Safeguarding Policy and Procedures

The University of Bradford Safeguarding Policy outlines it's commitment to the welfare to those at risk.

Explore further by visiting our Safeguarding section of our website.

Introduction

The University of Bradford is committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children, young people aged under 18 and adults at risk who access its activities, facilities, and services. The University recognises its obligations to promote the welfare of children, young people and adult at risk, and its responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure their safety. The University has an obligation to protect its members (staff, students, and volunteers) against unfounded allegations of abuse. The University also has an obligation to protect all its members from the risk of radicalisation.

This policy sets out the University’s approach to safeguarding children and adults at risk of harm, and our approach to ‘Prevent’ which seeks to stop students and staff from being drawn into terrorism. The terminology used in the policy reflects the legislative environment and relevant statutory duties.  

This policy is one component of the University’s overall approach to providing a safe and secure environment and supporting student welfare and wellbeing. The University provides holistic student support that prioritises student wellbeing and success through a range of academic and student support services.  Staff at the university are supported via a range of wellbeing support including access to the university counselling service, an Employee Assistance Programme, access to Mental Health First Aiders and a reporting facility for harassment, bullying or discrimination.

Scope

• Children and young people
• Adults at risk

The policy applies to all staff, students, and visitors at the university.

Whilst the term “safeguarding” has a legally defined meaning (as defined in section 3 - glossary) within Higher Education it often also has a broader, pastoral meaning to describe an institutions pro-active approach to supporting students who may have reduced protective factors in place when facing adversity (for example international or estranged students) and whilst this policy will be speaking to the legally defined term in section 3, many of the principles in this policy will also support the pastoral approaches.

We also acknowledge that independent commercial providers with differing relationships with the university operate on campus and have their own safeguarding policies and procedures (whose processes are reviewed and approved at the university through the Safeguarding Steering group).  These will be listed in our appendices and it is the responsibility of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to ensure these remain accurate.

Glossary

The University recognizes the following definitions in relation to safeguarding:

Adults at risk

Adults at increased risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation due to a reduced capability in protecting themselves (potentially due to age, lack of social support or a disability).  This can apply to staff and students alike as well as people they are in contact with.

Children and Young People

Any person under the age of 18 is defined as a child whereas Young People typically refers to people aged 15-24.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The designated safeguarding lead takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection (including online safety) at the University.

Domestic Abuse

An incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer.  This abuse is likely to impact not only those directly targeted but others involved (e.g., other family members, including children).

Modern Slavery

The recruitment, movement, harbouring or receiving of children, women, or men through the use of force, coercion, abuse of vulnerability, deception or other means for the purpose of exploitation. This could take the form of trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage and domestic servitude amongst other forms.

Prevent

One of the four pillars that make up ‘Contest’ (the UK counter-terrorism strategy).  The others are Pursue, Protect and Prepare.  Prevent is focused on reducing the chance of people in the UK becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Radicalisation

The process by which people come to support terrorism and extremism and in some cases to then participate in terrorist groups.

Safeguarding

Protecting a person’s health, wellbeing and human rights. Enabling them to live free of harm, abuse and neglect.  This is defined in the realm of education as focusing on children and young people and adults at risk (also known as vulnerable adults).

Responsibilities

Safeguarding Steering Group (SSG)

The SSG is a forum for oversight of the university’s implementation of the safeguarding policy.  The SSG reports to Executive Board, Senate and Council and is chaired by the university Designated Safeguarding Lead with representatives from all University departments, student union and on-site commercial providers.
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The University is an adult environment.  However, children, young people and adults at risk may access the University’s activities and services in the following ways:

• As a registered student;
• Visiting campus (for example on an open day or school visit);
• Using the University nursery;
• Through engagement in off campus activities in which University staff and / or students are engaged, for example widening participation activities in local schools, volunteering activities;
• Through research;
• Through placements;
• Through Unique Fitness;
• Through the eye clinic;
• Through the physiotherapy clinic; and
• Through field trips, excursions and other activities such as volunteering and other social activities

