CONTENTS
Document Control
Revision History
Versioning
Contents
Overview
1.0 Purpose
1.1 Scope
1.2 Related Policies
1.3 NMT Safeguarding Contact Details
Policy
2.0 Safeguarding Roles and Responsibilities
3.0 Safeguarding Reporting
4.0 Training and Awareness
5.0 Prevent Duty
Implementation and Communication
APPENDICES
Appendix A – Assessment Framework
Safeguarding and Prevent Policy
Version.2.
OVERVIEW
1.0 PURPOSE
1.0.1 New Meaning Training (NMT) acknowledges its duty of care to safeguard and improve the wellbeing of its community. This policy outlines the NMT safeguarding measures for providing a safe, secure environment that promotes an atmosphere conducive to learning and personal development, addressing physical safety, mental health concerns, emotional wellbeing, and social development.
1.0.2 Per the guidance provided in the Department of Education guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education, NMT will provide help and support to meet the needs of its learners as soon as problems emerge, protecting them from maltreatment, inside or outside the home, including online. Safeguarding includes online risks such as exposure to misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories, as outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education. NMT recognises these as key online content harms.
1.0.3 The Assessment Framework (Appendix A) details the factors to be considered in relation to the safety and welfare of young people.
1.1 SCOPE
1.1.1 This policy applies to the following key groups:
• All learners enrolled in NMT programs are covered by this policy and all safeguarding-related policies listed under section 1.2 Related Policies. Specific considerations for learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are outlined in the Send Provision Policy.
• All employees at NMT including full-time, part-time, temporary employees, volunteers, and contractors, must comply with safeguarding responsibilities, training, and reporting requirements.
• All visitors to NMT premises are subject to the safeguarding guidelines to ensure safety across the NMT community.
• The Senior Safeguarding Team, comprising: the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Additional Designated Safeguarding Leads (ADSLs), who hold responsibilities for implementing and maintaining the safeguarding.
• Parents/Carers and external professionals: collaboration with these groups ensures a supportive environment for learners and comprehensive reporting procedures for safeguarding concerns/incidents.
1.2 RELATED POLICIES
1.2.0 In line with statutory and best practice guidelines, safeguarding practice impacts a broad range of operations. To ensure a holistic and integrated approach to the safety and welfare of all involved and to ensure that all stakeholders work collaboratively to create a safe educational environment, the policies detailed below should be read in conjunction with:
• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 guidance from Department for Education
• Attendance and Absent from Education Policy
• Behaviour Policy – Learners
• Lone Working Policy
• Online Safety, Filtering and Monitoring Policy
• Physical Contact, Control and Restraint Policy
• Transporting Learners Policy
• Trips, Visits and Outings Policy
• Working with Young People around Substance Misuse Policy
• Employee Disciplinary Policy
• Fitness to Study Policy – Learners
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Confidentiality Policy
1.3 NMT SAFEGUARDING CONTACT DETAILS
1.3.1 Below are the contact details for safeguarding at NMT. These may be used by everyone (employees, learners, parents/carers, professionals) regarding any safeguarding related matter:
Email: safeguarding@newmeaning.training
Phone: 07746 218 834
Availability: Monday to Friday from 08:30am to 4:00pm
POLICY
2.0 SAFEGUARDING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
2.0.1 At NMT, the Safeguarding Manager is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who is assisted by a team of Additional Designated Safeguarding Leads (ADSLs), make up the Senior Safeguarding Team.
2.0.2 All NMT employees are responsible for adhering to all safeguarding protocols.
2.0.3 The Safeguarding Manager holds overall accountability for the safeguarding at NMT and must:
• Ensure all safeguarding referrals are made in a timely manner.
• Review annually as a minimum all policies with a safeguarding impact (see section 1.2 Related Policies) ensuring they reflect the unique features and needs of the community NMT serves.
• Maintain up to date records, stored safely, securely, and confidentially.
• Schedule, chair and maintain records of bi-monthly meetings with the Senior Safeguarding team. Meet bi-monthly as a team to share oversight of safeguarding provision within the setting.
• Monitor performance and to develop plans for continued professional development.
• Monthly board reports
• External reporting (BCG) – refer to the Confidentiality Policy.
2.0.4 The People Manager is responsible for the investigation and managing of any safeguarding allegation against any NMT employee, including the reporting of such to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
2.0.5 The Operations Director is responsible for the investigation and managing of any safeguarding allegation against the People Manager, including the reporting of such to the LADO.
2.0.6 All members of the NMT Senior Safeguarding Team must:
• Hold a DSL Level 5 certificate and attend refresher training a minimum of every 2 years.
• Refresh Prevent Duty training annually.
• Create and maintain a strong, positive culture of safeguarding within NMT, including a zero-tolerance approach to abuse.
• Be available to employees and learners to discuss and share concerns.
• Be available to provide advice and support to NMT Employees on Safeguarding and Prevent issues.
