Working in partnership across a range of organisations, Edge Hill University’s aim is to promote the highest standards in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. This webpage is designed to be the one place where all information relating to safeguarding at Edge Hill is linked to. Although information is held in various places on the website and the University wiki, there should be a link to it here.

Edge Hill University Safeguarding Policy

This is NOT the protocol which outlines how to deal with an emergency situation or critical incident, or a situation where a student is unable to keep themselves safe or declaring they are at risk of suicide.

Safeguarding overview

Edge Hill University wishes to adopt the highest standards and take all reasonable steps in relation to the health, safety, and welfare of children, young people, and adults accessing its services and facilities. The University believes that it is unacceptable for a child, young person, or an adult to experience any form of harm or abuse. Their welfare is paramount and they have the right to protection and support.

Safeguarding concerns may arise as a result of activities associated with the University, or a member of staff, student, or volunteer acting on behalf of the University may become aware of safeguarding concerns about an individual, which are not related to the University’s activities, nor within the University’s control.

The University Safeguarding Policy and associated procedures covers all such instances and outlines the principles and approach accepted by the University as essential to safeguarding.

Safeguarding issues are likely to come to light through one of four main methods: direct observation, disclosure from a child or adult at risk, observation by a third party or referral from an external Public, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB).

It is important for any member of the University community to report any concern promptly and not to assume that someone else will have reported it. Even if it is understood that the authorities are already aware of a concern, it is still necessary and very important to report it to a Designated Safeguarding Officer so that this can be confirmed officially. There is no need to make a judgement on how serious a concern is, or even whether a concern is believed to be true. It is not the responsibility of the reporting person to decide whether or not abuse has occurred or to assess the level of risk.

Reporting concerns

Any allegation or disclosure involving a child, young person or adult at risk should be reported immediately to one of the relevant Safeguarding Officers. Please see the Key Contacts at the bottom of this page for a list of all the relevant Safeguarding Officers at Edge Hill University.

Reporting a concern out of hours

If a safeguarding issue occurs out of hours (for example when the Designated Safeguarding Officers will not be in work) then you need to consider whether anyone is currently at immediate risk of harm. If you believe anyone to be at immediate risk of harm you should:

• call 999 for the police or ambulance as appropriate and report it immediately
• contact Campus Support on 01695 584227 and make a report to them

Campus Support will decide whether it is necessary to contact other senior staff at the University or whether this can wait until the next working day. If you do not believe anyone is at serious risk of harm, then the report should be made to your Designated Safeguarding Officer the next working day. However, it is advisable to keep notes at the time so that these are up to date and available if needed.

Identifying a concern

Safeguarding Process Flowchart

A safeguarding concern could arise from a direct observation, disclosure from a child or adult at risk, observation by a third party or referral from a Public, Statutory, or Regulatory Body (PSRB)

If you are the notifier of a safeguarding concern, are you raising the concern during the core working day?

If it can’t wait and you have informed Campus Support, they will then follow an internal process and Emergency Services will be called if required. Campus Support will then include the concern or incident on their Overnight Report which will be picked up the following working day by a Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) in Student Wellbeing. Whichever route is used to report, a DSO will consider the referral.

The DSO will consider whether or not the person identified meets the definition of a child or adult at risk.

The DSO, Senior DSO (and HR representative if appropriate) will then take appropriate steps as required, which could include one or more of the following:

• conducting a formal risk assessment
• offering support to the individual via internal services, or refer to external support
• consulting with internal colleagues (which may include bringing relevant people together for a case conference)
• liaising with external partners to gain or share information (this could include a placement provider, an apprentice employer, a LADO and/or the DfE Regional Prevent Co-Ordinator
• contacting the Police
• making an external referral (this could include a referral to the relevant LADO, the DBS and/or to a Public Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB)
• referring the case to the Prevent Lead for them to make a decision on whether a Prevent referral is required.

Explore our Safeguarding Process Flowchart in more detail

Key contacts

Name	Safeguarding role	Faculty/Department	Email	Number
Fay Sherrington	Lead Safeguarding Officer and Prevent Lead	Student Services	[email protected]	Ext. 7550
Faye Walters	Deputy Lead Safeguarding Officer (Casework)	Student Services	[email protected]	Ext. 7213
Vicky Bosward	Senior Designated Safeguarding Officer	Human Resources	[email protected]	Ext. 6356
Ruth Slater	Senior Designated Safeguarding Officer	Student Recruitment	[email protected]	Ext. 4435
Mike Hartill	Senior Designated Safeguarding Officer	Faculty of Arts and Sciences	[email protected]	Ext. 7674
Leon Fraser	Senior Designated Safeguarding Officer	Faculty of Education	[email protected]	Ext. 4314
Joy Gana-Inatimi	Senior Designated Safeguarding Officer	Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine	[email protected]	Ext. 7060
Anna Grey	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Research Office	[email protected]	Ext. 7926
Maria Mirza	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Library & Learning Services	[email protected]	Ext. 7511
Mark Allinson	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Information Technology	[email protected]	Ext. 7477
Nicky Roach	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Corporate Communications	[email protected]	Ext. 4755
Paul Greenwood	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Facilities Management	[email protected]	Ext. 7469
Sarah Knight-Gill	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Facilities Management	[email protected]	Ext. 7461
Fiona Hallett	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Graduate School	[email protected]	Ext. 4341
Emma Hall	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Widening Access and Participation	[email protected]	01695650876
Mike Steventon	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Governance Quality Assurance and Student Casework	[email protected]	01695657383
Mel Lang	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Faculty of Arts and Sciences	[email protected]	01695584302
Kate Burrell	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Faculty of Education	[email protected]	Ext. 7920
Amanda Casey	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Faculty of Education – Early Years	[email protected]	Ext. 7774
Ian Shirley	Designated Safeguarding Officer	FoE – Primary Education	[email protected]	Ext. 7998
Heather Marshall	Designated Safeguarding Officer	FoE – Secondary and Further Education	[email protected]
Ciaran Murphy	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine	[email protected]	Ext. 7019
Eve Allen	Designated Safeguarding Officer	Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine	[email protected]	Ext. 7911
Paul Malone	External Safeguarding Partner	Students’ Union	[email protected]	01695657302