External Speakers and Events Policy

This Policy applies to all events or meetings, including those involving external speakers, and those which are open to the public or to a segment of the public, whether held on School premises, online, or in collaboration with other organisations. This includes:

• Internal LSI Events – Organised and delivered exclusively by members of the LSI community (staff and/or students) without external speakers or contributors. These may be open solely to the LSI community or, where appropriate, to the public or a segment of the public. Routine internal teaching or professional activity does not normally require approval; however, where an internal event is open to the public, or presents a potential safeguarding or Prevent-related risk, it must follow the formal approval and risk assessment process outlined below.
• External LSI Events – Organised by members of the LSI community that include one or more external speakers or contributors who are not members of LSI. These events, whether open to the LSI community or to the public, must follow formal approval and risk assessment in accordance with this Policy.
• Collaborative Events – Hosted or co-organised by another organisation in which LSI staff or students participate, or which use LSI branding. These must follow the formal approval and risk assessment process outlined below.

Oversight and controls for each category are applied proportionately, consistent with Prevent and Freedom of Speech duties.

Operational management of event approvals is undertaken by the Student Success Team (SST), in collaboration with the Safeguarding and Prevent Leads (Designated Leads), and under the direction of the Director of Student Services. The Prevent Lead is one of the Designated Leads. The SST acts as the administrative hub for events, maintaining the Event Register and liaising with organisers, the Designated Leads, and the Director of Student Services as needed.

• The Event Organiser (staff or student) initiates the process by submitting an Event Request Form on the AGS.
• The SST performs the initial procedural and risk completeness check.
• The Designated Leads review medium- and high-risk cases, advise the SST on mitigations, and may consult external Prevent partners.
• The Director of Student Services reviews any high-risk events from the SST, confirms final approval or refusal, and ensures accountability of all events to the Executive Committee and Quality, Compliance and Audit Committee (QCA), and ultimately, to the Board of Governors.

All events falling within the Policy scope must be approved using the following steps:

Step 1: Submission

Event organisers must submit an Event Request Form on the AGS at least 10 working days before the planned event. The form includes:

• event purpose, title, format, and audience (including public);
• speaker details (including all affiliations and background);
• publicity materials and online links (where relevant);
• proposed venue or platform;
• expected attendance and any security arrangements.

Step 2: Initial Screening

The SST checks the form for completeness, categorises the event type (internal, external, collaborative), and performs a preliminary risk screen on content sensitivity, audience, speaker profile. Low-risk internal events may be approved at this stage. All decisions are documented in the Event Register.

Step 3: Safeguarding and Prevent Review

Events identified as moderate or high risk are referred to Designated Leads for review, including the Prevent Lead. The Designated Leads may request additional information or mitigations (e.g., staff presence, limited recording, rephrasing of promotional material). The Designated Leads will inform the SST on necessary mitigations and compliance checks, which must be confirmed with the Designated Leads as acceptable before approval can be granted. All decisions are documented in the Event Register. The Designated Leads can advise the SST on whether an event should be classed as a high-risk escalation.

Step 4: High-Risk Escalation

All high-risk events must be referred to the Director of Student Services for decision. The Director must consult the Designated Leads. They may approve, conditionally approve, defer, or refuse the event. All decisions are documented in the Event Register.

Step 5: Communication and Record

The SST should notify the organiser in writing of the outcome and any conditions. All decisions are documented in the Event Register. A summary of decisions should be reported semesterly to the Executive Committee, Academic Board, and QCA Committee, and through them, to the Board of Governors. 

Risk is assessed using an evidence-based matrix covering: 

• Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom Policy
• speaker or organisation background and affiliations;
• subject matter sensitivity;
• format and level of public access;
• audience composition and venue security;
• potential reputational or welfare concerns.

Events are categorised as:

• Low Risk: Routine or internal activity, no indicators of concern.
• Moderate Risk: Sensitive topics or public engagement requiring mitigations.
• High Risk: Potential for legal, safeguarding, or Prevent-related issues.

For moderate and high-risk events, the SST must record the final risk category and mitigation plan in the Event Register, which are reviewed each semester.

If a new concern arises before or during an event, organisers must immediately inform the SST.

For moderate-risk matters, the SST must refer to the Designated Leads, who must assess the concern and may suspend or terminate the event pending review.

For all high-risk matters, the SST must refer to the Director of Student Services for a decision.

All ongoing risks, decisions, and actions decisions must be recorded in the Event Register.

Confirmed safeguarding or radicalisation concerns must be escalated in accordance with the Safeguarding and Prevent Policy.

• At least one designated member of the SST must be present at moderate or high-risk events.
• All events must proceed within set parameters and mitigations (topic, audience, publicity).
• For all fully online events, an authorised (trained) moderator approved by the SST must also be present.

• The SST must log completion status and any incidents on the Event Register.
• The Director of Student Services must report any escalations or lessons learned to the Executive Committee.

The SST maintains a secure Event Register recording all requests, approvals, risk ratings, and actions for a minimum of two academic years.

Annual reports summarising event activity and risk trends are submitted to the Executive Committee, QCA Committee, and Board of Governors. The Academic Board also receives a report on events and freedom of speech.

The Designated Leads, including the Prevent Lead, review this Policy and the Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom Policy annually, taking into account new sector guidance, OfS feedback, and local risk intelligence, and recommend updates to the Director of Student Services for the Executive Committee.

All staff involved in organising or approving events must complete annual Prevent and Freedom of Speech training, coordinated by the People Team.