Welfare & Safeguarding
We care about you at Speak Up London. This is why we take extra care to make sure that you are safe while studying with us. All staff who come into contact with students under the age of 18 have a valid DBS check (police check), have completed Basic Safeguarding, Prevent and Sexual Harassment Awareness training.
Our Junior activity staff also receive Activity Leader training and many of them are First Aid trained.
Our Academic Management team has received Advanced Safeguarding Training and consists of a male and female welfare officer. Our Director of Studies (and Designated Safeguarding Officer) is also a Mental Health First Aider.
Our Head of Operations is our Designated Safeguarding Lead and regularly reviews our safeguarding policies. We hold regular Fire Marshal and First Aid training sessions for our team.
Vulnerable students
Before you start your course, we will ask you about any medical issues or learning differences you may have – this is to make sure that we can assist you with your learning. In some cases, we may invite you to have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) done with our welfare officers so that if there are any reasons why you might find fire evacuation harder, we can offer you support.
Supervision of Under 18s
The level of supervision we offer will depend on the age of the student. When booking a course for someone under 18, we will ask the parent/legal guardian to first complete our Parental Consent Form so that we can verify the student’s accommodation and travel arrangements, as well as any additional needs, before the course starts.
Students aged 16-17 years old | Students under 16 | |
Class attendance |
|
|
Accommodation & Meals |
|
|
Travel to/from school |
|
|
Other |
|
|
Class supervision ratios
There will be a minimum of 1 teacher per 15 students in a group of under 16s. On outings, our supervision ratio is 1:10, however for groups of students under 11 years old, this will normally be 1:8.
Reporting
If you have any concerns and would like to talk to someone, remember that our team is always happy to help you. Our Welfare Officers can be found in the academic office Monday to Friday and you can email info@speakuplondon.com if you would like to request an appointment at a time that suits you. On our notice boards, you will also find posters with QR codes, which you can use to report anything that worries you. Our Designated Safeguarding Officer and Designated Safeguarding Lead will receive these and take necessary action.