As part of its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity and the provision of a safe working environment, the University has put in place policy and procedures designed to protect children, young people and adults at risk. This policy and its associated procedures provide guidance to all staff, students and contractors and volunteers working on behalf of the University on the expected standards of behaviour when working with children, young people and adults at risk, and sets out the responsibilities and processes for reporting concerns.  This policy and procedures should be read in conjunction with the University’s Dignity and Respect Policy.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The Associate Director for Student Wellbeing holds the DSL responsibility at UoB. Their responsibilities encompass:

• Undertaking relevant training to the level required of a DSL and ensuring their training and knowledge remains up to date.
• Acting as a source of support for staff and students at UoB for matters relating to safeguarding and Prevent.
• Acting as a point of contact for safeguarding and Prevent concerns and reports and ensuring the accurate recording and response to these.
• Responding appropriately to relevant reports (for example through timely and appropriate onward referrals to specialist external services such as the police or social services).
• Ensuring that staff and students at UoB are aware of their responsibilities around safeguarding and Prevent, as well as the support that is available to them to enable this.
• Ensuring that there is an appropriate process in place to regularly review new, continuing and emerging safeguarding matters.  
• Charing the Safeguarding Steering group.
• Overseeing internal safeguarding training.

Deputy-Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The Head of Student Life at the University of Bradford holds the Deputy-DSL role. Their responsibilities are:

• Undertaking training to the same level as DSL.
• Attendance at the safeguarding log reviews.
• Contributing to informed decision making in the weekly safeguarding log review.
• Supporting the DSL in delivering internal safeguarding training.
• Deputising for the DSL when they are absent for:
  • Responding to safeguarding enquiries
  • Chairing of the Safeguarding Steering Group
  • Chairing the weekly safeguarding log review

Managers

Line manager responsible for ensuring that staff within their team/s are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and how to raise safeguarding concerns. They should ensure that team members have completed relevant training specific to their roles.

Managers are responsible for ensuring that alternative arrangements are discussed with the DSL on behalf of staff who experience accessibility barriers to mandated training. Managers have a responsibility to support DSL and HR colleagues in following up on reminders of training as well as ensuring that any circulated communications around safeguarding are received and understood by their team/s.

Employees

All employees at UoB (including on-site commercial providers) have a responsibility to understand how they can support the UoB approach to safeguarding in a manner relevant to their role. This will be understood via completion of appropriate training as explained in the UoB safeguarding training plan. Staff are expected to update their safeguarding knowledge via safeguarding bulletins and utilise the DSL role for safeguarding support.

Students

Students are expected to engage with information relating to safeguarding which will be delivered via their module handbooks, introductory course lectures and their virtual learning environment. Safeguarding concerns should be reported. Preferably reports should be made via our safeguarding specific routes, detailed on the UoB website, but if not via a trusted member of staff such as a Personal Academic Tutor or member of Student Life & Wellbeing.

General principles and policy statements

The University of Bradford

• Is committed to the creation of a culture of vigilance where all staff know their responsibilities in regard to safeguarding and feel that they have adequate skills and knowledge to fulfil these.
• Is committed to providing a safe environment for all its employees, students, and people who access its activities, facilities, and services, and/or participate in its research.
• Recognises that children, young people, and adults at risk may require additional protection in accordance with its statutory duties and common law duty of care.
• Recognises its responsibility to have due regard to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism, in accordance with the Counter Terrorism and Security Act and associated statutory guidance.
• Recognises its responsibility to raise staff and students awareness of this policy and the relevant procedures.
• Will provide adequate training and guidance on its policy and procedures.
• Will ensure that appropriate procedures are in place to enable it to discharge its duties and to ensure that cases of suspected abuse or neglect of children, young people or adults at risk are dealt with sensitively and effectively in accordance with the law and relevant guidance.
• Will ensure that investigations into reports of suspected abuse or neglect are carried out in a fair and timely manner.
• Will work in conjunction with other agencies (for example, social services, the police, and health services) and any other bodies to safeguard children, young people and adults at risk in the implementation and monitoring of this Policy and its associated procedures.
• Will ensure that all allegations of abuse or neglect of children, young people or adults at risk that are reported to the university are reported to the appropriate external organisations.
• Will ensure that the University of Bradford Events Policy and associated event submission processes regarding external speakers will pay due regard to the balance of freedom of expression with regulatory guidance (Health and Safety At Work Act 1974, Education Act 1988, the Equality Act 2010 and the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015). Guidance for due diligence of external speakers can be found in appendix (3).

