Safeguarding
University's culture of dignity and respect and recognises safeguarding to be a shared responsibility for all members of our partnership community to promote the well-being of all partnership settings, their pupils and students.
As part of its commitment to safeguarding, the University expects all staff, students and contractors and those contributing to its activities to behave in an acceptable manner, report any safeguarding concerns they may have and follow the Safeguarding Policy and Protocols, in order to promote the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. Failure to follow this may lead to disciplinary action (University of Chester Safeguarding Policy, 2022, p.4).
For the purposes of safeguarding activity across the School of Education, the definition of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is that set out in the Department for Education (DfE) statutory guidance document (Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2023) as being:
- providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge;
- protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online;
- preventing impairment of children's mental and physical health or development;
- ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care;
- promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network through a kinship care arrangement, whenever possible and where this is in the best interests of the children;​
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in line with the outcomes set out in the Children’s Social Care National Framework.
Our commitment to effective safeguarding
- Adhering to University policies and procedures to recruit staff and students;
- Ensuring that all students for whom placement in schools and other settings that have responsibility for children, young people and or vulnerable young adults will be required to undertake appropriate and relevant DBS checks;
- For Initial Teacher Education, staff involved in recruitment undergo safer recruitment training;
- Developing (in consultation with our Partnership), implementing and adhering to School of Education specific and rigorous protocols concerning suitability of applicants for and students on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes and other vocational programmes that relate to the Children’s Services sector, which may include online searches;
- Undertake appropriate DBS and Prohibition/Barred List checks (and/or appropriate overseas police checks if appropriate) for both staff and students, in accordance with programme requirements;
- Holding suitability panels to support the recruitment process, where appropriate;
- Providing students with programme appropriate guidance and training concerning Safeguarding and Prevent;
- Working closely with partnership settings and other agencies to safeguard children.
Recruitment and Selection of Students
Recruitment and Selection of Students for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes
To apply for a place on an Initial Teacher Education programme at the University of Chester, prospective Associate Teachers (students) must apply through UCAS for Undergraduate programmes and through the Department for Education's (DfE) Apply process for Postgraduate courses (PGCE). The application process is staged through initial screening for appropriate access qualifications relating to the entry requirements for the ITE programme applied for; successful interview; suitability checks (including satisfactory references, health screening, enhanced DBS check, children's barred list check and possible online screening).
Recruitment and Selection of Students for Childhood, Education and Professional Development (CEPD) undergraduate programmes
All undergraduate provision within the Childhood, Education and Professional Development Department recruit through UCAS and includes placement requirements within a range of education/children's services settings. A condition of entry to all programmes will be successful completion of an enhanced DBS check.
Dr Helen Galbraith
Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) and Chief Operating Officer
Rashmi Patel
Director of Human Resources
Associate Professor David Cumberland
Dean, Chester School of Education
Dr James Holt
Associate Professor of Religious Education
Debbie Ravenscroft
Senior Lecturer