Introduction 

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults is defined as:
· Protecting adults from maltreatment
· Preventing impairment adults mental and physical health
All staff and visitors have an important role to play in safeguarding adults and protecting them from
abuse and considering when mental health may become a safeguarding issue.

 

Overall Aims

This policy will contribute to the protection and safeguarding of our learners and staff and promote
their welfare by:

• Adopting a whole team approach to safeguarding
• Contributing to the establishment of safe, resilient and robust ethos, built on mutual respect
and shared values
• Alerting staff to the signs and indicators that all may not be well
• Developing staff awareness of the causes of abuse
• Developing staff awareness of the risks and vulnerabilities that others may face
• Addressing concerns at the earliest opportunity
• Reducing the potential risks faced, and those being exposed to multiple harms including
violence, extremism, exploitation, discrimination or victimisation
• Recognising risk and supporting online safety

 

Expectations 

 All staff will:

• Be familiar with this Safeguarding Policy
• Understand their role in relation to safeguarding
• Be alert to signs and indicators of possible abuse
• Record concerns and share the record to the DSL or deputy DSL
To align with the above criteria, all staff will receive annual safeguarding training.
Additionally, all staff will notice and listen to adults sharing their concerns with the DSL.

 

The Management of Safeguarding - Responsibilities

The Designated Safeguard Lead:

• Whilst the activities of the DSL can be delegated to appropriately trained deputies, the
  ultimate lead responsibility for safeguarding and protection remains with the DSL. This
  responsibility should not be delegated.
• Safeguarding information will be dealt with in a confidential manner.
  The DSL team in our company will be:
  Lead: Rebecca Keet
  Deputies: Zoe Griffiths and Sion Cox
  Any steps taken to support a member of staff or learner must be reported to the DSL or DDSL.
  Staff will be informed of relevant details only when the DSL feels their having knowledge of a
  situation will improve their ability to support an individual. A written record will be made of what
  information has been shared, with whom and when and the date recorded.

The DSL team in our company will be:

Lead: Rebecca Keet
Deputies: Zoe Griffiths and Sion Cox
Any steps taken to support a member of staff or learner must be reported to the DSL or DDSL.
Staff will be informed of relevant details only when the DSL feels their having knowledge of a
situation will improve their ability to support an individual. A written record will be made of what
information has been shared, with whom and when and the date recorded

Mental Health 

One in four adults in the UK experience a mental health problem each year, and half of all lifetime
cases of mental health disorders begin by the age of 14. Safeguarding the emotional wellbeing of
learners and staff should be considered as equally as important as protecting their physical health.
All staff should be aware that mental health problems can, in some cases, be an indicator that a
person has suffered or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Meaning that:

• All staff will take immediate action and speak to the DSL if they have a mental health
  concern about a learner or member of staff that is also a safeguarding concern

We take our organisational and professional role in supporting and promoting mental health and
wellbeing seriously.

Prevention: Creating and safe and calm environment where mental health issues are less likely,
improving the mental health and wellbeing of the whole training population, and equipping to be
resilient so that they can manage the normal stress of life effectively.

Identification: Recognising emerging issues as early and accurately as possible.

Support: Providing access to early support interventions and working effectively with external
agencies to provide specialist support or treatment.

 

Information Safety 

In line with the Online Safety Act 2023, all educational settings have a statutory responsibility to
safeguard individuals, and this includes all aspects of e-safety.
It is essential that all staff and learners are safeguarded from potentially harmful and inappropriate
online material. An effective whole company approach to online safety empowers a training
location to protect and educate learners, trainers and staff in their use of technology and
establishes mechanisms to identify, intervene in, and escalate any concerns where appropriate.
The breadth of issues classified within online safety is considerable and ever evolving, but can be
categorised into four areas of risk:

1. Content: Being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful content.
2. Contact: Being subjected to harmful online interaction with other others.
3. Conduct: Online behaviour that increases the likelihood of or causes harm.
4. Commerce: Risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing or financial
   scams.

