At Staffordshire University, we are committed to providing a safe, secure and supportive environment for all staff, students and visitors who access our services, grounds and facilities. Each year, we admit and welcome students who are under the age of 18 at entry. We engage with thousands of children through our community and outreach programmes and our students gain valuable work experience, working with young people and children in educational and health settings. Staff and students over the age of 18 may be vulnerable because of mental ill-health concerns, disability, a medical condition or illness and research is taking place which may involve vulnerable groups.
As such, we take our responsibility to safeguard children and vulnerable adults very seriously and work hard to ensure that appropriate arrangements and robust procedures are in place to enable us to discharge our safeguarding duty.
Who is responsible for Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Staff and students alike have a role to play in keeping each other and themselves safe. We all have a duty to take action if we have a cause for concern about the safety and wellbeing of others.
As an organisation we have a general duty of care under common law to take reasonable steps to ensure that children, young people and adults who may be at risk are safe and that foreseeable harm does not occur as a result of careless acts or omissions of the university.
In response to this duty of care, we have in place established Safeguarding policies and procedures and Designated Officers responsible for receiving and acting upon reports of safeguarding concerns. These officers are trained to respond appropriately to reports and to support anyone who makes a report.
In these pages you will find information, advice and guidance to help staff and students understand what safeguarding means and how you can help ensure that the Staffordshire University is a safe place to work, study and succeed.
Why is safeguarding relevant to Staffordshire University?
- Some of our students are under 18
- Some University departments undertake outreach activity with children and young people
- Many placements may involve children, young people and vulnerable adults, particularly in clinical and education disciplines
- Research projects may involve children, young people and vulnerable adults. The safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults who are involved in research is the responsibility of the Research Ethics Committee
- The University hosts work experience students and engages with young people on apprenticeships
- Students may be at risk of radicalisation
- Disabled students and those with long term medical conditions may be considered vulnerable adults
- Students or staff may have children or siblings under 18 about who we have cause for concern.