Safeguarding Policy • Disabled Students UK

Safeguarding Policy for Disabled Students UK CIC

Policy Approved By: The Directors of DSUK
Date Approved: 01/10/25
Next Review Date: 01/10/26

Introduction

Disabled Students UK CIC is dedicated to safeguarding adults and young people at risk by creating a safe environment in accordance with the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, Equality Act 2010, and other relevant legislation. We recognise that many of our community members will be “at risk” in certain settings and everyone in the organisation has a responsibility to support individuals at additional risk.

Safeguarding is a key part of our commitment to building a prefigurative organisation and wider community (in keeping with our Community Culture Policy) which is healing and anti-oppressive.

We ensure all staff, volunteers, and associated individuals are aware of their responsibilities to protect individuals from harm. This policy provides guidelines for preventing, identifying, and addressing concerns.

Policy Statement

We believe every individual has the right to live free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation, irrespective of age, disability, race, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Disabled Students UK CIC commits to:

Promoting the welfare and safety of all individuals.
Upholding a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and harm.
Respecting the dignity and rights of all individuals.
Providing robust safeguarding policies, training, and practices.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all staff, volunteers, and associated individuals:

Understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding adults and young people at risk.
Can identify and report safeguarding concerns effectively.
Uphold a culture of accountability, prevention, and support.

Scope

This policy applies to:

Staff, directors, volunteers and contractors.
All individuals participating in or impacted by our services and activities.
Our partner organisations, including affiliated institutions and sponsors.

We recognise the particular needs of:

Individuals who rely on others for care
Individuals who rely on adjustments to access services (such as those with alternative communication needs),
Individuals within uneven power dynamics (for instance as students in relation to teaching staff)
Groups that are marginalised, subjected to structural inequalities and targets of discrimination as detailed in our Community Culture Policy.

Adult at Risk: An individual aged 18 or older who needs care and support and is less able to protect themselves from harm due to those needs. In practice the level of risk is often situational and on a scale rather than being a fixed binary identity.Child: Anyone under the age of 18 years.

PrinciplesWe adhere to the following safeguarding principles:

Empowerment: Supporting individuals to make decisions and give informed consent.
Prevention: Taking proactive steps to reduce risks of harm.
Proportionality: Responding appropriately and minimally intrusively.
Protection: Supporting individuals most at risk.
Partnership: Working collaboratively with local authorities and relevant organisations.
Accountability: Maintaining transparency and ensuring continuous improvement

It should be assumed that individuals have the capacity to make their own decisions – to understand, retain, weigh up information, and communicate a decision – unless there is evidence otherwise. In as far as it is reasonably possible individuals should be supported to make decisions for themselves.

Sometimes individuals do not have capacity to make informed decisions for themselves and it is permissible to act in their best interest by for instance calling 999 against their wishes. In such cases it is important to document the evaluation of capacity, any support provided and the evaluation of their best interest.

Roles and Responsibilities

All staff members are responsible for getting safeguarding training at the right level for their role a minimum every three years.

Directors

Ensure appropriate safeguarding structures and resources are in place.
Monitor compliance and policy implementation.
Be available as backups for safeguarding emergencies

Managing Director

Accountable for safeguarding across the organisation.
Promote a culture of safety and well-being.
Be available as a backup for safeguarding emergencies

Safeguarding Lead

Manage safeguarding policies and procedures.
Act as a central contact for safeguarding concerns.
Liaise with external agencies and ensure staff training.
Get safeguarding training every two years

Staff, Contractors and Volunteers

Adhere to safeguarding policies and attend required training.
Identify and report safeguarding concerns promptly.

Organisational Capacity and Boundaries

As a micro-organisation made up of those with lived experience, which does not have a staff member on-call during all work hours, DSUK sets boundaries to reduce the likelihood of encountering issues which exceed our capacity.

DSUK does not work directly with children under 18 through our communities (but recognises that young people that might come into contact with our activities indirectly)
DSUK does not provide direct one to one support or advocacy services
DSUK does not provide mental health services or care

We take care to ensure that our staff and volunteers are not burned out by safeguarding responsibilities. For instance:

We must have at least two people with safeguarding lead training in the organisation
We list a number of backup contacts to ensure that no is dealing with a safeguarding issue alone and that the people dealing with issues are clear headed
We check in with the state of other staff members before bringing up potentially sensitive safeguarding concerns

Training and Awareness

All staff and volunteers must:

Have an understanding of safeguarding and responsibilities.
Be aware of the organisation’s safeguarding policies and reporting procedures.
Have safeguarding training every three years

The safeguarding lead and one other staff member must:

Have Safeguarding Lead Training every two years

Safe Recruitment

All staff and volunteers working with individuals at risk will undergo DBS checks at the highest level appropriate for the role.
Recruitment processes will include interviews and reference checks with questions on safeguarding.
Onboarding processes include

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or in response to:

Changes in legislation or government guidance.
Serious incidents or organisational restructuring.

Review Date: 01/10/2026

Contact Information
Lead Safeguarding Officer: Emily Mann, Community and Communications Manager, emily@disabledstudents.co.uk, 07742629158Secondary Safeguarding Contact: Mette Anwar-Westander, mette@disabledstudents.co.uk
Emergency Contact: 999

Glossary of terms

Adult at risk	As defined by the Care Act 2014, a person 18 years and over, where safeguarding duties apply, that meets the following criteria: • has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) • is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect. • as a result of those care and support needs, is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse or neglect.
Children	As per the Children Act 2004, this is a legal term that refers to all those who have not yet reached their 18th birthday. Duty of care for this group may include those referred or accessing any activity or project delivered by The Trust or through that delivered by individual grantees who operate under The Trusts safeguarding policy and procedures.
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)	A role and person within the organisation who has ultimate responsibility for operational safeguarding processes and procedures.
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS)	A government service that helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.
Staff	An individual with either an employment or freelance contract with DSUK, for example, employees, volunteers and, freelancers.
Young adult	Any person between the ages of 18 years and 30.