1. Introduction

A child is defined as a person under the age of 18 (The Children Act 1989).

For the purpose of this guidance:

• The term ‘child’ will be used to describe all children and young people under the age of 18 years old using Campus Services.

• The term ‘Adults at risk of Harm’ will be used to describe a person who is aged 18 or over who has care and support needs (whether or not the Local Authority is meeting those needs), and is experiencing, or at risk of abuse and neglect and as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from abuse and neglect or the risk of it. We also consider adults who are at risk of exploitation, including radicalization, as falling within scope of our definition.

• The term ‘staff’ will be used to describe those employed on a contract of employment at University of Bath (UOB) including those working on a voluntary/unpaid basis.

• The definition of Regulated Activity Relating to Adults now focuses on the activities required by an adult which may make them vulnerable, for example:

• Healthcare

• Personal care

• Social work

• General household matters

• Assisting adults in conducting their own affairs

• Conveying

Staff should implement this guidance using the following guidelines when conducting work that involves children. This will protect the safety and well-being of children engaging with the University and that of our own staff.

This guidance document should be read and implemented in conjunction with the overarching University of Bath Safeguarding Policy

1.1 Scope

Campus Services, including the University of Bath Security Services, when making provision for children, young people and vulnerable adults must ensure that:

• the welfare of the child is paramount
• all children, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse
• all suspicions and allegations of abuse are taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
• all persons working in Campus Services report concerns as quickly as possible to Campus Services report concerns as quickly as possible to the Departmental Safeguarding Officers, Andrew Nash (Head of Campus Services Facilities) or, Clare Cobb (Residence Experience Manager).

Campus Services provides services that include residential accommodation, catering and 24 hour manned security services. These services will be provided to children and adults at risk as:

• Student Accommodation. Each year the University accepts a small number of “child” applications and, in addition, each year we will accept applications from any number of students who may fall into the category of adults at risk of harm associated with some neurodiverse conditions.
• Commercial Business. During the summer months Campus Services accommodates and caters for guests and visitors with under 18-year-olds.

Campus Services staff are not trained to deal with situations of abuse or to decide if abuse has occurred. Their role should be to ensure concerns are reported to the appropriate authorities in order for appropriate action to be taken.

All staff employed by Campus Services will be covered by this guidance. Where the Campus Services facilities are commercially sold e.g. Summer schools and sports events, the organiser should have in place their own Child Protection & Safeguarding Guidance and procedures, which should be available on request.

1.2 Purpose of Guidance

Campus Services has a duty of care to safeguard all children and adults at risk from harm who use any of the services we provide. All children have a right to protection, and the needs of disabled children and others who may be particularly vulnerable must be taken into account. Campus Services will ensure the safety and protection of all children that use the services through adherence to the Child Protection & Safeguarding Guidance adopted by Campus Services and endorsed by the University of Bath.

1.3 Guidance Aims

The Aim of Campus Services and Child Protection & Safeguarding Guidance is to, alongside the overarching
University of Bath Safeguarding Policy, promote good practice by:

• providing children, young people and vulnerable adults with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of Campus Services
• allowing all staff to make informed and confident responses to specific child safeguarding issues

2 Campus Services Child Protection & safeguarding Procedures

Campus Services' core operations are providing accommodation, catering, security and facilities services to adults and staff. During specific periods of the year they operate these services for children and some students will also be Under 18. It is not a requirement of Campus Services to have all staff Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checked, unless they are Security, who have specific duties and/or who may be in regular contact with children and/or adults at risk of harm.

Applicants for these roles will:

• Complete an application form, and if appropriate, a DBS application and consent form. And;
• References will be sought from all applicants.
• If the applicant or an existing University Member who has not previously been required to work with children in their position has no experience of working with children the line manager / supervisor will agree specific training requirements with them on appointment.

The Department will ensure that any individuals who have substantial contact with children or adults at risk of harm will be checked for relevant criminal convictions whenever appropriate and possible within the constraints of legislation. A satisfactory check will need to be received by the University before an individual starts work in a post which requires such a check or before a student is involved in activity requiring (in the opinion of either the University or relevant third parties) such a check. For those who are non-UK nationals or who have lived overseas a check may also be required from that country. Only exceptionally where a DBS check has been requested, but not yet received, might an individual be allowed to start when a satisfactory risk assessment has been conducted by the department to enable them to commence work under supervision.

