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 PolicyThis 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.
Prevent
The Prevent Duty requires specified authorities (including Universities) to help prevent the risk of people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. The UK government has delegated the function of monitoring authority for Universities to the Office for Student (OfS). The Home Office has published a video that provides an overview of the Prevent Duty.
Prevent intervenes early by identifying people who are susceptible to radicalisation and providing support to those suitable for intervention. The University has a Prevent Lead – this role is held by the Lead Safeguarding Officer.
The Home Office Prevent duty guidance explains that there is no single profile of a radicalised person, nor is there a single pathway to being radicalised. There are many factors which can, either alone or combined, lead someone to subscribe to terrorist or terrorism-supporting ideology. These factors often include exposure to radicalising influences, real and perceived grievances (often created or exacerbated through grievance narratives espoused by extremists) and a person’s own susceptibility.
A person’s susceptibility to radicalisation may be linked to a vulnerability. A person can be vulnerable if they need special care, support or protection because of age, disability, risk of abuse or neglect. A person’s vulnerabilities may be relevant to their susceptibility to radicalisation and to the early intervention approach that is required to divert them away from radicalisation.
The Gov.uk website has information about the University’s responsibilities with relation to the Prevent Duty. The Action Counter Terrorism (ACT) website contains further information about the signs of radicalisation. If you are concerned that an individual is exhibiting extremist beliefs or behaviours and/or that they are at potential risk of being radicalised, please share these concerns with a Designated Safeguarding Officer (as per the Safeguarding Policy).
The DSOs dealing with the case will always discuss and agree any decision in relation to a potential Prevent referral with the Prevent Lead.
Details for all Designated Safeguarding Officers including the Prevent Lead are provided within the key contacts at the bottom of this webpage.
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.
Limited information is passed back to the person making the referral if possible/appropriate. Then the DSO and Senior DSO ensure that complete and accurate records are stored securely while the DSO maintains contact with authorities
Key contacts
Name | Safeguarding role | Faculty/Department | 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 |