Safer Solent

Always call 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm. In an emergency you must report your concern immediately to the relevant statutory agency ie, police or ambulance.

The Solent University safeguarding manager, Student Success Team and principal safeguarding officers in each department are in place to support you with any safeguarding concerns that may be raised to your attention. They will guide and provide support to enable the relevant actions to be taken. This may be to provide support for the learner, or put in place mitigation of potential risk. This may also include onward referral to a specialist or statutory agency.

If you have a non-urgent safeguarding concern for a student or learner you must complete the safeguarding referral form and email it (completed to its fullest extent) to safeguarding@solent.ac.uk. We will let you know that we have received the referral but, in most circumstances, will be limited as to what else we can tell you due to GDPR.

Attached to the form are some guidance notes - please read these before completion. If you have any further queries or need to discuss a case prior to submission of a form, please call the safeguarding manager, the deputy dead of student success (wellbeing), or the Student Hub who will be happy to guide you.

A safeguarding form must be completed on all occasions where further safeguarding actions or enquiries need to take place.

For safeguarding concerns that occur or are disclosed outside of hours but are not an emergency, you can submit the safeguarding referral form, and this will be reviewed within two working days.

If you have more significant concerns, you can make a referral for adults direct to Adult Social Care (this will depend on where the student resides). For learners living within the city of Southampton, these can be sent to adultsocialcareconnect@southampton.gov.uk Telephone: 023 8083 3003.

If your concern relates to a child please contact the Children's Resource Service at Southampton City Council, or the authority area where the child resides.

If either of these actions are undertaken, you must notify the Solent University safeguarding manager within one working day by emailing safeguarding@solent.ac.uk.

The Solent safeguarding policy is overseen by the Student Success Team and reflects Solent University’s strategic vision and mission to be inclusive, support social justice, deliver an outstanding student experience, and be a workplace of choice for staff.

The safeguarding policy, procedures and structure reflect the principles of UK legislation, guidance and best practice (with the aim of being mindful of a duty of care and seeking to ensure every child, an adult with care and support needs, and student at risk achieves their full potential).

Key principles of the policy

• The welfare of the child or vulnerable adult is the paramount consideration.
• Confidentiality will be maintained, except where there is a potential risk to the health and welfare of an under-18, adult with care or support needs, student at risk, or where there is identification of risk to self or others.
• All children and adults with care and support needs, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial or ethnic origin, religious belief or sexual orientation, have a right to protection from harm or abuse.
• In safeguarding students and learners, the University recognises harm or abuse may take different forms (eg, physical, emotional, neglect, sexual).
• In implementing this policy, the University considers promotion of the fundamental British values including; democracy, rule of law, respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and individual liberty (as defined by the UK Government).

The scope of the policy

• This policy, along with its associated guidance and procedures, applies to all activities involving children, adults with care or support needs, and students at risk. The policy applies to all University staff, students and contractors who may come into contact with children, adults with care or support needs, or students at risk as part of their work.

Download the safeguarding policy

The University Safeguarding Committee provides governance, accountability, and oversight for all Safeguarding matters within the University. This committee reports into the Equality and Wellbeing Committee. It is chaired by the deputy head of student success (wellbeing) and is comprised of core student success staff and principal safeguarding officers representing all departments across the University. The committee is further supported by the Southampton Safeguarding Adults Board who provide a member to act as an expert ‘critical friend.’

More information about the University's safeguarding committee and structure

The role of the principal safeguarding officers

• Be a safeguarding ‘champion’ for their respective department.
• Promote and cascade safeguarding information and messages on behalf of the safeguarding manager.
• Act as an initial point of contact within the department for safeguarding related matters and know how to support staff on how to manage a situation and provide guidance on next steps.
• Support the proactive application of our statutory Prevent duties and our ‘due regard’ to the prevention of terror related activity.
• Actively promote British Values in line with Prevent among our student body.
• Attend safeguarding training and other related continuous professional practice training as required.
• Quality assure policy and procedure and act as a ‘critical friend’ in terms of process and how safeguarding provision evolves within the University.
• Attend three safeguarding committees each academic year.

The safeguarding policy intersects with a range of other essential policies and processes. These include the Prevent policy, the criminal conviction procedure for students, and the student death, serious injury or illness procedure.  For a full list of related policies please see the appendix of the safeguarding policy.

Solent University proactively works alongside the Solent Students' Union and local statutory and third sector partner agencies to deliver holistic and essential support services to our students and learners.

The University has positive links with the relevant statutory partnership boards including the Safeguarding Children Partnership, the Safeguarding Adult Board, the Prevent Board (and the regional Counter Terrorism Local Partnership) and where required the Safe City Partnership (Community Safety Partnership) via the Violence Reduction Unit team.

This partnership working also applies at an operational level to tackle safeguarding issues linked to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and violence and vulnerability within the night-time economy. We regularly liaise with our counterparts on a range of operational matters from managing risk to supporting students and learners to access statutory support.

This effective partnership working enables the University to represent and advocate for the safeguarding needs of all our students and learners at a strategic and operational level.

• Development of a Safeguarding Action Plan
• Student Hub (x2) trained sexual violence liaison officers
• Delivery of Stand by Me (hate crime/incidents) training.
• Supporting the Students' Unions of Solent and University of Southampton to develop the ‘Southampton Says Enough’ scheme to tackle sexual violence in Southampton.
• Work with and support Southampton City Council to implement the Lit Routes Scheme
• Development of a sexual misconduct, harassment and violence action plan – looking at ways in which the University can challenge, respond and support students and learners with these issues.
• Delivery of the annual consent learning module to all learners and students.
• Working with Yellowdoor to deliver 'How to be an active bystander' sessions to over 250 students, tackling sexual misconduct and harassment.

Download the safeguarding strategy.