Safeguarding

At UCLan we recognise that safeguarding, which includes the Prevent duty, is everyone’s responsibility. As such, we are committed to supporting students, apprentices and visitors.

We recognise the importance of health and wellbeing in relation to an individual's academic and university experience. We aim to create an environment in which all members of our community, including those under the age of 18 and adults at risk, are safe from harm. This includes all forms of prejudice, harassment, discrimination, and bullying.

This approach is central to our values:

  • Achieving together;
  • Being proud;
  • Creating opportunity and;
  • Supporting all.

We know that we all have a responsibility to provide a safe physical and online environment and culture in which everyone can thrive. We embed this approach into our daily practice, training, policies, and procedures.

In a safeguarding emergency

In an emergency where any person is at risk of immediate harm call 999. Then report to one of our Safeguarding Leads by calling +44 (0) 1772 893020.

For out of hours concerns, the  security team are available 24 hours a day on +44 (0) 1772 892068.

UCLan colleagues can also view key contact details on the intranet.

For students, apprentices and colleagues, the Safezone App is available to download and can be used to access support and assistance.

Questions about safeguarding at UCLan

Safeguarding is about protecting children, young people (under 18) and adults at risk from harm. It's ensuring they get safe, timely and effective support. In the context of UCLan, this usually means providing a safe environment for individuals to study, visit and take part in activities. We also have a responsibility to act where we become aware that a child, young person or an adult at risk is at risk outside of the university.

Everyone using our facilities or engaged in UCLan facilitated activities has an equal right to protection. This is from all types of harm or abuse and regardless of:

  • Age;
  • Disability;
  • Gender reassignment;
  • Marriage and civil partnership;
  • Pregnancy and maternity;
  • Race;
  • Religion or belief;
  • Sex; or
  • Sexual orientation.

Everyone has a responsibility to report a safeguarding concern and we all need to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’. This includes staff, students, apprentices, visitors, volunteers, agency staff and contractors. It relates to any activity organised and/or delivered by UCLan representatives, regardless of where it takes place. External groups and organisations running activities on our campuses need to do so in accordance with approved risk assessments and associated safeguarding policies.

To prevent harm and promote student and learner welfare, support is available through several sources. This includes:

  • Student support
  • Mental health and wellbeing, including counselling
  • Disability and inclusive support
  • Student Coaches
  • Personal Tutors
  • Course teams

If you are a current student, you can find out more about the support available by visiting our Student Hub.

Where harm has already occurred, safeguarding is about preventing further harm and offering appropriate support. This may be provided by the university and external services.

Safeguarding children

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children includes everyone under 18. In defining our approach we draw on the definition used by the Department for Education (DfE) in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022 (KCSE):

  • Protecting children from maltreatment;
  • Preventing impairment of children’s mental or physical health or development;
  • Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care;
  • Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Safeguarding adults at risk

The Care Act 2014 defines an adult at risk as someone over 18 years of age who:

  1. has needs for care and support; and
  2. is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect; and
  3. as a result of those needs is unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.

Any adult can suffer neglect or be subjected to abuse. There are many factors which can increase an individual’s vulnerability. Indicators of possible vulnerability include:

  • A mental health issue;
  • Dementia;
  • A physical or learning disability;
  • A condition within the autistic spectrum;
  • A significant difficulty related to vison (requiring more than correction through spectacles and contact lenses alone);
  • A significant difficulty related to hearing (requiring more than correction through hearing aids alone);
  • Complications related to frailty or a serious illness.

An adult at risk may be receiving support services from the local authority, the NHS or a non-statutory agency, however this may not always be the case.

For safeguarding queries, support or advice, you can email our Wellbeing Team. Alternatively, please call +44 (0) 1772 893020.

If you have a safeguarding concern and would like to make a referral, please complete the safeguarding referral form providing as much detail as possible. 

Our Safeguarding Leads are here to offer support and advice, with staff based at each of our campuses.

Out of normal working hours, please see 'what to do in a safeguarding emergency' in the above section.

Any member of the UCLan community can report a concern using Report + Support. 

Your Students’ Union Advice Centre

The Students’ Union Advice Centre is a third-party reporting centre for hate crime and incidents. Trained advisors are able to support students and apprentices in reporting any hate crimes or incidents. This also includes any form of online harassment.