Proprietors should ensure that there are procedures in place to manage any safeguarding
concerns or allegations that do not meet the harm threshold about staff members, trainers or
learners, even those that are low level.

Monitoring and Filtering 

The Department for Education’s filtering and monitoring standards set out that all educational
settings should:

• Identify and assign roles and responsibilities to manage filtering and monitoring systems
• Review filtering and monitoring provision at least annually
• Have effective monitoring strategies in place that meet their safeguarding requirements

Safer Recruitment and Selection

The company should pay full regard and attention to Safe Recruitment requirements including but
not limited to:

• Verifying candidates’ identity and academic or vocational qualifications
• Online searches for short listed candidates
• Obtaining professional and character references
• Checking previous employment history and ensuring that the candidate has the health and
  physical capacity to do the job
• UK Right to Work
• Clear DBS check
• Any further checks appropriate to gain all the relevant information to enable checks on
  suitability to work

Evidence of all checks must be recorded appropriately. All recruitment materials will include
reference to the commitment to safeguarding and promoting the health and wellbeing of staff,
trainers and learners

Induction and Onboarding

All staff, must be aware of the systems within the company which support safeguarding, and this
will be explained to them in compulsory induction on the commencement of their employment.
Staff Support:

• Regular safeguarding supervision will be offered by the DSL
• DSL’s and DDSL’s will be supported to access training as appropriate including training in
  mental health

 

Safeguarding concerns or allegations made about staff, trainers or
subcontractors

The company must manage cases of concerns/ allegations that might indicate a person will pose a
risk of harm if they continue to work in their present position or in any other capacity.
Where is it alleged that anyone working in an educational provision has:

• Behaved in a way that has harmed another individual
• Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to another individual and/or
  behaved towards another individual that may pose a risk of harm

Initial response:
Where the company identifies that an individual has been harmed, that there may be an immediate
risk of harm to another individual or if the situation is an emergency, they should contact the local
authority and as appropriate, the police.
The internal or external agencies involved should share all relevant information they have about
the individual that is subject of the allegation, and about the alleged victim on a need-to-know
basis.

Domestic Abuse:
Domestic abuse refers to any incident or pattern of controlling, coercive, threatening, or violent
behaviour between individuals in an intimate or family relationship. While it most commonly
involves abuse by a partner or ex-partner, it can also be perpetrated by a family member or carer.
Domestic abuse can occur as a single incident or as part of an ongoing pattern, and may include:

 

• Coercive and controlling behaviour
• Threatening behaviour
• Violent behaviour
• Sexual violence
• Degrading behaviour where the victim is made to feel worthless
• Harassment
• Stalking
• Financial or economic abuse
• Online or digital abuse

Domestic abuse can occur in any relationship and continue even when a relationship has ceased.
Such behaviour is not limited to incidents inside the home and may occur in public situations, via
phone, social media or the general internet. It is of paramount importance to remember that both
women and men may be victims and perpetrators.
When identifying risk indicators, professionals should always consider the context of the behaviour,
who is at risk, the victim’s perception of the risk and how risk factors interact with each other.
Victims of domestic abuse often underestimate their risk of harm. They are more likely to become
repeat victims than any other type of crime or violence due to increasing severity. There are many
factors that can stop a victim leaving an abusive relationship.
This may include:

• Gaining access to safe housing
• Being economically dependent on the abuser or having insufficient financial resources to
  live independently
• Being economically involved with the abuser
• Guilt that they are breaking up a family
• Embarrassment or shame
• Religious beliefs
  How to report:
• Report them to the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) or deputy (DDSL) and make a
  written record
• If you think an individual is in immediate danger, have an immediate discussion with the
  institution’s safeguarding lead, who can contact the local authority or police if appropriate

Review

This Safeguarding Policy will be reviewed annually by the Senior Leadership Team and DSL to
ensure it reflects:

• Changes in legal or regulatory standards
• Developments in the organisations best practice

By maintaining and periodically reviewing this policy, PDT demonstrates its unwavering
commitment to safeguarding the safety and wellbeing of all individuals associated with the
organisation.