Concern will be raised to the DBS by the DSO if they have reason to believe that an individual poses a risk to children or adults. The Designated Safeguarding Officers are responsible for determining when such a referral is necessary. Campus Services does have procedures in place to ensure good practice is adopted when providing services to children.

2.1 Roles and Responsibilities

Campus Services has two Designated Safeguarding Officers (DSO) as laid out in the University Safeguarding Policy during term time. Outside term time and in relation to Campus Services’ commercial business Senior Managers are responsible for ensuring all other alleged incidents are raised to the University authorities as quickly as possible.

Where the Residence Experience Team allocates a room to a “Child” or “Vulnerable Adult” they will formally advise the Head of Security, Head of Residence Operations and Designated Safeguarding Officers. The following procedures must be observed.

• Cleaning of a “child’s” room must always be carried out by two personnel
• Cleaning of communal space in the “child’s” house/flat should be performed by two personnel
• Access to a “child’s” room must always be performed by two personnel, whether as part of a maintenance, security or inspection requirement.
• Signed records retained of all individuals who access a child’s bedroom

When commercial business involves children the Commercial Business Manager is responsible for providing the Head of Security, Head of Residence Operations, Hospitality Operations Manager and Designated Safeguarding Officers with rooming lists to ensure that staff are aware of the need to follow Child Protection & Safeguarding Guidance. The following procedures must be observed:

• The University will take steps to accommodate under 18-year old’s staying overnight on campus in an area of the residences which is not occupied by other adults, although availability of accommodation in some circumstances may limit the University’s ability to ensure this.
• Campus Services must verify that Event Organisers have their own Child Protection & Safeguarding Guidance when the event involves children.
• Cleaning of a “child’s” room must always be carried out by two personnel.
• Cleaning of communal space in the house/flat should be performed by two personnel.
• Access to a “child’s” room must always be performed with by two personnel, whether as part of a maintenance, security or inspection requirement.
• Signed records retained for all individuals who access a child’s bedroom.
• Estates staff should always either attend with an operational member of staff when attending repairs/faults or, if unavailable, arrange to attend in pairs.
• Work in and houses/flats involving contractors should be avoided unless of an emergency nature during periods when large child groups occupying.
• Sale of Alcohol to children is strictly illegal.
• An alert to catering supervisors of under 18 groups coming into particular hospitality outlets will be distributed by Sales and Events Team.
• Sales and Events Team will ensure that if we are bringing under 18 groups into hospitality outlets, we need to ensure adequate supervision is being provided by the Event Organisers.

2.2 Recruitment and employment of staff

The University has a documented Safer Recruitment Procedure. For positions that involve regular contact with children and/or adults at risk of harm and where members of Campus Services have unsupervised access to children and/or adults at risk of harm, for all security positions, the following procedures will be completed:

• All applicants will complete an application form.
• References will be obtained for all successful applicants.
• The University is registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service and will ensure that any staff employed in a security capacity is checked for relevant criminal convictions. An enhanced disclosure will be required for Security Staff.

2.3 What to do if you have a concern about a child, young person or vulnerable adult?

It is not the responsibility of anyone working in Campus Services, to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place. However there is a responsibility to act on any concerns through contact with the appropriate authorities.

Campus Services will assure all staff that it will fully support and protect anyone, who in good faith reports his or her concern that a colleague is, or may be, abusing a child.

Where there is a complaint against a member of staff there may be three types of investigation: - criminal investigation - child protection investigation - disciplinary or misconduct investigation

The results of the police and child protection investigation may well influence the disciplinary investigation, but not necessarily.

Action if there are concerns of Abuse

The Primary responsibility of Campus Services is to ensure that concerns and any relevant information are passed to University authorities without delay.

Every effort should be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned. Information should be handled and disseminated on a need to know basis only.