• Understanding online safety risks including exposure to misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, AI related risks and ensuring filtering and monitoring protocols are followed in line with DfE standards.
• Refresh knowledge and skills regularly for continual professional development.
3.0 SAFEGUARDING REPORTING
3.0.1 All NMT employees are responsible for the timely reporting of any safeguarding concerns or incident of which they become aware.
3.0.2 Serious safeguarding incidents must be immediately reported to both the responsible Area Manager and Safeguarding Manager by phone call or in person. Refer to the Behaviour Policy – Learners.
3.0.3 All safeguarding incidents and concerns must be recorded in the NMT Safeguarding reporting system within 24 hours.
3.0.4 Being absent as well as missing from education is recognised as a potential safeguarding indicator and must be escalated through safeguarding channels in line with KCSIE 2025.
3.0.5 Any area of uncertainty must be clarified with the Area Manager or Safeguarding Manager by phone call or in person.
3.0.6 The Senior Safeguarding Team investigates all safeguarding concerns and incidents, taking appropriate action and maintaining reporting records.
3.0.7 NMT work in partnership with external agencies to ensure the best outcomes for learners. To keeping learners safe, information is processed and shared in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.
3.0.8 Fears about sharing information must not override the need to safeguard the welfare and safety of learners. For more detailed guidance refer to the Confidentiality Policy.
4.0 TRAINING AND AWARENESS
4.0.1 All NMT employees must complete Level 2 Safeguarding and Prevent Duty training within their first week of employment.
4.0.2 Safeguarding training must be refreshed a minimum of every 2 years while Prevent Duty training is refreshed annually.
4.0.3 The Safeguarding Manager at NMT is responsible for identifying emerging safeguarding themes, raising awareness, and ensuring that additional safeguarding training and guidance are provided where a need is identified; to support this aspect of their role, they attend the Thames Valley Prevent Board.
4.0.4 Additional safeguarding training is delivered once per half term during all staff training days. Furthermore, training is provided in small group and one to one sessions, as required. Training will include updates related to online content harms, including misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories, as outlined in KCSIE 2025.
4.0.5 Training and support is provided in the use of all systems and documents used for safeguarding purposes.
5.0 PREVENT DUTY
5.0.1
Extremist ideologies seek to harm relationships between communities by sowing division, fear, and mistrust, often rooted in ignorance or prejudice. Such divisive tactics can significantly hinder young people’s opportunities in life. Prevent Duty is part of NMTs wider safeguarding obligations in line with the UK Government Prevent Duty guidance: for specified authorities in England and Wales.
5.0.2
NMT recognises that exposure to extremist content online may include misinformation and conspiracy-based narratives and will incorporate this into online safety and Prevent practice as required in KCSIE 2025.
5.0.3
Education serves as a powerful tool to counter threats, empowering young individuals with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities needed to engage in informed and constructive debate. NMT is committed to providing a curriculum which upholds values of openness and tolerance, fostering free debate as an integral aspect of British citizenship.
5.0.4
All NMT employees must participate in annual Prevent Duty training and attend awareness sessions provided when a need is identified.
5.0.5
Should an incident or concern be raised the NMT Safeguarding Team act and report via the local authority Prevent referral. Procedures followed are as directed by the Local Authority, Prevent Co-Ordinator, Police, Social Care, and any agency involved in safeguarding that learner and others.
5.0.6
Measures relating to attempts made to view material potentially relating to radicalisation, idealisation, and extremism, can be found in the Online Safety, Filtering and Monitoring Policy.
IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNICATION
1. NMT will make this policy available to all via:
• Cintra People
• POLICIES HUB SharePoint
• NMT Website
2. NMT will inform all Employees Alert all Employees of changes to this policy via:
• All Employee email.
• Cintra People communication.
• Weekly all Employee update communication.
3. Training on safeguarding matters will be provided at:
• In person bi-weekly by the Safeguarding Manager to each centre/area.
• All Employee training days.
• Further small group and/or individualised training as required.
4. The Safeguarding Manager at NMT will raise awareness of safeguarding and prevent issues through:
• Bi-weekly online meetings held with lead tutors of each area.
• Cascade of important safeguarding information via the Senior Safeguarding Team following bi-monthly online safeguarding meetings.
• Information campaigns.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A – ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK
The Assessment Framework is taken from Working Together to Safeguard Children, July 2018. It is used to safeguard children and young people who are facing difficulties that stop them from developing healthily and happily.
• Every assessment should draw together relevant information gathered from the child and their family and from relevant practitioners including NMT employees, health practitioners, the Police, and children’s social care.
• Every assessment of a learner should reflect the unique characteristics of the learner within their family and community context.
• Each learner whose referral has been accepted by children’s social care should have their individual needs assessed, including an analysis of the parental capacity to meet those needs, whether they arise from issues within the family or the wider community.
• Frequently, more than one child from the same family is referred and siblings within the family should always be considered.
