Safeguarding

Employer’s Guide to Safeguarding & PREVENT

Education providers of government-funded training have a legal responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and to take such steps that always try to ensure the safety of their students.

Part of this responsibility will be to report and work with others to safeguard students from all types of harm, abuse or neglect. ATD is committed to working with employers to inform them about what they can do to ensure that students are not exposed to threats or dangers.

The legislation defines children as those under 18 years old. Vulnerable adults a redefined as over 18, but for various reasons may not be able to care for themselves or protect themselves from being harmed or exploited.

The following important information will ensure that you have an understanding of what safeguarding is and why it is important to be aware of the consequences of abuse.

More importantly, it will enable you to be confident in your own understanding of the subject and your responsibilities as an employer.

Statutory Guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, came into existence in April 2014 and was updated in September 2018. You are strongly advised to download this document from http://www.gov.uk/government/publications for your own use for reference purposes.

The key areas of safeguarding include:

Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Child Criminal Exploitation
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
Drugs
Fabrication or induced illness
Faith abuse
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Forced Marriage
Gang and youth violence /violence against women and girls (VAWG)
Homelessness

All types of Peer on Peer Abuse including:

Bullying
Cyberbullying
Physical Abuse
Sexual Violence
Sexual Harassment
Sexting
Initiation and Hazing type violence
Domestic violence
Private fostering
Radicalisation
So-Called Honour-based Violence (HBV)
Teenage relationship abuse

What employers need to know?

Employers providing any form of work-related learning have the primary duty of care for students on placements or apprenticeships. Responsibilities include:

Assessing any risks to students before placement begins, including welfare and safeguarding. This will include protecting them from harm in any setting where they may be most at risk, for example in 1:1 situations with an adult for long periods.

Providing appropriate induction, training and supervision for students.

Looking after the welfare of students on placement, including having suitable supporting procedures, including named contacts in case of emergencies.

Ensuring systems are in place to prevent unsuitable people working with students.

To understand what is meant by safeguarding and promote the welfare of students.

Be aware of their statutory duties towards the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.

Be familiar with Acacia Training and Development Ltd’s guidance, in particular, the reporting arrangements.

Students are designated as employees for the purposes of health and safety.

Understanding the PREVENT duty.

Another aspect of safeguarding is the Prevent duty, which requires the education sector to have due regard to the need to prevent people from:

being drawn into terrorism
supporting terrorism
being drawn into non-violent extremism

As an employer you’re required, under the Counter-Terrorism & Security Act 2015, to be aware of the ‘Prevent Duty’ as laid out in the HM Government document “Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales 2015”. Guidance is issued under Section 29 of the Act:

Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it.
Prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support.
Work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation that we need to address

IF A STUDENT DISCLOSES INFORMATION, YOU SHOULD:

If a student discloses anything that gives you a reason to suspect that they may be at risk of harm, you should:

Reassure the student that they have done the right thing
Record what the student said, using their words where possible. Sign and date the record.
Inform the Safeguarding team at ATD as soon as possible and pass on the written record
Maintain confidentiality & do not discuss with others
Listen without making judgements
Stay calm
Try not to ask questions, but if you must, make sure they are open-ended questions to clarify
Use understanding & don’t probe or investigate
Don’t give an opinion or offer advice
Don’t promise confidentiality – explain you may need to talk to the Safeguarding team

Employees working closely with children or vulnerable students should be alert to the possibilities of harm & employers should inform only & not investigate or offer advice.

RECOGNISE

RESPOND

REASSURE

REFER

RECORD

If any member of staff has a safeguarding issue brought to their attention, they must treat it as a matter of urgency and contact one of our Safeguarding team:

Call: 01275 876733

Email: safeguarding@acacia.ac.uk

Any concern must be documented and emailed to the Safeguarding team within 2 hours of the disclosure. Unless the child is in immediate harm, where the relevant authorities will be contacted immediately. In this situation ensure that the child is accompanied and kept safe until the relevant authorities arrive.

Further information on Safeguarding and PREVENT can be found on our website. If you are worried or concerned about this process then you should contact our Safeguarding team and they will offer help and advice to support.