 

Prevent

The Prevent strategy was introduced by the Labour Government in 2006 as a component of the
broader counter-terrorism strategy known as CONTEST. Since then, successive UK governments
have retained the strategy, making periodic revisions to align with evolving international terrorism
threats. In 2011, the scope of Prevent was explicitly broadened to address not only all forms of
terrorism but also non-violent extremism.

All educational institutions are subject to a duty under Section 26 of the Counterterrorism and
Security Act 2015, which extends safeguarding responsibilities to include the prevention of
radicalisation. Known as the Prevent Duty, this legal obligation requires education providers to be
alert to the risks of radicalisation and to respond appropriately as part of their safeguarding
responsibilities. Providers must consider the specific needs of learners at every stage of the
safeguarding process and address any concerns related to radicalisation in line with their existing
safeguarding policies, professional judgement, and staff expertise

 

Staff Responsibilities

PDT is committed to ensuring that all staff are aware and provided with the essential training to
recognise when a person might be susceptible, as well as knowing the signs of vulnerability.
Prevent training will also be provided to all new members of staff and renewed every 2 years for
current staff. Our leadership team is responsible for implementing and maintaining the Prevent
policy, allocating resources as needed, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations,
and promoting the health, safety and wellbeing of individuals.

Why should we be concerned?

The counterterrorism strategy called CONTEST has 4 key areas known as the ‘P strands.’

1. Prevent: Stopping individuals from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism
2. Pursue: Stop terrorist attacks and prosecute wherever possible
3.  Protect: Strengthen protection against terrorism attacks in the UK and overseas interest
4. Prepare: Mitigate terrorist attack when they can’t be stopped

The aim of the Prevent strategy is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping
individuals from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Prevents objectives are to:

• Tackle the ideological causes of terrorism
• Intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation
• Enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate

Signs to be aware of

Certain individuals may be susceptible to radicalisation into terrorism. Protecting all staff and
learners from this risk should be a part of the educational provisions safeguarding approach.
Extremism is the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the
rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
Radicalisation is the process of a person legitimising support for, or the use of terrorist violence.
Terrorism is an action that endangers or causes serious violence to a person or people, causes
serious damage to property, or seriously interferes an electronic system. This use of threat must be
designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public, where its purpose is to advance a
political, religious or ideological cause.

 

Referral Intervention:

Notice changes in behaviour.

 

Check and confirm with a colleague and raise concerns to designated Prevent officer.

 

Share complete a prevent duty form and report to the police.

 

All referrals will be submitted using the official Prevent Duty safeguarding referral form which is available on the link below.

 

National Prevent Referral From

 

Review

This Prevent Policy will be reviewed annually by the Senior Leadership Team and DSL to ensure it
reflects:

• Changes in legal or regulatory standards
• Developments in the organisations best practice

By maintaining and periodically reviewing this policy, PDT demonstrates its unwavering
commitment to safeguarding the safety and wellbeing of all individuals associated with the
organisation

 

Version Control

Version	Detail	By	Date	Reviewer
v.1.4	Updated	Sarah Radbourne	04/03/2025	Sadie Booth
v.1.4.1	Updated to template/review	Rebecca Keet	13/03/2025	Sarah Radbourne
v1.5	Amendments	Rebecca Keet	13/03/2025	Sarah Radbourne
v.1.6	Release	Rebecca Keet	18/03/2025	Rebecca Keet
v.1.7	Change of Designated Safeguarding Lead & Release	Rebecca Keet	27/03/2025	Sarah Radbourne
v.1.8	Release	Rebecca Keet	27/03/2025	Rebecca Keet

 

Document Review

Initial review: Sarah Radbourne

Compliance Review: Rebecca Keet

Final sign off & Date: March 2025

Next review date: March 2026