Hughes Driver Training Ltd is committed to operating a proactive and reactive approach towards safeguarding the welfare adults who, through the delivery of our services, we have some form of contact with. This is also applicable to staff and volunteers.

We will:

• Promote positive personal welfare and safety
• Provide support (including utilising signposting)
• Respond promptly and effectively to any concerns

Safeguarding is the term used to define the actions we take to promote the welfare of individuals and protect them from harm, abuse, and exploitation. We are committed to providing a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment for all.

Every member of staff has a responsibility to help ensure your safety and wellbeing.

A Safeguarding concern is:

Anything that may cause worry about another person or contributes to a person feeling uncomfortable or unsure about the safety or welfare of someone else or themselves (including indications of radicalisation and expressions of extremist views).

 Abuse or harm may occur face-to-face or online and is not always obvious. In grooming, abusers befriend and then exploit others for the purposes of criminal, sexual or financial gain. The following list is not exhaustive and gives some examples, however there are many more which are not listed here. 

• Psychological or emotional abuse: bullying, harassment, taunting, teasing, or making belittling remarks about you. This could also be via social media or text. 
• Financial or material a use: people stealing from you or bullying you into handing over your money and possessions.
• Sexual abuse: carrying out any sexual abuse such as harassment (unwanted and uninvited touching) Sexual violence such as being touched or being forced to touch the sexual parts of someone’s body, being forced to watch or take part in a sexual act, making suggestive sexual remarks, using sexist language or acts such as up skirting.
• Neglect: failure to provide access to basic living needs such as shelter, food and water, clothing and medicine. 
• Discrimination: people should not discriminate against you because of age, sexual orientation, sex, religion or belief, race, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership, disability, pregnancy maternity, ethnic background. 

As part of our duty of care to you it is important for you to understand the following:

• If you have a Safeguarding concern about yourself or someone else, it is important that you tell someone you trust or you may choose to contact one of the organisations on the Safety & Wellbeing contact list in this handbook. 
• We have a duty of care to all our learners and will act where there is risk of harm. We will treat any Safeguarding suspicions or disclosures with professionalism and care. 
• Depending on the nature of a Safeguarding concern, information may be shared with your tutor, your manager, or the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). It may also be appropriate for information to be shared with an external organisation.

The DSL heads the Safeguarding team. They have the necessary knowledge, experience, and training to address any Safeguarding concerns raised and decide on the appropriate action required. To raise a concern, ask a question or for any other Safeguarding related support you can contact your Safeguarding team at any time