The Prevent Duty

The University of Bradford recognises its duty under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to engage with the Prevent Agenda. It will put reasonable measures in place to safeguard all staff and students from the risks of radicalisation, including through an institutional Prevent Risk Assessment.

The University complies with the statutory guidance for Universities which accompanies the Act. It will provide an environment in which staff and students are supported to challenge and debate ideas and concepts, and in which extreme ideologies and narratives cannot go uncontested. The University works closely with local safeguarding partnerships to ensure that appropriate procedures, risk assessments and training are in place.

Safeguarding Procedures

In support of the UoB commitment in 5.1, the University will:

• Implement a Safeguarding Code of Conduct. This will remain hosted on the university, public facing website and be owned by the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Learning, Teaching & Student Experience.
• Implement procedures for dealing with abuse and for reporting and referral of these disclosures, suspicions or allegations of abuse and reporting concerns about the welfare of a child, young person or adult at risk. These procedures are set out in the university safeguarding referral process.  This will remain hosted on the university, public facing website and be owned by the university Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Implement procedures for reporting concerns that a member of the University is vulnerable to the risk of radicalisation. These procedures are set out in the university safeguarding referral process.  This will remain hosted on the university, public facing website and be owned by the university Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Implement specific procedures relating to the activities of those aged under 18 within the University, including the admission and care of students who will be aged under 18 at the point of enrolment. This will remain hosted on the university, public facing website and be owned by the university Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Ensure that relevant safeguarding roles across the university are publicly available with accurate contact information on the safeguarding contacts page of the university website.
• Implement procedures for the recruitment and selection of staff for positions or activities which may entail contact with children, young people and adults at risk. The university is committed to a safer recruitment approach which is detailed in Appendix (1).
• Implement procedures for the admission of students to programmes which may entail contact with children, young people and adults at risk.  These procedures are contained within the Admissions Policy and our specific procedures relating to the activities of those aged under 18 within the University,
• Provide role-based training, support and supervision for staff and students. This training will be clearly defined within the UoB safeguarding training plan and compliance will be overseen by a combination of People and Culture (for mandatory all staff training) and the Safeguarding Steering Group (for role-based training). University of Bradford staff safeguarding training plan is included as appendix (2).
• Operate a Safeguarding Steering Group, which will make an annual report on the operation of the Safeguarding Policy and Procedures to the University’s Executive Board, Senate, and Council.  Regular reports on the implementation of the Prevent Duty will be made to Executive Board, Senate, and Council.
• Operate a frequent safeguarding and prevent review between the DSL, Deputy DSL and DSO where safeguarding reports are reviewed to ensure that appropriate processes have been followed for each case.
• Ensure that staff, students, and visitors are aware of how to report safeguarding and Prevent concerns to the university. We will take multiple communication actions to ensure as far as possible that staff and students are aware of the UoB approach to safeguarding and Prevent, including how to refer concerns.
• Ensure that any conversations relating to safeguarding and Prevent at the university are recorded in an appropriate and reportable location.

Monitoring and review

Information linked to webpages within this policy on the university website will be reviewed on an annual basis and the policy itself every two years.

Safeguarding roles have a responsibility to inform the DSL if their role should change at any stage to ensure that relevant pages can be updated and ensure that relevant representation remain within the Safeguarding Steering Group.

Related policies and standards/documentation

This policy supports the university to following these regulatory frameworks and policies:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 and 2023
• Care and Support Statutory Guidance 2020
• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
• Sexual Offences Act 2003
• The Education Act (2002) Section 175
• The Sexual Offences Act 2003
• The Children Act 1989
• The Children Act 2004
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• The Care Act 2014
• Mental Capacity Act 2015
• DBS Code of Practice November 2015
• Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023
• Revised Prevent Duty Guidance: for England and Wales 2023