Safeguarding Policy (including Prevent)

The School implements safeguarding measures to protect at-risk students, including children and vulnerable adults, from abuse and exploitation. Safeguarding promotes their welfare by addressing significant risks while upholding the duty of care. Safeguarding is the protection of individuals' welfare; abuse refers to mistreatment causing harm; and neglect is the failure to provide necessary care. This policy applies to all students, staff, visitors, and contractors, ensuring clarity around roles and responsibilities within the safeguarding framework.

The Student Success Team assumes the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), responsible for overseeing safeguarding policies and procedures. They ensure the welfare of students by providing support and guidance in safeguarding matters. All staff, students, and volunteers must understand their responsibilities in safeguarding, including recognising signs of distress, reporting any concerns promptly and accurately, and maintaining confidentiality regarding sensitive information. They are required to follow established protocols and procedures to maintain a safe and supportive environment for everyone.

All staff members must complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to recruitment.

The School’s Dignity at Work, Bullying, and Harassment Policy ensures a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all members of our community. Harassment, abuse, sexual misconduct, and discrimination are strictly prohibited. All students and staff must adhere to the School’s Disciplinary Policies, with disciplinary action enforced for breaches, whether they occur on or off School premises, in person, or via digital platforms such as Microsoft Teams, social media, emails, or text messages.

The Staff and Student Relationship Policy prohibits specific relationships between staff and students to prevent conflicts of interest and safeguarding issues. All other relationships must be disclosed to ensure transparency and uphold professional boundaries.

The School assigns each student a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) to offer both academic guidance and broader support throughout their studies.

The School has a dedicated Mental Health Policy detailing various methods for supporting students with their mental health needs. 

The Student Success Team provides free, independent, and confidential support for academic, financial, and personal well-being issues. Students can seek assistance from the Team, their Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), or any staff member at any time. The School’s strategy places students at the centre, linking educational and life experiences to enhance overall success and satisfaction. This approach integrates academic and personal support to offer a holistic student experience, ensuring comprehensive care and addressing all aspects of student life effectively.

All staff and students must report safeguarding and Prevent concerns promptly. To report suspicions or incidents, individuals should contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) via email or in person. Support for those making reports includes access to counselling services and peer support groups. The School guarantees confidentiality throughout the reporting process, ensuring that individuals feel safe to disclose information without fear of repercussions. This structured reporting informs the School’s safeguarding strategy, allowing teams like the Student Success Team to address issues, make informed decisions, and allocate resources effectively. Students are also encouraged to participate in feedback sessions, ensuring their voices shape decision-making processes.

The School implements robust risk assessment procedures to identify and manage potential risks to student safety, particularly for vulnerable groups. Regular assessments are conducted to evaluate environments and activities, considering factors like physical safety, mental health, and external threats. Action plans are developed to mitigate identified risks, ensuring appropriate measures are in place to protect all students.

The School has established clear emergency procedures to guide responses in critical situations. These include detailed contact numbers for emergency services, internal support teams, and the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). Response protocols outline steps for evacuations, lockdowns, and medical emergencies, ensuring that all staff and students are informed and prepared to act swiftly and effectively.

All staff must complete an induction on the School’s policies and receive ongoing training. This training covers the identification of safeguarding issues and how to provide appropriate support.

The School complies with the Prevent Duty, as required under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015. The Board of Governors holds overall accountability for Prevent and incorporates it within the School’s wider institutional risk management framework. Prevent responsibilities are embedded within the School’s broader governance and assurance structures. Operational responsibility for implementation lies with the President, who serves as the designated Prevent Lead. The Prevent Lead is tasked with identifying and reviewing Prevent-related risks, which are recorded on the School’s central Risk Register. These risks are monitored by the Executive Committee, with oversight provided by the Quality, Compliance and Audit Committee (QCA Committee), which reports to the Board of Governors. The Prevent Lead submits regular updates to the QCA Committee as part of the School’s assurance processes. This integrated approach ensures that Prevent compliance is addressed through formal mechanisms and not in isolation. Prevent responsibilities are reflected across key institutional policies, including those relating to safeguarding, freedom of speech, and IT usage. The Board receives an annual Prevent report and signs an accountability declaration for submission to the Office for Students (OfS).

The Executive Committee conducts an annual Prevent-related risk assessment, which is reviewed and approved by the Board. Prevent policies and associated documents (e.g. risk registers, action plans) are also reviewed annually to ensure alignment with current legislation and best practice.

The Prevent Lead provides formal reports on Prevent-related activity, risks, training, and referrals to the Executive Committee each term. A full annual Prevent report is submitted to the Quality, Compliance and Audit Committee, which in turn provides assurance to the Board of Governors.