Information for colleagues

Colleagues can report their concerns to the designated safeguarding lead(s) for their school or service.

The emergency wellbeing flowchart on the intranet provides an overview of what to do should you have a safeguarding concern. This includes key contacts details. Any colleague wishing to access support should speak with their line manager or contact the People Team.

Accessing support for students and apprentices

Mental health, wellbeing and inclusive support is available to all students and apprentices. Details about what support is available and how to access it is below:

Please see our privacy notice for information on how personal information is used to provide student support.

Early help is key to safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk. As such, we need everyone to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ in relation to safeguarding concerns.

Notice, check and share

You may notice a concern, for example, a change in behaviour, appearance, academic engagement or performance. Or a student, apprentice or colleague may disclose something to you. It is important that we check this out, listen and share our concerns through the proper channels.

Please visit our webpages to find out more information about the signs of harm and abuse.

Exhibiting any of these signs, symptoms and behaviours does not always mean there are safeguarding concerns. We ask that concerns are checked out and passed onto a safeguarding lead where appropriate.

Safeguarding disclosures can be made at any time, to anyone. Knowing how to respond to these disclosures is important to ensure that appropriate support is put in place for the child, young person or adult at risk.

If a child, young person or adult at risk says or indicates that there is a possible safeguarding concern, or a member of staff receives information suggesting there may be a safeguarding concern, please follow these steps:

  • Remember, you do not have an investigatory role. Your role is to listen without judgement and to refer for support.
  • If there is an immediate risk to life or medical attention required see the 'in an emergency' section on this webpage.
  • Ensure not to promise to keep secrets and remind the child, young person, or adult at risk of the limits to confidentiality.
  • React in a calm and considered way so as not to frighten or deter the child, young person, or adult at risk.
  • Reassure the child, young person, or adult at risk they are not to blame for what has happened and that they were right to share this information.
  • Take what the child, young person or adult at risk says seriously, recognising the difficulties inherent in interpreting what is said by a child, young person or adult at risk. Keep any questions to the minimum required to clarify the concern and ensure a clear and accurate understanding of what has been said. 
  • Only use open questions - Do not ask leading questions or make suggestions about what may have happened.
  • Listen without interrupting if the child, young person, or adult at risk is recounting significant events.
  • Reassure the child, young person or adult at risk and tell them what you will do next.

Where the child, young person or adult at risk has made a disclosure, a verbatim record of their account of what occurred in their own words should be recorded. It should include details of the nature of the allegation or concern, a description of any injury, times, dates, places, and any other details. You must not remove clothing to inspect any injuries or take photographs.

Do not worry if you feel you have missed something. Tell the Principal Safeguarding Leads who will pick up further questions and actions.

We understand that responding to safeguarding concerns can impact on an individual’s wellbeing. It is important to look after ourselves. As such, details of support for students and apprentices is available on the Student Hub. Details of the support available to colleagues is on the supporting colleagues webpages on the intranet.

UCLan is committed to providing a safe environment to study, work and visit, protecting children, young people and adults at risk from harm and abuse. Our safeguarding policy and procedure outlines our approach, alongside other internal policies, procedures and guidance:

All colleagues will be aware of systems which support safeguarding and how to recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns. All colleagues are required to undertake Safeguarding Essentials online training, renewing every 2 years.

In addition, those with specific responsibilities are expected:

  • To have read and understood their responsibilities;
  • To attend training;
  • To ensure that appropriate records are kept relating to safeguarding matters; and
  • To ensure that local procedures/arrangements for meeting safeguarding responsibilities are kept up to date and are in line with the safeguarding policy.

Find out more about the specific roles and responsibilities for safeguarding at UCLan.

Related webpages

Prevent duty

We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of our students, apprentices and staff and to meeting our duties under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 and the UK Government's associated Prevent strategy.

Read more

Safeguarding roles and responsibilities

It is expected that all colleagues will be aware of systems which support safeguarding and how to recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns.

Read more

Safeguarding and Prevent training

We know it's important that all members of the UCLan community receive the appropriate level of safeguarding training. This may involve some or all of the training on this webpage.

Read more

Online safety and security

Your online safety is extremely important to us. While technology undoubtedly brings so many benefits, there are risks that we all need to be aware of as well.

Read more