Statement of Safeguarding and Child Protection Principles and Practice regarding
Young People
Residing at Dr Winterbottom Halls of Residence
1.
Definitions
1.1.
“Young people/person” refers to any resident at the Halls of Residence who is not
yet 18 years old.
1.2.
“Resident” refers to any person, regardless of age, who is resident at the Halls of
Residence.
1.3.
“Staff” refers to any person who is paid by the College or volunteer concerned or
agency staff with the College in any capacity.
1.4.
“Adult” refers to any person over the age of 18 and includes residents at the Halls of
Residence.
1.5.
“Family” refers to any family; partner; child or dependant living in or visiting College
owned accommodation, or the Halls of Residence.
1.6.
“Allegation” means any information suggesting that an adult has caused, may yet
cause or is in the process of causing harm to any young person or resident.
1.7.
Halls/DWH means Dr Winterbottom Halls of residence and surrounding College
premises
2.
Scope and Aim
2.1.
This document aims to provide a framework for good practice, for all Staff, when
dealing with young people and residents.
2.2.
This document aims to provide a framework for safeguarding practice for all adults
and family living in, or visiting College owned accommodation, or the Halls of
Residence.
2.3.
These guidelines apply to all adults and family working at or having regular access to
the Halls, regardless of their position, roles, responsibilities or status.
2.4.
These principles apply over and above any other health, safety, safeguarding and
welfare arrangements in place at South Tyneside College and are in particular aimed
at those Residents attending South Shields Marine School and living in or visiting the
Halls of Residence; the staff working at the Halls; and all adults who may use or
access the Halls.
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2.5.
This document in its current form remains applicable at all times and in all cases.
2.6.
Where there is conflict between this and any other guidance, the welfare of the young
person and all legislation pertaining to Safeguarding duties have precedence at all
times.
2.7.
Breach of these principles by staff would constitute a serious breach of trust and
could adversely affect an employee’s suitability to work at or in the vicinity of the
Halls.
2.8.
Breach of these principles by any adult or family member living in, or visiting College
owned accommodation would constitute a major breach of trust and result in
termination of their accommodation contract, or right to access the Halls of
Residence, in addition to any other sanction applied.
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE
3.
Duty of Care
All staff should:
3.1.
Understand the responsibilities, which are part of their employment role, and be
aware that sanctions will be applied if these provisions are breached.
3.2.
Always act, and be seen to act, in the Young person’s best interest.
All staff, adults, and their family should:
3.3.
Avoid any conduct which would lead any reasonable person to question their
motivation or intentions.
3.4.
Take responsibility for their actions and behaviour; or the actions of their visitors.
4.
Professional Judgement
All staff should:
4.1.
Where no specific guidance exists, discuss the circumstances that informed their
action (or proposed action) with a senior colleague, the General Soft Services
Manager or any person deemed competent to guide their action.
4.2.
Ensure that the safest practicable actions are taken to reduce risk and manage the
safety and wellbeing of any young person.
4.3.
Ensure that any misunderstanding, accidents, threat, risk or suspicions are
immediately discussed with a senior manager.
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4.4.
where staff feel that the *General Soft Services Manager or *Duty Supervisors are
the source of the complaint or are not in a position to act impartially, they should
contact the Deputy Chief Executive or any member of the Senior Executive Group of
the College.
4.5.
Always record, in writing, discussions and actions taken with any justifications or
conditions prevailing at that time.
5.
Power and Position of Trust
Staff, Adults and Family should not:
5.1.
Use their position, or allow any other person, to gain access to information for their
own advantage and, or, a young person’s detriment; not allow any other adult to gain
this type of access.
5.2.
Use their power, or allow any other person, to intimidate, threaten, coerce, bully or
harass a young person at any time or in any circumstances.
5.3.
Use their status and standing to form or promote any inappropriate relationships with
a young person.
5.4.
Allow any other person to use their status and standing to form or promote any
appropriate relationships with a young person.
6.
Confidentiality
6.1.
Staff are expected to treat information they receive or have access to in a discreet
and confidential manner, and to ensure that no unauthorised person is given access
to any information.
6.2.
Staff are to be cautious about dealing with, receiving and sharing information about
young people. If there is any doubt about sharing information with another person (in
person, over the phone or in writing), staff should seek advice from a senior
colleague.
6.3.
Staff are to be aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and must not under any
circumstances promise confidentiality or ‘keep secrets’ when dealing with any
disclosure of information or allegations.
7.
Propriety and Behaviour
Staff, Adults and Family should not:
7.1.
Behave in a manner which would lead any reasonable person to question their
suitability to work with, or be in company with young people, or act as a role model.
7.2.
Make sexual remarks to a young person (including social media, electronic media,
text messages, phone, written, or pictures).
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7.3.
Discuss their own sexual relationships with, or in the presence of young people.
7.4.
Discuss a young person’s sexual relationships in inappropriate settings or context. A
full record of any such discussion should be made as soon as practicable should
such an event occur.
7.5.
Make (or encourage others to make) unprofessional personal comments which
scapegoat, demean or humiliate, or might be reasonably interpreted as such.
8.
Dress and Appearance
Staff, Adults and Family should wear clothing which:
8.1.
Promotes a positive professional image.
8.2.
Is appropriate to their role.
8.3.
Is not likely to be viewed as offensive, revealing, or sexually provocative.
8.4.
Is absent of any political or otherwise contentious slogans.
8.5.
Is not considered to be discriminatory.
8.6.
Staff should never require a young person to remove items of clothing (other than
coveralls). Discriminatory, contentious or inflammatory slogans should be covered
whilst the Young person is within the Halls.
9.
Gifts
Staff, Adults and Family should:
9.1.
Ensure that gifts received or given are declared to the * General Soft Services
Manager or appropriate line manager.
9.2.
Not give gifts to an individual young person unless as part of an agreed reward
system.
10. Infatuations
10.1. Staff, adults and family should report any indications (verbal, written or physical) that
suggest a young person may be infatuated with them or any other adult, family or
member of staff.
11.
Social Contact
Staff, Adults and Family should:
11.1. Always seek approval from a senior College manager for any planned social contact
with a young person, for example when part of a pastoral care programme.
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11.2. Advise the *General Soft Services Manager of any regular social contact with a
young person resident in the Halls which may give rise to concern.
11.3. Report and record any situation, which they feel, might compromise the College, the
Young person, or their own, reputation, professional standing, or residential status.
11.4. Remain vigilant for any inappropriate contact between a young person and any other
adult.
12.
Physical Contact
Staff, Adults and Family should:
12.1. Be aware that even well intentioned physical contact may be misconstrued by a
young person, a third party observer, or by anyone to which the action is described.
12.2. Never touch a young person in a way which may be considered indecent.
12.3. Always be prepared to explain their actions and accept that all physical contact will
be open to scrutiny.
12.4. Never indulge in horseplay, tickling or ‘fun fights’, or any such actions.
12.5. On the rare occasions that staff are required to make a physical search of a young
person, it should be:
13.

