Safeguarding across VLUK sites Site safety & visitors to your Scholarship programme Neil Ouldridge

SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT OF INTENT ‘Virtual Learning is committed to providing a safe, secure and healthy environment for all our scholars, staff and visitors. We believe that if this commitment is to be put into practice then the safeguarding policies and procedures the site has drawn up must be adhered to, communicated and fully understood and applied by everybody associated with the scholarship programme.’

This Presentation is intended to provide some basic guidance to enable your site to determine the adequacy of your existing arrangements for the control of visitors on your scholarship site.

The importance of ensuring the security of premises with regard to both people and property can not be stressed enough. Good security allows both staff and Learners to feel safe and confident in their surroundings.

Inspectors will take into account the extent to which your site takes reasonable steps to ensure learners are safe on site, by your ability to monitor visitors using the premises during working hours

Key questions? Are staff photos in folder ready for ID Badge production? Is SCR completed….does it list ALL staff involved in delivering your Scholarship Programme ? How secure is your site? Have you set up a system for visitors to sign in/out? How do you identify your learners and staff working on the programme? How do you meet, greet and record visitors? What procedures do we have in place to welcome or challenge visitors to your site?

Staff & Visitors on site Members of staff included on the Staff Central Record must wear an ID badge and therefore are able to move around the site unaccompanied. All visitors will be required to sign in at ‘Reception’ upon arrival and to wear an ID badge or be escorted whilst they are on site during the working day, by a member of staff wearing their staff ID badge A staff ID badge must be clearly visible at all times and be included on the Staff Central Record (SCR)

Procedures for dealing with visitors All visitors, should sign in and be asked to produce evidence of their identity –where appropriate. Your Site should institute an identity badge system to enable staff to differentiate between staff working at the site and visitors. Staff should be instructed to politely challenge any person not displaying identification and if appropriate direct them to the main reception. Learners should be encouraged to inform staff of any suspicious people they have seen and not engage in dialogue with ‘visitors’.

Site layout Clear boundaries and signage removes any excuse for visitors wandering and aids staff in challenging those on site.  Prominent signage should be displayed at all access points, car park etc. directing visitors to the main entrance / other services on site and internally to the reception point (if required).  Clearly defined route(s) to be in place between site entrance(s) and main reception, with direct access to learners by visitors to be avoided.  The number of entrance points on to the scholarship site during the day reduced to the minimum practicable and preferably restricted to one.

SITE SECURITY FOR VISITORS To ensure the scholarship site remains safe and secure during Learner access hours the following rules will apply: Visitors will be asked to identify themselves and will be asked who they are visiting.   ALL visitors are required to sign and date the visitor’s book and a visitors badge will be issued. This badge must be prominently worn.

If a visitor fails to wear a visitor’s badge or enters your site without being signed in at your designated location then this will result in them being politely challenged by staff that are vigilant in the site’s safeguarding procedures.  ALL visitors must ensure that they sign out and return their badges to a member of staff before leaving the premises.