Safeguarding and Prevent
Your safety and wellbeing are our top priority at Taunton College. We are committed to providing a safe, secure, and supportive environment where everyone can learn, grow, and thrive.
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding means looking after the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. Everyone connected with the College, including staff, students, and visitors, plays a role in keeping people safe. It’s about making sure you feel protected from harm and have the support you need to succeed.
The Prevent Duty
Taunton College also takes its responsibility seriously under the Prevent Duty. This means we work hard to protect all our students and staff from being drawn into extreme or harmful views or activities. Prevent is about helping you express your views safely and positively, respecting freedom of speech, while keeping everyone safe and within the law.
If you ever have concerns about radicalisation, you are encouraged to talk to your tutor or contact Bethan Foweraker, our Director of Student Experience and Designated Safeguarding Lead, who is also our Prevent ‘Single Point of Contact’.
Members of the public can also get in touch if they have concerns about students, prospective students, or staff.
Run. Hide. Tell.
In the very unlikely event of an emergency involving firearms, weapons, or a terrorist attack, the College follows the Run, Hide, Tell procedure. This straightforward guidance helps keep everyone safe:
- Run to a place of safety if you can.
- Hide where you won’t be found if running isn’t possible.
- Tell a member of staff or the police as soon as it is safe to do so.
Your safety is our priority, and we make sure all staff and students know how to respond quickly and calmly in an emergency.
We want you to feel supported and safe every step of the way here at Taunton College. If you ever need help or advice, please reach out. We are here for you.
Good safeguarding practice in colleges operates on a “Think Family” principle. This means that if a young person is being harmed or is at risk, we also consider the welfare of their entire household, including parents, siblings, and carers.
Ofsted considers safeguarding to be so critical that if a college’s safeguarding procedures are judged inadequate, the entire college rating cannot be higher than ‘Inadequate,’ regardless of how good the teaching is. Our last Ofsted report rated us ‘Outstanding’.
The Prevent Duty is about tackling all forms of non-violent extremism, but it also covers protection against grooming and radicalisation into far-right groups, faith extremism, and even single-issue fanaticism – all prevalent in today’s increasingly digital world.
Every college in the UCS College Group has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who is responsible for all decisions regarding child protection and training. However, every staff member is trained to prioritise student safety.
Our Commitment to Safety
At Taunton College, the safety and well-being of every student is our highest priority. It is the foundation upon which our Ofsted Outstanding rating is built.
We understand that sending a young person or adult into Further/Higher Education requires trust. We want to reassure you that our approach to Safeguarding and the government’s Prevent duty is robust, immediate, and compliant with the highest national standards.
Disclosure & Immediate Reporting
When someone, such as a student, shares a concern (a disclosure) or a member of staff notices signs of harm or risk (a concern), the immediate duty is to listen without judgement and not investigate. Staff are trained to reassure the individual that they have done the right thing.
Expert Decision-Making
The written report goes directly and immediately to our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Deputy DSL. This person is intensively trained, acts as the College’s expert, and holds responsibility for all high-level safeguarding decisions.
The DSL immediately assesses the risk level. Based on this professional assessment, they determine the necessary action, which may include:
- Immediate Referral: Contacting the local authority Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and/or the Police if there is immediate danger or a suspected crime.
- Internal Support: Utilising our specialist internal teams (e.g., counselling, pastoral support) while monitoring the situation.
Partnership and Support
We meet our statutory duty by referring any serious concerns directly to external agencies (Social Services/MASH). These agencies have the legal powers to investigate and provide protective services.
While the investigation takes place externally, the DSL maintains contact to ensure the college complies with any requests and continues to provide appropriate internal support to the student throughout the process.
All records are stored securely and kept strictly confidential, accessible only by the DSL team.
“At Taunton College, safeguarding is non-negotiable. Our processes ensure that every student’s voice is heard, and every concern is acted upon swiftly, professionally, and in line with the law. We are here to support our students to be safe, happy, and successful.”
– Bethan Foweraker, DSL
Immediate action is mandatory
The DSL is the expert authority
Statutory referral is made swiftly
Support continues internally
Records are secure and confidential
We are here to help
Frequently Asked Questions
The Safeguarding Team can offer advice and guidance on anything that may be affecting your young person and their studies – no problem is too big or too small!
Please email our Designated Safeguarding Lead and Safeguarding team at staysafe@ucscollegegroup.ac.uk. If you query is urgent, please come to the Main Reception and ask to speak to a Safeguarding Officer.
Yes, we hold Open Events at all of our campuses throughout the year that often feature a tour element. If you require a smaller tour of the campus, please contact the Schools Liaison team at slo@ucscollegegroup.ac.uk.
We encourage parents & carers to contact us whenever you feel you need to, whether about a problem, to ask a question, or offer feedback. Your primary point of contact with the College will be your young person’s Personal Tutor, who you will be invited to meet at Parents Evenings.
The Student Engagement team can offer advice and guidance on anything that may be affecting your and/or your young person’s studies, and our wellbeing officers are here to support all students who may be struggling with their mental health, or having difficulties outside of college.
Helpful information
Financial Support
We understand that managing money while studying can feel overwhelming, especially right now. That’s why we offer a wide range of financial support to help you succeed, whatever your circumstances.
Wellbeing
Everyone’s journey is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health. We get that College can sometimes be challenging. That’s why we offer a wide range of support services that you can access throughout your time with us.
Term Dates
Planning ahead? Our academic calendar includes key term dates, bank holidays,
scheduled breaks, and Somerset school holiday alignment, so you can stay informed and
organised throughout the year.