SAFEGUARDING
Safeguarding is the protection and preventative approaches applied to keep our students, staff and visitors safe. Our safeguarding approach includes children, young people and adults that may be at risk of harm.
The Sixth Form College is committed to the safeguarding, welfare and rights of all of our students, staff and visitors in an inclusive way. Our main focus is to ensure our students and staff are able to work and learn in a safe and supported environment, where their safety and welfare is at the heart of all of our working practices, policies and procedures.
Should anyone have concerns for the safety or wellbeing of a member of our college community they should talk to one of our safeguarding and support team members either in person, by telephone or via our safeguarding email address.
Meet the Safeguarding Team
Nicky Birch
Charlotte Barker
Clare Bowker
Malaika Majid
For students and staff the safeguarding team can be found in the ground floor LRC area, for parents or enquiries the team can be contacted by telephone please call reception on 01782 848736 and ask to speak to one of the team or email us on safeguarding@potteries.ac.uk
Personal Identification
Every member of the college community has been issued with their own personal college Identification card and lanyard. For security reasons, everyone must wear cards on a lanyard around their neck visible to the college staff and security team.
If a student forgets his/her card on more than one occasion they will be asked to return home to collect it. Replacement cards are available at the Student Services Area at a cost of £5 but ONLY if the card is lost.
PREVENT
Another aspect of safeguarding is the PREVENT duty, which requires the education sector to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”, supporting terrorism or being drawn into non-violent extremism. The overall duty for England and Wales can be found by clicking here.
There is a duty is to ensure that those identified with vulnerabilities are given appropriate advice and support. Should you wish to speak to a member of the safeguarding and support team regarding concerns you may have about yourself or somebody else please do contact us.
The Government has defined extremism as “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British Values”, which include:
- Individual liberty
- Rule of law
- Democracy
- Mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
This includes not discriminating against those with protected characteristics (Equality Act 2010), namely:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion and belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
HELP AND SUPPORT
The college have a mental health and wellbeing team situated in the ground floor LRC. To access this please speak to one of the team in person in G20 or talk to a trusted friend, teacher, support staff or one of the safeguarding team for advice.
Mental Health Support
Homelessness
If you are a young person under the age of 18 and are at risk of becoming homeless for what ever reason please come and speak to a member of our safeguarding and support team. If you need to speak to someone urgently, please contact Children’s and Families Social Care on 01782 235100. If you are over 18 please speak to a member of the team or contact Adult Social Care 01782 234234.
Sexual Harassment Support
If you or you know of someone who has experienced any form of sexual harassment or abuse please come and talk to our experienced safeguarding team for advice and support. Alternatively you can get advice from the following;
- Victim Support
- Staffordshire Police – 101
- Rape Crisis
- Safeline
- SurvivorsUK
- Breaking the Silence
- NAPAC
Other college support services
We understand the difficulties some of our students and families may experience and we offer a range of additional support services within college. These include our college food and hygiene bank and clothing and household items bank situated in the ground floor LRC. This is available for all our students to access to support them and their families.
Students are invited to help themselves and if anything specific to diet or culture is required please speak to a member of the safeguarding and support team to ensure we can provide this.
Students and their families are encouraged to apply for a college bursary if they are experiencing financial hardship – Financial Support
ONLINE SAFETY
Online safety is crucial for young people to protect themselves from various digital threats, including cyberbullying, scams, and privacy invasions. Here at The City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College we use software to safeguard the use of our IT systems. The safeguarding team monitor any behaviours online that may lead to a person being at risk.
Understanding Online Safety
Online safety involves being aware of the risks associated with using the internet and taking proactive steps to protect oneself. Young people are particularly vulnerable to online threats, including:
- Cyberbullying: Harassment or bullying that occurs through digital platforms.
- Scams and Fraud: Deceptive schemes aimed at stealing personal information or money.
- Privacy Invasion: Unauthorized access to personal information or accounts.
- Grooming: Predators attempting to befriend young people for harmful purposes.
Key Tips for Staying Safe Online
- Be Cautious With Personal information
- Think Before You Share
- Use Strong Passwords
- Recognise and Report Abuse
- Stay Informed About Online Risks
Resources for Support
By being proactive and informed, young people can enjoy a safer online experience while minimising the risks associated with digital interactions. Should you be concerned about anything you see online please come and speak to a member of the safeguarding team for advice.
OPERATION ENCOMPASS
We are an Operation Encompass College.
Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling educational settings to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.
Operation Encompass ensures that there is a simple telephone call or electronic notification to a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead /Officer (known as Key Adult) prior to the start of the next school day after an incident of police attended domestic abuse where there are children related to either of the adult parties involved.
Information is shared with a school’s Key Adult (Designated Safeguarding Lead or Officer) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident. This sharing of information enables appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.
Click here to read more.