conducted in an appropriate area of the Halls, preferably with at least one other
Adult witness;

not in a manner to cause distress;

only to the extent which is required to execute a rightful duty;

with the permission of a senior manager (where practicable).
Young persons in Distress
Staff, Adults and Family should:
13.1. Consider the manner in which they offer comfort to a distressed young person.
13.2. Always inform the General Soft Services Manager and record when and how they
offered comfort to a distressed Young person if physical contact was made.
13.3. Record any situations which may give cause for concern.
13.4. Ensure that any such Young person is pro-actively monitored until such time as
appropriate welfare advice can be administered. This may entail the Young person
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being in their company for some considerable time. All such actions should be
recorded.
14.
Study Bedrooms, Showers or Changing Areas and Toilets
Staff and Adults should:
14.1. Avoid any visually or other intrusive behaviour.
14.2. Not eavesdrop, loiter or otherwise covertly monitor any private space without prior
consent of a senior manager (where practicable), or without sound justification.
Family should:
14.3. Never enter any study bedroom, shower or changing areas and toilets without the
express permission of the *General Soft Services Manager or *Duty Supervisor, or
without sound justification.
Staff should:
14.4. Knock and announce their intention of entering, giving the young person, or any other
occupant, sufficient time to react to their announcement. if the response is negative,
staff must respect this except when;

they have reason to believe that the Young person or another person may be at
risk of, or is experiencing actual harm of any description; or

their current conduct or behaviour is in serious breach of their Terms and
Conditions of Residence.
14.5. Avoid remaining in any occupied room, shower or changing area, or toilets longer
than is required to perform their rightful duty.
14.6. Never search a room without the express permission of the * General Soft Services
Manager, or *Duty Supervisor or other College senior manager. Where practicable
the search should take place in the presence of the occupant, and in the presence of
at least one other Adult witness.
14.7. As a matter of practice not enter any room, by invitation or not, whether occupied at
that time or not, without reasonable cause to do so.
14.8. Not change in the same place as any young person.
14.9. Not shower in the same cubicle as any young person.
14.10. Not share any enclosed cubicle or space with a young person.
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15.
Behaviour Management
Staff, Adults and Family should:
15.1. Be aware that the welfare and behaviour of young people are the direct responsibility
of the Halls Staff and that, beyond reporting any issues or concerns, no adults, family
or other residents are given any power to administer sanctions or regulate their
behaviour.
Staff should:
15.2.
Not administer any physical punishment.
15.3.
Try to defuse situations before they escalate.
15.4.
Make accurate, factual records as soon as practicable.
15.5.
Adhere to the Halls disciplinary procedures.
15.6.
Record any sanctions issued.
16.
Physical Intervention
Adults and Family should:
16.1. Under no circumstances use or threaten to use or encourage another to use any
force or physical intervention against any person within the Halls of Residence or any
Resident.
Staff should:
16.2. Always seek to defuse situations.
16.3. Ensure that any use of physical intervention is by reasonable and non-injurious
means, only for the minimum time necessary to prevent injury to self or others or very
serious damage to property, and always recorded in writing.
16.4. Seek (where practicable) to enlist the assistance of another Adult to act as a witness
or to ensure that the invention is reasonable and as non-injurious as possible.
16.5. Only use force to restrain any young person or resident who is:

