Student Experience

Safeguarding Policy

Tech Educators Safeguarding Policy V1.0 27.6.2022

TECH EDUCATORS LTD is strongly committed to practices that protect all including young people and adults at risk from abuse, neglect or significant harm. Staff recognise and accept their responsibility to develop awareness of the risks and issues involved in safeguarding.  TECH EDUCATORS LTD seeks to declare at every induction that we must all (staff and learners) have zero tolerance for abuse, bullying, neglect and violence. All staff, visitors and learners have access to the policy. Staff, learners and apprentices are trained to promote and uphold Safeguarding.

TECH EDUCATORS LTD also recognises that it has a responsibility to protect staff from unfounded allegations of abuse. 

TECH EDUCATORS LTD has a statutory and moral duty to ensure that we function with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable people receiving education and training. It recognises its role, along with other local services, in facilitating the well-being of vulnerable people. All training staff are required to complete a Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults (SOVA) Level 2 course.

TECH EDUCATORS LTD is committed to ensuring that we can:

  • Provide a safe environment for all its students to learn in
  • Identify vulnerable people who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm
  • Take appropriate action to help ensure that vulnerable people are kept safe, both at home and at their place of learning.

In pursuit of these aims, we will approve and annually review policies and procedures with the aim of:

  • Raising awareness of issues relating to the welfare of children and young or vulnerable people and the promotion of a safe environment for the children and young or vulnerable people learning within the College
  • Aiding the identification of vulnerable people at risk of significant harm, and providing procedures for reporting concerns
  • Establishing procedures for reporting and dealing with allegations of abuse against members of staff
  • Safe recruitment of staff

We will refer vulnerable person might be at risk of significant harm to Social Services or an appropriate agency.

Directors and all staff vulnerable people will receive training adequate to familiarise them with protection issues and responsibilities and the procedures and policies, with refresher training at least every 3 years.

There will be a senior member of the management team with lead responsibility for protection issues (the designated senior member of staff with lead responsibility for the protection of children and young or vulnerable people). He/she will be supported by a designated member of staff at each of the college’s campuses with special responsibility for protection issues.

Contact details:

The Designated member of Staff or the Safeguarding Office for Tech Educators LTD. The Details for the DSO are as follows

Name: James Adams

Email: [email protected]

Definitions

For the purposes of this policy and procedure, children are defined in the Children Act of 1989 as a person under the age of 18 years.  An ‘adult at risk’ previously known as a ‘vulnerable adult’ is defined as any person 18 years or over who is or appears to be eligible for assistance by reason of mental ill health, physical or learning disability, illness or age-related frailty and/or; may be unable to take care of him/herself or unable to protect him/herself against significant harm or exploitation

Accountability and Responsibility

Lead responsibility for Safeguarding rests with the Managing Director.  For day-to-day activity, trained Course Directors provide general advice and training, monitoring and managing concerns, allegations or disclosures, and liaises with safeguarding agencies.  Tutors and Coaches will work in parallel to ensure that the reporting staff member(s) are appropriately supported, if needed.

Attribution

The designated senior member of staff is responsible for:

  • Overseeing the referral of cases of suspected abuse or allegations to the relevant investigating agencies
  • Providing advice and support to other staff on issues relating to child and young or vulnerable people’s protection
  • Maintaining a proper record of any protection referral, complaint or concern (even where that concern does not lead to a referral)
  • Liaising with appropriate agencies
  • Ensuring that staff receive basic training in protection issues and are aware of the protection procedures.

Training

Tech Educators Ltd has a duty to promote safeguarding issues and measures to staff in order to ensure that they:

  • Recognise concerns as they are identified (see Appendix B).
  • Report concerns to the safeguarding coordinator on the same day.
  • Refer to appropriate authorities on the same day.
  • Record incidents to facilitate investigations.
  • Respond to requests for information and involvement in case reviews.

Safeguarding Code of Behaviour

Tech Educators Ltd recognises that it is not practical to provide definitive instructions that would apply to all situations at all times whereby staff come into contact with children and vulnerable adults and to guarantee the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults and staff. 

However, below are the standards of behaviour required of staff in order to fulfil their roles and duty of care within the organisation. This code should assist in the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and in the protection of both children and vulnerable adults and members of staff. 

These guidelines also apply to any volunteers, contracted staff and temporary staff members.

You must not:

  • Spend excessive amounts of time alone with adults at risk away from others.
  • Make unnecessary physical contact with adults at risk.
  • Take adults at risk alone in a car, however short the journey, unless unavoidable.
  • Meet adults at risk outside the work or learning environment
  • Start an investigation or question anyone after a concern, allegation or disclosure has been raised. this is the job of the authorities.
  • Show favouritism to any one adult, nor should they issue or threaten any form of physical punishment.
  • Staff should never (even in fun) –
  • Initiate or engage in sexually provocative conversation or activity.
  • Allow the use of inappropriate language to go unchallenged.
  • Do things of a personal nature for adults at risk that they can do themselves.
  • Allow any allegations made by an adult at risk go without being reported and addressed.
  • Trivialise or exaggerate adult at risk abuse issues.
  • Make promises to keep any disclosure confidential from relevant authorities.