This governance cycle supports transparent oversight and allows the School to fulfil its responsibilities under the OfS Prevent framework.

As part of its statutory obligations, the School provides Prevent training to all staff. Training is tiered according to role and level of engagement, and includes:

• Mandatory core induction for all staff

• Annual refresher training

• Targeted sessions for those in high-risk roles or involved in online delivery

The Prevent Lead is responsible for overseeing the content, delivery, and maintenance of training records. Materials are reviewed annually to ensure alignment with current regulatory guidance and institutional needs.

In addition to staff training, events-related and student-facing information is shared to promote awareness of safeguarding responsibilities and available support pathways.

Staff with Prevent-related concerns are advised to speak with the Prevent Lead or raise the matter with their line manager for referral.

Students are informed of the School’s Prevent responsibilities through the Student Handbook, onboarding, and training. Feedback mechanisms — including online contact forms via the AGS, feedback surveys, and one-to-one support — allow students to raise concerns or suggest improvements. These insights inform our annual review of Prevent implementation and ensure alignment with student needs and expectations. Student representatives are consulted on relevant safeguarding and Prevent-related matters when they arise. This includes involvement in reviewing updates to key student-facing policies or contributing feedback to institutional strategies. Where appropriate, short-term working groups or student consultation panels may be convened to ensure student voices are reflected in our approach to Prevent.

In certain academic disciplines, staff or students may require access to material related to terrorism or extremist ideologies for legitimate teaching or research purposes.

The School permits access to such material only where it is essential to an approved programme of study or formally supervised research. Prior approval must be obtained by discussing the proposed use with the Prevent Lead. A written risk assessment will be conducted to identify and implement appropriate safeguards, including secure access, academic supervision, and clear research or pedagogical justification.

This process ensures compliance with the Prevent Duty under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, while upholding the principle of academic freedom. It also protects staff and students from undue risk when engaging with sensitive content.

Unsupervised or unauthorised access to such material is strictly prohibited and may lead to disciplinary action.

All proposed events involving external speakers—whether delivered on-site, online, or asynchronously—must be submitted in advance for a structured risk assessment. Risk is assessed in relation to the potential for extremist content, unlawful speech, and overall impact. Outcomes, including any conditions or decisions to modify or decline events, must be clearly recorded and retained. Event organisers must be trained to apply the process correctly.

The School recognises its responsibilities under the Prevent Duty to manage online risks, including access to extremist material or content that may support radicalisation.

The School does not routinely block categories of content but reserves the right to implement content filtering or monitoring where a specific safeguarding or Prevent-related risk has been identified.

All users are expected to use the School’s digital platforms in a responsible and lawful manner, and in accordance with the IT Regulations. Any concerns about content accessed or shared online — including extremist, violent, or radicalising material — should be reported immediately to the Prevent Lead.

Any serious Prevent-related incident or material change must be reported promptly to the OfS. This includes:

• Substantial changes to Prevent-relevant policies or structures

• A new Prevent Lead or governance structure

• Significant operational shifts (e.g. new campuses or delivery modes)

• Incidents involving reputational or safeguarding concerns

Reports are submitted via the OfS portal or to the Prevent team directly, with relevant documentation and explanation.

The School conducts an annual review of Prevent implementation as part of its institutional risk and compliance framework. This process ensures alignment with statutory requirements, supports continuous improvement, and provides assurance to governance bodies.

The review includes:

1. Assessment of Prevent-related risks, with updates to the Prevent risk assessment and action plan. Risks are recorded on the School’s central risk register.

2. Evaluation of Prevent training, including staff completion rates and effectiveness.

3. Review of relevant activity logs, such as external speaker approvals, incidents, and associated risk assessments.

4. Analysis of Prevent-related complaints, referrals, or concerns raised.

5. Feedback collection from staff and students via surveys, consultations, or focus groups.

The Prevent risk assessment identifies areas of vulnerability across institutional activity. The corresponding action plan outlines targeted, proportionate measures—such as training, policy updates, or enhanced referral mechanisms—to mitigate these risks.

The Quality, Audit and Compliance Committee monitors implementation and reviews the Prevent-related risks recorded on the risk register. It provides regular reports and assurance to the Board of Governors.

The Board of Governors is responsible for reviewing and formally approving the Prevent action plan as part of its oversight of statutory compliance. Findings and progress are documented in an internal Prevent report and tracked by the Executive Committee.