causing injury to themselves or any other person;

causing very serious damage to their own or any other person’s property;
16.6. Always use the minimum physical intervention for the shortest period necessary, and
by the most non-injurious means possible.
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16.7. Remain mindful that to be judged lawful, any force used should be proportional to the
circumstances it is intended to prevent.
16.8. As soon as practicable after any physical intervention has been made, inform a
senior manager.
16.9. Make a full record of any incident where physical intervention, or threat of physical
intervention, was implied or used.
17.
Sexual contact with young people
Staff, Adults and Family should:
17.1. Not pursue sexual relationships with any Young person regardless of whether they
are College students or resident at the Halls.
17.2. Avoid any form of communication with a young person which could be interpreted as
sexually suggestive or provocative i.e. verbal comments, letters, notes, electronic
mail, social media, phone calls, texts and physical contact etc.
18.
One to One Situations
Staff, Adults and Family should:
18.1.
Avoid meetings with young persons in remote parts of the College or Halls.
Staff should:
18.2. Ensure that there is visual access and/or an open door in all one to one situations.
18.3. Assess the need for other staff or an adult witness to be present or available nearby.
18.4. Always report any situation, particularly a one to one situation, where a young person
has become distressed or angry, to a senior colleague.
19.
Transporting Young People
Staff should:
19.1. Not transport a young person resident at the Halls in their vehicle.
19.2. Knowingly allow any other adult not resident and not related to the young person to
transport a Young person in their vehicle.
19.3. Arrange for taxi transport for a Young person to:

attend any medical appointment or pre-arranged health visit;
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20.

attend accident and emergency (where appropriate);

return to the Halls when not so doing would place the Young person at risk of any
kind or could be prejudicial to their wellbeing;

ensure that where a young person declines a Halls provided taxi in favour of
transport with a fellow resident, reasonable steps are taken to inform them of the
potential outcomes of their actions;

ensure that the young person is suitably accompanied by a responsible person
who is an adult (if practicable).
First Aid
Staff, Adults and Family should:
20.1. Be aware of the nature of the first aid being administered and where practicable seek
the assistance of another Adult to act as a witness.
20.2. Explain in detail, even if no other person is present, what process they are engaged
in.
20.3. Where practicable administer first aid in a suitably secluded but public area.
20.4. Under normal circumstances, and where no life threatening injury is present, not
perform any first aid or procedure which could be remotely described as intimate; call
an ambulance if in doubt, and in any case seek the assistance of another Adult
where practicable.
20.5. In addition to normal record keeping, record the justification for any breaches of the
above principle and inform a senior colleague of this as soon as practicable.
21.
Internet, TV, Photography, Video, Mobile Phones, Social Media and other
Images
Staff should:
21.1. Not access or watch inappropriate, obscene or indecent images on Halls, or any
other computer or IT device, TV or equipment at the Halls, whether on duty or not.
21.2. Not allow any adult, resident, or family to access or watch inappropriate, indecent,
and obscene or images on Halls, or any other computer or IT device, TV or
equipment in the presence of any Young person or in any common area liable to be
used by a young person.
21.3. Not access, watch, store, make, receive or forward any inappropriate, indecent or
obscene images on Halls, or any other phone or IT communication device, or any
image storage device.
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21.4. Not knowingly allow any adult, resident, or family to access, watch, store, make,
receive or forward any inappropriate, indecent or obscene images on Halls, or any
other phone or IT communication device, or any image storage device where it is
likely that a Young person, or any other Resident would be affected.
21.5. Make a record and report it to a senior manager should any such incidents or
suspicions come to their notice.
21.6. Have an awareness of ‘cyber-bullying’, ‘sexting’ and other social media misuse
issues involving cyberspace, making a record of any incident or suspicion and
reporting it to a senior colleague.
22.
Sharing Concerns and Recording Incidents
Staff should:
22.1. Be familiar with the College procedure of dealing with allegations, incidents or
suspicions.
22.2.
Take responsibility for recording any incident, and for passing that information on to
a senior colleague where they have any concerns about any matter pertaining to the
welfare of an individual in the Halls.
23.
Whistleblowing
Staff have a responsibility to:
23.1.
Bring matters of concern to the attention of a senior manager.
23.2.
Report any behaviour by any colleague that raises any concern.
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