Responding to disclosure

Actions to take: - react calmly - tell the young person they are not to blame and that they were right to tell you - take what the young person says seriously and that you understand and believe them - keep questions to a minimum; if you have to ask a question keep them open and not leading - maintain confidentiality but do not make promises you cannot keep - explain to the child or young person that you will have to share your concerns with someone who is in a position to act - make a full record of what has been said, heard and/or seen as soon as possible and report to the Designated Safeguarding Officers.

Recording information: Report any incidents by completing the Campus Services Safeguarding Incident Form This will alert the Designated Safeguarding Leads for Campus Services:

• Andrew Nash Ext 4722 (Head of Campus Services Facilities);
• or Clare Cobb Ext 5051 (Residence Experience Manager)
  

Who will contact the University Senior Nominated Officer, Ian Blenkharn, (University Secretary and Registrar.)

If, for any reason, staff are unable to contact the Campus Services DSO’s then a full list of Safeguarding Officers can be found here.

2.4 Raising a concern

If a member of staff has concerns about welfare of a child, adult at risk of harm they must do the following: - If necessary ensure the immediate safety of the child (and other children) - Immediately report concerns to the Campus Service DSOs - The DSO will advise the University Safeguarding Officer.

2.5 Reporting allegations against a member of staff

Where a member of staff has a concern about the behaviour of a colleague in relation to a child or adult at risk of harm they should report this to the Deputy Director of Human Resources in the first instance.

3 Process of Review for Child Protection & Safeguarding Guidance

Annual Review

The Campus Services DSOs are responsible for the control of the Departmental Guidance and will review it annually.

Campus Services Senior Managers H & S Committee

The committee will review the guidance annually.

Process of Review

All relevant staff will have the opportunity to comment on the Guidance. The Chief Compliance Officer will be consulted before this Guidance is updated.

4 Good Practice with Children

All personnel should be encouraged to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in order to protect themselves from false allegations. The following are common sense examples of how to create a positive culture and climate.

Good practice means:

• always working in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging open communication with no secrets)
• awareness of accommodation being occupied by children
• where access to bedrooms occupied by children is required work in pairs and not alone
• where staff are required to address emotional or sensitive issues with individuals or groups of students away from their rooms, they should, where possible try to ascertain the ages of those involved.
• treating all children equally, and with respect and dignity
• always putting the welfare of each child first,
• maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with children (e.g. it is not appropriate for staff or volunteers to have an intimate relationship with a child or to share a room with them)
• building balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children to share in the decision- making process
• ensuring that if children of mixed genders are to be supervised they should always be accompanied by a male and female member of staff.
• ensuring that at residential events, adults should not enter children’s rooms or invite children into their rooms
• being an excellent role model – this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of children
• giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism -at the beginning of the child’s involvement/contract - securing parental consent in writing to act in loco parentis, should the need arises at a later time to administer emergency first aid and/or other medical treatment
• keeping a written record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given
• any unusual events/ happenings to be reported
• question any unknown adults who enter the University premises and attempts to engage with the children. Never using physical force against a child, unless it constitutes reasonable restraint to protect him/her or another person or to protect property. If it is necessary to restrain a participant because they are an immediate danger to themselves or others or to property then the minimum amount of force should be used for the shortest amount of time. Remain calm and get the attention and support of other staff. The incident should be recorded in writing with a witness statement (where possible), immediately afterwards.

Practices to be avoided

The following should be avoided except in emergencies. If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable it should be with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge or the child’s parents. For example, a child sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital. - avoid spending amounts of time alone with children away from others

Practices never to be sanctioned

The following should never be sanctioned. You should never:

• engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay
• allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching
• allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged
• make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun
• reduce a child to tears as a form of control
• allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon
• do things of a personal nature for children or disabled adults, that they can do for themselves
• invite or allow children to stay with you at your home unsupervised

5 Further information and related policies

• Admissions Policy in relation to the admission and support for students entering the University under the age of 18
• Declaration of Criminal Convictions Policy
• Safer Recruitment Procedure
• Dignity and Respect Policy
• Fitness to Practice Policy and Procedure
• Health and Safety Policies
• Modern Slavery Statement
• Prevent Policy
• Public Interest Disclosure Policy