Safeguarding at New College Worcester
At New College Worcester (NCW), safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is our highest priority. We are committed to providing a safe, secure and supportive environment for all students, staff, volunteers and visitors. This commitment extends to everyone who visits or works on our site.
All visitors are expected to share our commitment to safeguarding and to comply with our safeguarding procedures whilst on campus.
Before Your Visit
NCW applies proportionate safeguarding assurance arrangements to all external visitors, contractors, service providers, organisations and volunteers. Before attendance, the NCW host must confirm the purpose of the visit, the areas to be accessed, the level of contact with students and whether the visitor must be accompanied.
Where a visitor’s role involves regular or unsupervised contact with students, NCW requires evidence of appropriate safeguarding checks, training and safer recruitment arrangements, including a Letter of Assurance from the visitor’s employer or organisation. Entry may be delayed or unsupervised contact with students refused if the required identification or safeguarding assurance has not been provided.
On Arrival
All visitors must:
- Report directly to Reception on arrival and provide the name of their NCW host and the purpose of the visit.
- Sign in using the visitor management system and provide photographic identification.
- Wear the issued visitor badge visibly at all times and immediately report a lost or damaged badge.
- Wait at Reception until collected by their host, unless Reception confirms that independent access has been authorised.
- Remain with an authorised member of staff where safeguarding clearance for unaccompanied access has not been confirmed.
- Follow all instructions provided by NCW staff, including any restrictions on access.
- Return the visitor badge and sign out at Reception before leaving the premises.
Reception will provide essential safeguarding and emergency information on arrival. The NCW host is responsible for meeting the visitor, ensuring that the appropriate level of supervision is maintained and, where required, returning the visitor to Reception at the end of the visit.
Whilst on Site
Visitors must respect the privacy, dignity and safety of our students at all times.
Unless specifically authorised by NCW, visitors will not be permitted to:
- Have unsupervised access to students unless this has been expressly authorised.
- Enter residential, teaching, staff-only or other restricted areas unless required for the visit and authorised by NCW.
- Allow another person to follow them through a controlled door or lend their visitor badge to anyone else.
- Take photographs, videos or audio recordings of students, or retain, publish or share information about students, without explicit authorisation.
- Share personal contact details with students or communicate with them through personal accounts or devices.
- Use NCW systems, networks or personal devices in a way that compromises safeguarding, confidentiality, privacy or online safety.
- Guide or physically support a student unless this forms part of an authorised role and has been agreed with NCW staff.
Visitors must remain only in the areas necessary for their visit, maintain appropriate professional boundaries and avoid being alone with a student unless specifically authorised. Any unexpected contact with a student or access to an unauthorised area must be reported promptly to the visitor’s host or Reception.
In a fire alarm, lockdown or other emergency, visitors must remain with their host where possible, follow staff instructions and proceed to the identified safe location. Visitors must not leave the site without signing out unless directed to do so in an emergency.
Reporting a Concern
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
NCW recognises that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities may face additional barriers to recognising abuse and communicating concerns. Visitors are expected to be especially vigilant and to report any concerns immediately.
If you see or hear something that causes concern, or a student makes a disclosure, report it immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), a Deputy DSL, Reception or your NCW host.
The names and contact details of the DSL and Deputy DSLs are displayed throughout NCW and are included in the safeguarding information provided to visitors.
Any concern about the conduct, safeguarding practice or professional boundaries of a member of staff, contractor, volunteer or another visitor must be reported without delay to the Principal, Vice Principal or DSL.
Further Information
Further information about NCW’s safeguarding arrangements is available in our statutory policies via the link on the front page of our website. By entering the site, all visitors agree to follow these requirements. NCW is committed to an open, vigilant and supportive safeguarding culture in which students feel safe, listened to and protected from harm.
