Safeguarding

Safeguarding our students, staff and visitors is an important issue to us.

Safeguarding means:

Promotion of your health and development
Ensuring your safety and care
Ensuring you are offered the best life chances
Protection from abuse and neglect
Prevention of bullying and harassment.

The term safeguarding embraces both child and vulnerable adult protection and preventative approaches to keep our student, staff and visitor population safe. Safeguarding encompasses students’ health and safety, welfare and well-being.

Weston College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We have developed a Safeguarding Policy and Procedure that aims to meet this commitment.

Our policy covers:

Abuse and neglect
Prevention of discrimination
Anti-bullying and harassment
Addressing attendance issues
Supporting health care plans for students with specific medical needs
Safety and security.

If you, as a student at the College have any concern about your wellbeing, safety or rights, then you should:

Talk to your Tutor
Talk to the College Welfare Officer
Contact one of our two Designated Safeguarding Officers
- Jacqui Ford on 01934 411544 Jacqui.ford@weston.ac.uk
- Fiona Waters on 01934 411584 Fiona.waters1@weston.ac.uk

E-safety - 4 C’s of e-safety

Contact
Contact via the Internet can mean that people have access to people and groups anywhere in the world. This can often have very positive advantages however, be aware that if you are making contact with people you do not know, you should limit the amount of personal information that can be viewed. Unprotected personal profiles could make you subject to online grooming, racial hatred, online bullying and potential assault.

If you feel unsure about contact that you have made via the Internet please report the person either to the police, your parents (if applicable), your Tutor or a member of Student Services at the College. If the contact has been made via a social networking site such as Facebook, MySpace or Bebo, you can report the user via the website.

Content
It should be remembered that once any information/photographs are posted on social networking sites they become the property of the site. This means that although the image/information may be deleted by you, a copy of it is still owned by the respective site and you no longer have control of this information/image. If you publish inappropriate material online you are at risk of prosecution. For example, inappropriate images of a child, criminally obscene content or content containing or inciting racial hatred.

Commerce
Please be aware that it is very easy to be drawn into online gambling, financial scams and inappropriate advertising. Remember if it appears to be too good to be true it will be too good to be true! Be careful about signing up for offers using bank cards/credit cards without reading all the terms and conditions. Do not publish your personal details or financial details online without being sure it is a secure website. This is normally indicated by the padlock sign on the webpage.

Conduct
Sometimes people carry out activities which are deliberately meant to upset, offend or intimidate someone. These could be via a social networking site, a website or mobile phones. Cyber bullying is a real issue; if you believe you are being bullied please talk to your Tutor, parent (if applicable) or someone from Student Services.

Information for staff
Weston College is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. From January 2010 all new staff will be required to complete an enhanced CRB and wear a photo ID badge. Weston College will be embracing the Vetting and Barring Scheme and with effect from July 2010 all new staff will also be expected to have an Independent Safeguarding Authority number (ISA). Further information will be sent to all prospective staff as part of the application process.

If you are experiencing any type of abuse either at college or in your personal life, please speak with your tutor, your lecturer, or any member of college staff. We are here to help you.