What is my role?

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Whilst there are specific lead responsibilities identified within the University, it is vital to state that it is everyone’s responsibility to safeguard and protect children and young people.

Staff

Effective safeguarding requires key role holders to understand their responsibilities and ensure they are carried out. Individual role holders with particular responsibilities may delegate the tasks associated with these responsibilities to others, however overall responsibility remains the role holders. Full details of roles and responsibilities can be found in section three of the University Safeguarding Policy and these are summarised below.

The Vice-Chancellor	The Vice-Chancellor has overall responsibility for the effective implementation of this policy across the University but additionally has specific powers to oversee suspension of students or staff if necessary pending investigations and where a significant risk of harm to an individual at risk is considered to exist.
Lead Safeguarding Officer	The Lead Safeguarding Officer will be a senior manager of the University, able to be accountable for the institution’s safeguarding policy and procedures. They will also take responsibility for organising the network of Designated Safeguarding Officers and their training.
Senior Designated Safeguarding Officers (SDSOs)	A number of senior managers of the University will be designated as Senior Designated Safeguarding Officers. These staff, who will be senior management contract holders of the University, will assist and deputise for the Lead Safeguarding Officer and undertake the training and duties of the Designated Safeguarding Officers as detailed below. In addition to this at least one of these officers will work in conjunction with the Designated Safeguarding Officers in making decisions on allegations.
Designated Safeguarding Officers (DSOs)	These role holders will take responsibility at service, faculty or departmental level for ensuring that policies and procedures for staff and students within their respective areas appropriately reflect the requirements of safeguarding. They will provide expertise where appropriate on relevant professional body requirements. They will act as a point of contact for any individual who may wish to seek advice on policy and procedure, discuss a safeguarding concern or make an allegation. They will be aware of how to identify signs of abuse and making appropriate referrals and to act as Panel Members for interview panels in respect of safe recruitment of students or staff (for example to consider information provided through the DBS Disclosure Certificates or via direct disclosure). They will ensure students or trainees in the respective faculties, programmes or departments who are placed in ‘regulated’ activities receive the appropriate training through the curriculum.

A list of key contacts can be found on our Safeguarding webpage.

Students

Students should report any safeguarding concerns that arise to a member of staff, their Head of Department, and/or one of the Designated Safeguarding Officers.

Students who intend to or are in a position of working with children, young people or vulnerable adults are responsible for:

1. Ensuring they understand the implications of the safeguarding policy before commencing any programme, placement, event, visit or activity.
2. Ensuring they understand the processes for Whistleblowing and the Management of Cause for Concern in Practice.
3. Reporting any safeguarding concerns that arise to their Head of Department and/or one of the Designated Safeguarding Officers.

Students who are in professional practice in the Faculty of Education should also familiarise themselves with the Faculty Cause for Concern Procedures. The procedure sets out the actions to be taken by a student/trainee who wishes to raise a concern in professional practice and an incident reporting form.

Students and volunteers of the University who come into contact with children, young people, or adults at risk in another organisation whilst representing the University must also familiarise themselves with the host organisation’s safeguarding procedures.