Safeguarding Policy

1. Purpose and scope

This policy sets out how LIBT protects the safety and wellbeing of young people and adults at risk of harm who come into contact with LIBT. This includes students, staff, contractors, and visitors. Section 6 also sets out LIBT's approach to preventing extremism and radicalisation, as part of that wider commitment.

This policy applies to every full-time, part-time, sessional, or temporary member of staff. It applies to every student, and to every contractor or consultant working for LIBT. It also applies to any other individual granted access to LIBT's systems or facilities. Everyone within this scope shares responsibility for putting this policy into practice, not only the Safeguarding Lead named in section 3.

2. Definitions

Young person: anyone under 18.

Adult at risk: someone 18 or over who has care and support needs, and who is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect. They are unable to protect themselves from it as a result.

Safeguarding: protecting a young person or adult at risk from harm, and preventing impairment of their health or development. It means enabling the best outcomes for them, consistent with their own wishes and views wherever possible.

Indicative safeguarding issues include (this list is not exhaustive): domestic violence; peer bullying; self-harm; mental health crises; online risk; physical, sexual, psychological, financial, or discriminatory abuse.

3. Roles and responsibilities

LIBT designates a Safeguarding Lead. The Safeguarding Lead keeps this policy and its procedures fit for purpose. They make sure staff know their safeguarding duties and get appropriate training. They make sure recruitment checks are carried out for roles involving regular contact with young people or adults at risk. They make sure a concern can be reported easily and is properly followed up, including escalation to an external agency within any statutory time frame that applies. They report annually to the Academic Board on safeguarding activity, without disclosing protected information. The current postholder is published in the Governance Register (see the Governance, Management Structure, and Conflicts of Interest Statement).

4. Reporting a concern

Anyone who is concerned about a student, staff member, or group should contact the Safeguarding Lead. This includes a concern about their own safety or someone else's. A concern can be raised verbally or by email.

4.1 What happens next

Step	Action
1	Concern raised or allegation made.
2	Safeguarding Lead makes an early assessment: is this a safeguarding matter, or should it be referred to another support service or policy?
3	If it is a safeguarding matter, information gathering begins and is recorded on a Safeguarding Report Form within 1 working day of the concern being received.
4	Safeguarding Lead decides whether immediate risk exists and whether a case conference is needed.
5	Safeguarding Lead decides whether external referral is needed; where it is, the referral is made within 2 working days.
6	Further action is taken as needed and recorded.
7	Case closed. The Safeguarding Lead considers whether the response to this case should inform future practice.

5. Training

LIBT staff receive safeguarding training annually. New staff complete it during onboarding, and anyone with specific safeguarding responsibilities receives additional training. Student representatives, and the wider student body, are also made aware of this policy, what a safeguarding concern looks like, and how to raise one.

6. Preventing extremism and radicalisation

LIBT does not tolerate extremist views from any source, whether student, staff, director, or external. LIBT treats exposure to extremist material or influence as a safeguarding concern under this policy, not a separate one.

This section reflects LIBT's voluntary adoption of the UK's Prevent duty as good practice. The Isle of Man falls outside the duty's statutory scope. LIBT applies it in the same spirit as the Quality Framework Statement's adoption of the UK Quality Code.

Adopting this commitment does not mean stifling legitimate debate or discussion, or singling out an individual because of their origin, ethnicity, faith, or another characteristic protected under the Equality, Diversity, and Anti-Harassment Policy. The two must be balanced, not treated as being in tension.

6.1 What this commitment involves

• Building staff and student understanding of extremism and radicalisation through training, tutorials, and awareness activity.
• Embedding respect, equality, and critical thinking in the curriculum, so that controversial issues can be explored without promoting an extremist narrative.
• Recognising factors that may make a student more vulnerable, and connecting them with support early.
• Reporting a concern about extremism or radicalisation through the same route as any other safeguarding concern (section 4).

6.2 Roles

The Safeguarding Lead also acts as the lead for this section. The Board of Directors is responsible for making sure staff have appropriate awareness of this commitment and that concerns are referred to the Safeguarding Lead appropriately.

7. Monitoring and review

This policy is reviewed annually, reporting to the Academic Board to confirm it remains fit for purpose. The annual report includes the volume of safeguarding cases without disclosing protected information. Any change must be checked against the Cross-Reference Map, in particular against the Equality, Diversity, and Anti-Harassment Policy and the Student Handbook Template.

Company information: London Institute of Business & Technology Limited (LIBT) Hillary House, Prospect Hill, Douglas, IM1 1EQ, Isle of Man, British Isles.