Safeguarding policy

This policy describes our approach to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults. It applies to all of our work with learners (both apprentices and not), and includes our permanent core team and any part-time or volunteer contributors.

Reporting concerns

We strive for our learners to both be and feel safe. If you have a Safeguarding or Prevent concern regarding yourself, another learner or a member of the FAC team, please speak with Anna, who is our Designated Safeguarding Lead.

If you have a concern involving Anna, please speak to Dan: [e-mail] If you have a concern involving Dan, please speak with our board member, Anni: [e-mail]

Our core team understand safeguarding indicators and will respond proactively to any concerns that are raised.

You can also raise concerns using our Safeguarding Concerns Form: Safeguarding Concerns form.

What safeguarding is

Safeguarding is protecting children, young people and adults at risk from abuse and neglect. It means protecting the physical and mental health of children, young people and adults at risk. Effective safeguarding should allow children, young people and adults at risk to get the best outcomes in life.

Founders and Coders is for adult learners, so the rest of this policy is focused on safeguarding adults specifically.

Safeguarding vulnerable adults is defined in the Care and support statutory guidance issued under the Care Act 2014 as:

• protecting the rights of adults to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect

• people and organisations making sure that the adult’s wellbeing is promoted including, where appropriate, taking fully into account their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action

• recognising that adults sometimes have complex interpersonal relationships and may be ambivalent, unclear or unrealistic about their personal circumstances and therefore potential risks to their safety or well-being

Why safeguarding is important

Having a robust safeguarding policy is important to ensure we do not miss signs of abuse or neglect. We want our programmes to be a safe place for people to learn, and this cannot happen unless everyone involved is vigilant in following safeguarding procedures.

Safeguarding concerns

• neglect

• physical abuse

• sexual abuse

• emotional abuse

• bullying, including online bullying and prejudice-based bullying

• racist, disability and homophobic or transphobic abuse

• gender-based violence/violence against women and girls

• honour-based violence

• domestic abuse

• sexual harassment and online sexual abuse between learners. Online abuse can include sending abusive, harassing and misogynistic messages; sharing nude and semi-nude images and videos; and coercing others to make and share sexual imagery

• upskirting

• radicalisation and/or extremist behaviour

• substance misuse

• female genital mutilation

• forced marriage

• homelessness

Prevent duty

As an apprentice training provider we have a duty to prevent our learners from becoming radicalised by extremist ideologies, or drawn into terrorist activity. The Government defines extremism as "vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and belief".

This is important as extremism is an ongoing threat to the UK. Anything we can do as an organisation to help prevent radicalisation can contribute to reducing this danger.

2023 Categories of extremism

• Extreme right wing

• Islamist

• Mixed, unstable and unclear(MUU) subcategories include:

  • Incel

Extremist influences could include, but are not limited to:

• family members having direct contact or involvement with extremist or terrorist groups

• staff members of an education or community setting promoting an extremist ideology

• peers promoting an extremist ideology or sharing extremist material

• access or exposure to online extremist material via social media or the internet - for example, propaganda including pictures, videos, blogs and fake news

• exposure to extremist, terrorist or other violent activity in overseas settings

• access or exposure to extremist leaflets, magazines or stickering

• exposure to extremist groups hosting marches, protests or stalls

Push Factors

Push factors may include a child, young person or adult learner feeling:

• isolated

• they do not belong

• they have no purpose

• low self-esteem

• their aspirations are unmet

• anger or frustration

• a sense of injustice

• confused about life or the world

• real or perceived personal grievances

Pull Factors

Pull factors could include an extremist or terrorist group, organisation or individual:

• offering a sense of community and a support network

• promising fulfilment or excitement

• making the child, young person or adult learner feel special and part of a wider mission

• offering a very narrow, manipulated version of an identity that often supports stereotypical gender norms

• offering inaccurate answers or falsehoods to grievances

• encouraging conspiracy theories

• promoting an ‘us vs. them’ mentality

• blaming specific communities for grievances

• encouraging the use of hatred and violent actions to get justice

• encouraging ideas of supremacy