This page has been set up to help you easily find relevant information on safeguarding.
We want to protect you by helping you protect yourself. It is important that you are familiar with the safeguarding guidance promoted by Arena Learning and behave in line with it.
Every person who comes into Arena Learning is important. Therefore we want to ensure that what you say is listened to and that you feel safe, respected and treated well. If you are unhappy, worried or frightened about anything that happens during your time at Arena Learning, or in your personal life we want to help you. Arena Learning staff are available to speak to you during normal opening hours.
We all have a sense of when we feel mentally and physically well. But sometimes we need extra support or a gentle nudge to look after ourselves so that we keep well. Our Student Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator is here to listen to you and will work with you in a non-judgmental, accepting way.
Some of the issues that the Student Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator can support you with:
There is no legal definition of bullying. However, it’s usually defined as behaviour that is:
It takes many forms and can include:
Incidences of bullying should be dealt with in a clear consistent way.
Although every situation will be different it is vital to make the student feel that they are being listened to and that their individual situation is being taken seriously to ensure that they are safe and that the bullying is investigated.
In all cases the goals of any intervention should always be the same:
To find out more about dealing with bullying:
www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/bullying-and-cyberbullying/
Contact trained helpline counsellors for 24/7 help, advice and support on help@nspcc.org.uk or 0808 800 5000.
A forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used. It is an appalling and indefensible practice and is recognised in the UK as a form of violence against women and men, domestic/child abuse and a serious abuse of human rights.
The pressure put on people to marry against their will can be physical (including threats, actual physical violence and sexual violence) or emotional and psychological (for example, when someone is made to feel like they’re bringing shame on their family). Financial abuse (taking your wages or not giving you any money) can also be a factor.
To find out more about Forced Marriage: www.gov.uk/stop-forced-marriage.
Worried about a friend or relative:
Forced Marriage Unit
fmu@fco.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7008 0151
From overseas: +44 (0)20 7008 0151
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Out of hours: 020 7008 1500 (ask for the Global Response Centre)
Self-harm, or self-injury, describes a wide range of things people deliberately do to themselves that appear to be harmful but usually do not kill them. Self-harm is not usually a failed attempt at suicide, but it can still be very hard for parents or carers to understand. Cutting the arms or the back of the legs with a razor or knife is the most common form of self-harm, but self-harm can take many forms, including burning, biting, hitting or taking overdoses. A young person may self-harm to help them cope with negative feelings, to feel more in control or to punish themselves. It can be a way of relieving overwhelming feelings that build up inside, when they feel isolated, angry, guilty or desperate.
To FIND your local CAMHS service:
To find out more about Self Harm: www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/self-harm/.
Hate Crimes happen because of hostility, prejudice or hatred of:
They include things like name calling and verbal abuse, bullying and harassment, spitting and physical attacks, damage to property, graffiti, and written notes, emails and text messages.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It’s also known as female circumcision or cutting.
Religious, social or cultural reasons are sometimes given for FGM. However, FGM is child abuse. It’s dangerous and a criminal offence.
There are no medical reasons to carry out FGM. It doesn’t enhance fertility and it doesn’t make childbirth safer. It is used to control female sexuality and can cause severe and long-lasting damage to physical and emotional health.
To find out more about Female Genital Mutilation: www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/female-genital-mutilation-fgm/what-is-fgm/
Worried about FGM?
Call the FGM helpline if you’re worried a child is at risk of, or has had, FGM.
It’s free, anonymous and available 24/7. 0800 028 3550 or email fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk.
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a type of sexual abuse in which children are sexually exploited for money, power or status. Children or young people may be tricked into believing they’re in a loving, consensual relationship. They might be invited to parties and given drugs and alcohol. They may also be groomed online. Some children and young people are trafficked into or within the UK for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Sexual exploitation can also happen to young people in gangs.
To find out more about Child Sexual Exploitation: www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/child-sexual-exploitation/what-is-child-sexual-exploitation/.
Download Children’s Society/NPCC poster.
Worried about a child?