The School maintains open communication with the OfS Prevent Monitoring Team and relevant external partners, including local Prevent Coordinators. This includes:

• Participation in Prevent Review Meetings (PRMs) if selected

• Responding to OfS requests for information or thematic reviews

• Contributing to sector-wide initiatives and good practice sharing

The School supports case-level coordination with Prevent partners when appropriate, including contribution to Channel Panels and liaison with police or safeguarding services. These interactions are led by the Prevent Lead and ensure a joined-up response to risk, reinforcing the School’s safeguarding framework and statutory responsibilities.

Concerns related to radicalisation, vulnerability to extremism, or other Prevent indicators can be raised by any member of staff or student. These may arise through face-to-face interaction, online engagement, or observations of behaviour.

All concerns should be submitted via the Prevent and Welfare Support Ticket system (for students) or reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Prevent Lead (for staff). The Prevent Lead is responsible for assessing the concern, consulting safeguarding colleagues if appropriate, and determining whether further referral (e.g. to Channel or local Prevent coordinators) is needed.

Following any Prevent referral, the School will determine and implement appropriate support measures. These may include internal pastoral support, counselling, or referral to external safeguarding services. Every case is handled sensitively and proportionately, prioritising individual welfare and institutional responsibilities. Where required, appropriate referrals will be made to external agencies such as the Channel panel, Prevent coordinator, or police, in accordance with the School’s statutory obligations.

All serious Prevent-related incidents must be reported to the Office for Students (OfS) without delay. A serious incident may include:

• Reputational damage linked to extremism or radicalisation

• An internal safeguarding failure involving Prevent concerns

• Police involvement or emergency response due to radicalisation concerns

• A Channel referral or multi-agency case requiring escalation

Designated staff must submit a report via the OfS portal or to the OfS Prevent team. Reports must include a description of the incident, actions taken, and any policy changes arising.

The School must report material changes that may impact its implementation of the Prevent Duty. These include:

• Substantive revisions to Prevent-related policies (e.g. welfare, IT, external speaker management)

• Appointment of a new Prevent Lead, Designated Safeguarding Lead, or significant leadership restructure

• Major changes to institutional operations (e.g. mergers, campus expansion, or delivery format changes such as from online to in-person)

• Major changes to partnership or franchise arrangements affecting Prevent responsibilities

Reports should be submitted through the OfS portal, accompanied by relevant documentation (e.g. revised policies, updated governance charts) and an explanation of the likely impact on Prevent delivery.

The Prevent Lead is responsible for coordinating the identification, documentation, and reporting of both serious incidents and material changes. Where relevant, they will liaise with:

• The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

• The President or relevant Executive Committee members

• The IT and Governance teams (for technical or policy changes)

The Prevent Lead will:

1. Record the incident or change using the internal Prevent log

2. Collate relevant documents and a summary explanation

3. Submit the report via the appropriate OfS channel (portal or email)

4. Inform the Board of Governors at the next scheduled meeting or earlier if urgent

Staff involved in safeguarding, compliance, or leadership changes must notify the Prevent Lead immediately when a reportable matter arises.

The School must conduct an annual self-assessment of its Prevent Duty implementation. This process will:

• Review performance against internal Prevent objectives and risk assessments

• Audit key processes such as training uptake, external speaker management, and incident reporting

• Assess the effectiveness of reporting lines and governance oversight

• Identify areas for improvement and record outcomes in a formal internal report

This self-assessment is led by the Prevent Lead and submitted to the Executive Committee and Board of Governors for review.

As part of the annual self-assessment, the School will conduct hypothetical scenario testing to evaluate how staff would respond to Prevent-related risks. Scenarios may include:

• An external speaker proposing controversial content

• A safeguarding referral for potential radicalisation

• IT misuse involving extremist material

• A student expressing views that cause concern among peers

Findings are discussed in small-group workshops or working groups, with outcomes documented and used to refine procedures and training content.

The School will use feedback from Prevent Review Meetings (PRMs), internal audits, or external quality reviews to update its policies, procedures, and risk assessment. Any recommendations from OfS engagement or sector evaluations must be recorded, reviewed by the Executive Committee, and acted upon within a defined timeframe.

Where possible, the School will participate in sector-wide activities led by the OfS or related bodies, including:

• Thematic reviews or deep dives on topics such as staff training or welfare

• Case-sharing workshops and peer-learning events

• Pilot studies or evaluation frameworks linked to Prevent

Participation is coordinated by the Prevent Lead and recorded in the School’s Prevent activity log.

The School implements procedures for the regular review and updating of its safeguarding policy. This includes scheduled evaluations at least annually and mechanisms for gathering feedback from students and staff, such as surveys and focus groups. These processes ensure that the policy remains effective, relevant, and responsive to the changing needs of the School community.