You must

  • Respect adults at risk’s right to privacy, and encourage adults at risk to feel comfortable enough to report attitudes or behaviour that they do not like.
  • Act with discretion with regards to their personal relationships.
  • Be aware of the procedures for reporting concerns, allegations or disclosures, and should familiarise themselves with the contact details of the Safeguarding Coordinator.
  • If a member of staff finds himself or herself the subject of inappropriate affection or attention from an adult at risk, they should make other members of their delivery team aware of this.
  • If a member of staff has any concerns relating to the welfare of an adult at risk in their care, be it concerns about actions/behaviours of another staff member or concerns based on any conversation with the adult at risk (particularly where the child or adult at risk makes an allegation), they should report this to the Safeguarding Coordinator.

Procedure for Responding to a Concern, Allegation or Disclosure

If an adult at risk tells a professional about possible abuse:

  • Listen carefully and stay calm.
  • Do not interview the person concerned, but question normally and without pressure, in order to be sure that you understand what they are telling you.
  • Do not put words into the person’s mouth.
  • Reassure them that by telling you, they have done the right thing.
  • Inform them that you must pass the information on, but that only those that need to know about it will be told. Inform them of whom you will report the matter to.
  • Note the main points carefully.
  • Using the relevant form make a detailed note of the date, time, place, what the person said, did and your questions etc.
  • Staff should not investigate concerns or allegations themselves but should report them immediately to the Designated Person or, in his/her absence, to a designated member of staff with special responsibility for protection issues.

Reporting

Information regarding a concern, allegation or disclosure is to be recorded on the Safeguarding Adults at risk Reporting Form .  Completion of this form should be initiated as soon as possible by the person who has first-hand information.  Information can be progressively added as more information is gained.  The report should be brought to the attention of the Safeguarding Coordinator as soon as possible. 

The Coordinator is responsible for passing information regarding the report to local or appropriate safeguarding agencies or the Police.

Taking into account all the information available, the DSO will decide on the next steps, which may include taking no further action. In most cases the DSO will seek advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and agree what further action is necessary, which may include: 

  • Seek further advice from The LSCB
  • Undertake further investigation under the direction of the LADO or support an investigation by the LSCB
  • Make a referral to the appropriate agency, as signposted.
  • Report the incident to a designated Social Worker, as signposted.
  • Report the matter to the police if a crime is suspected.

If a referral is made, this must be confirmed in writing to the appropriate agency within 24 hours. 

Actions taken against staff

Staff who breach any of the above may be subject to the disciplinary procedure. If an allegation against a member of staff has occurred, then an investigation will be carried out.

Tech Educators LTD., reserves the right to suspend any member of staff under the Safeguarding Policy to protect young people and Vulnerable Adults whilst an internal and/or external investigation takes place.  The organisation can implement its own internal investigation during any stage of this process.  This may result in disciplinary action being taken against a member of staff.

Suspension of staff under the Safeguarding Procedure.

Should Tech Educators LTD.,  decide to suspend the employee due to a safeguarding concern, the company disciplinary policy will be utilised. 

Confidentiality

Confidentiality and trust should be maintained as far as possible, but staff must act on the basis that the safety of vulnerable adults is the overriding concern. The degree of confidentiality will be governed by the need to protect the vulnerable adults. The vulnerable adults should be informed at the earliest possible stage of the disclosure that the information will be passed on. All conversation regarding a vulnerable adult should always be held in private. Tech Educators LTD., complies with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, which allows for disclosure of personal data where this is necessary to protect the vital interests of a vulnerable adult. 

Staff must not discuss the case with anyone other than those involved in the case. If staff have any concerns about the progress of the case or have any other concerns these must be discussed with the DSO. 

Allegations Against Staff

The primary concern of the organisation is to ensure the safety of the child and vulnerable adult. It is essential in all cases of suspected abuse by a member staff that action is taken quickly and professionally whatever the validity. There are occasions where a child or vulnerable adult will accuse a member of staff of physically or sexually abusing them. In some cases this may be false or unfounded. However in some cases the allegations may be true. 

Any instance of a vulnerable adult being abused by a member of staff is particularly serious. On the other hand, for an innocent person to be accused of such an act is a serious ordeal which can result in long term damage to their health and career. If any member of staff suspects any other member of staff of abusing a student, it is their responsibility to bring these concerns to the DSO.

On being notified of any such matter the DSO shall:

  • Seek and follow advice from the LADO
  • Take such steps as she considers necessary to ensure the safety of the child or vulnerable adult in question and any other child or vulnerable adult who might be at risk
  • Ensure that a report of the matter is completed by the person who reported the original concern.

Put in place the steps necessary to follow the advice of the LADO.