Contact the NSPCC trained helpline counsellors for 24/7 help, advice and support on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.
Modern slavery is a complex crime that takes a number of different forms. It encompasses
Traffickers and slave drivers coerce, deceive and force individuals against their will into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.
Victims may be sexually exploited, forced to work for little or no pay or forced to commit criminal activities against their will. Victims are often pressured into debt-bondage and are likely to be fearful of those who exploit them, who will often threaten and abuse victims and their families. All of these factors make it very difficult for victims to escape.
Modern Slavery crimes are being committed across the UK and are taking place in many different sectors including factories, fields, brothels, nail bars and even within people’s homes. There is no typical victim of slavery – victims can be men, women or children of all ages and nationalities.
Many victims are brought to the UK specifically so they can be abused and exploited for the benefit of others. Some are tricked into believing they are simply paying others to facilitate their journey to the UK, or that they are being smuggled here. Many often do not find out that they are destined for a life of abuse and servitude until after they arrive. However, we also know a high number of victims are UK nationals, including children.
If you’re the victim of rape or sexual assault, the police and other organisations are there to help you. Call 999 to report a rape or attempted sexual assault, as soon as possible after the crime.
If the offence has recently happened:
If you’re under 17, the Child Protection Unit of your local police station will deal with your case.
If you don’t want to report it to the police
Some areas have Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs). They can offer you medical support and collect evidence that can be used later.
You can also contact a support organisation:
None of these organisations will make you report the assault to the police unless you want to.
What happens next
The police (if you have reported it to them) or SARC staff will:
The police have specialist teams who are trained to deal with rape and sexual assault. You can ask to speak to an officer or staff member who’s the same sex as you.
‘County Lines’ is a term used when drug gangs from big cities expand their operations to smaller towns, often using violence to drive out local dealers and exploiting children and vulnerable people to sell drugs. These dealers will use dedicated mobile phone lines, known as ‘deal lines’, to take orders from drug users. Heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine are the most common drugs being supplied and ordered. In most instances, the user or customers will live in a different area to where the dealers and networks are based, so drug runners are needed to transport the drugs and collect payment.
A common feature in county lines drug supply is the exploitation of young and vulnerable people. The dealers will frequently target children and adults – often with mental health or addiction problems – to act as drug runners or move cash so they can stay under the radar of law enforcement.
As we have seen in child sexual exploitation, children often don’t see themselves as victims or realise they have been groomed to get involved in criminality. So it’s important that we all play our part to understand county lines and speak out if we have concerns.
The best advice is to trust your instincts. Even if someone isn’t involved in county lines drug dealing, they may be being exploited in some other way, so it’s always worth speaking out.
To find out more about county lines: https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/drug-trafficking/county-lines
You can speak to your local police by dialling 101, or in an emergency 999.
‘Knife crime’ is simply any crime that involves a knife.
This includes:
Some young people say that they carry a knife for protection or to make them feel safer, even though they wouldn’t think of using it. However, research has shown that you’re actually more likely to become a victim of crime if you’re carrying a knife.
In some cases, teens have been injured or killed by someone else using the knife they were carrying.
Not only do you put yourself at risk of serious injury, or death, you could also face a £5,000 fine and four years in jail – even if you don’t use it.
Prevent Duty – Working together to defeat terrorism
Recently the Government introduced the Prevent Duty Guidance for Further Education colleges and Independent Training Providers (ITPs) to help reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism and to help people who may be at risk of being radicalised, supporting a terrorist organisation or becoming terrorists.
As part of the Prevent strategy, Arena Learning will be promoting Fundamental British Values to reflect life in modern Britain. These values are Democracy, Rule of Law, Respect and Tolerance, Individual Liberty.
Regardless of gender, ethnicity, class, disability, age, sexual orientation or religion, our belief is that further education should be available to each and every one of us. Because when all are welcome, we all benefit.
Our student services can offer free, impartial, confidential assistance on money related issues including bursary and funding applications. If we cannot answer your query or solve your problem we will know someone who can and will provide links to experts.