Lead on all such occasions will discuss the content of the allegation with the local authority designated officer (LADO) for children or the Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager (DASM) for adults. (see appendix 7)

If the allegation made to a member of staff concerns a member of the SMT, the person receiving the allegation will immediately inform a Governor who will consult as above, without notifying the SMT member first. Skills & Learning will follow the BCP Council procedures for managing allegations against staff.

Whistleblowing

We recognise that learners cannot be expected to raise concerns in an environment where staff fail to do so. All staff should be aware of their duty to raise concerns about the attitude or actions of colleagues. If necessary, they should speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Principal Learning Manager.

Process for learners

Any learner who has concerns about themselves, other learners, staff or their apprenticeship/work placement employer should initially talk to/email their tutor if appropriate or directly contact one of the Safeguarding Team on any of the published phone numbers or by email to safeguarding@salbcp.com.

We recognise that all matters relating to safeguarding and child and learner’s protection are confidential. The Designated Safeguarding Lead/Officers will disclose personal information about a child or learner to other members of staff on a need-to-know basis only. However, all staff have a professional responsibility to share information with other agencies in order to safeguard children and vulnerable learners. All staff are aware that they cannot promise a child, young person or learner to keep secrets which might compromise safety or well-being or that of another.

We will always undertake to share our intention to refer a learner to other services.

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