The EVC Magazine Spring 2025 - Flipbook - Page 11
Safeguarding strategies
PGL Beyond’s Head of Safeguarding and SEND, Gemma Roberson, offers useful
advice on sharing safeguarding responsibilities with providers
“
Safeguarding is non-negotiable when planning any educational visit.
Young people, parents and carers rely on those organising the visit to
keep them safe from harm. In our own environments, when working with
children and young people, we are confident in our systems and processes
for effective safeguarding. The challenge for school staff when organising
an educational visit is to remove the security blanket of the safeguarding
arrangements that you use in your own setting.
To have confidence in your chosen provider, you need to understand how
they intend to fulfil their safeguarding requirements and see evidence that
they take this issue seriously. They should be able to provide you with the
detail of how they achieve this. The checklist below should help you to see
whether a potential provider meets your safeguarding expectations.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 is statutory guidance
which applies to all organisations and agencies who have functions
relating to children, including providers. It sets out key roles for individual
organisations and agencies to deliver effective arrangements for help,
support, safeguarding and protection.
ASK YOUR PROVIDER….
? Check their website: Can you find a safeguarding
policy or statement? Do they name a key person
in their organisation who is responsible for
safeguarding?
Safeguarding is
a crucial issue
to consider when
you are choosing
a provider for any
off-site visit
OUR ADVISER SAYS...
If in doubt, check them
out.
Don't be afraid to ask as
many questions as you
need to.
Request a pre-visit if
needed.
If you have any concerns,
speak to your Educational
Visits Adviser.
? Safeguarding policy: Does their safeguarding policy
set out how they manage safeguarding concerns?
? Safer recruitment of colleagues: How do they recruit
their colleagues to ensure they are suitable to be
working with children and young people? Are criminal
records checks completed?
? Safeguarding training: Are their employees trained
to spot the signs and symptoms of abuse? Do their
team members know how to report safeguarding
concerns?
? Code of conduct: Does the organisation have a code
of conduct that sets out clear expectations when
working with children and young people regarding
professional boundaries? If the organisation doesn't
have one, would they agree to professional
behaviours that you would expect of their colleagues?
THE EVC MAGAZINE – SPRING 2025
Gemma
Roberson
11
