Keeping our apprentices safe
Apprentices have a right to be safe during training, on a work placement or where they work. Firebrand take all the steps needed for learners to enjoy a safe and positive environment to learn and work throughout their time as an apprentice.
Safeguarding at Firebrand Training is about making sure everyone is safe from harm and we all have a part to play:
- Firebrand Training — by providing an environment that promotes safeguarding
- Staff — by helping to make campuses a safe place to learn and to respond to concerns
- Learners — by acting responsibly and reporting any concerns
Our fully trained Safeguarding Team are available to offer advice and guidance to ensure that anyone at risk is given the right support. If apprentices are finding life during training or at home difficult, they don’t feel safe or they have a concern about someone else, our Safeguarding team is available to help. Email us at safeguarding@firebrandtraining.com
We all have a right to feel safe from harm.
This may be:
- Physical — being hurt or causing hurt to others
- Neglect — not being looked after/cared for properly
- Emotionally — being belittled or degraded or being made to feel inadequate by others
- Sexually — doing sexual things that you don't want to do
- Bullying — in person or electronically on the internet or by texting
Download our helpful guide on Types of Abuse.
What can you do to support a safe environment?
- Not cause harm or offence to others by your behaviour
- Not use social networking, mobile phones or other electronic equipment to cause harm to others — this is bullying
- Act as you would expect to be treated — with respect and dignity
- Enjoy your relationships on equal terms and on a basis you are comfortable with
If you are harmed or abused by others, report it to a member of staff.
What happens when a safeguarding concern is raised at Firebrand?
Once we’re notified of a safeguarding concern, we can’t promise to not share or act on it. We have a duty of care to all our learners and so where there is risk of harm or the possibility of abuse, we will take action.
We'll also provide access to support and help learners deal with issues affecting your safety and wellbeing.
So, if there is time when learners have concerns, are unhappy or you are worried about the welfare of another learners, there's always someone to talk to.
What are the steps taken once our Safeguarding team are involved?
Firebrand has a team dedicated to the safeguarding of learners. Once they’re notified of any concerns they begin the activity in order to resolve them. At this phase the team review and clarify details, from the referrer or individual(s) involved.
Depending on the severity, we may decide that action needs to be applied immediately, to remove the risk of danger and to allow further time to speak to all parties.
In specific incidences where inappropriate behaviours may have been displayed, it may not be severe enough to involve response services or specialised agencies or teams. This doesn’t mean we won’t react or that it is right. It just means it will be responded to in a in a way that is most effective to tackle the concern.
If our team do indeed manage the concern, we’ll look to implement the following approaches:
- Review — This is where we set a timeframe to allow for evidence or further information to be established
- Manage — We will actively, provide suggestions, implement recommendations and allow for change
- Remove — Ultimately this could be a removal of the negative factors, settings or needs that make the chance of something happening likely
If it’s agreed that the concern is referred to the Police/Social service teams, then this has met the Safeguarding team’s judgment of needing further involvement. If all parties are contacted by the relevant services, this usually implies it would have passed some kind of threshold indicator. This is the moment at which an agency or service have decide a law or minimum expectation has been breached.
These organisations will carry out further investigations, apply interim conditions which may involve; restricted access for/to individuals, limit some freedoms and detain or move to new or other environments.
Where it’s been decided that a case is now being managed, there may be an expectation for individuals to attend specific case review meetings, conferences or court appearances. Firebrand’s safeguarding team will work within the recommended conditions and support these settings by ensuring individuals, who are required to take part are involved. This could be the persons who is involved or subject to the case.
All disclosures or reports of concerns or suspicions will be taken seriously and dealt with sensitively and respectfully in accordance with the relevant local guidelines.
If you're a Firebrand Apprentice and you've got concerns about your own — or someone else's — health, safety or welfare, we'll do everything we can to help you. For more information, please read our helpful guides below:
Download a copy of our Safeguarding Overview.
E-safety
The internet is a huge source of information and means of communication. It’s important to know that not all information or people online are trustworthy. Here’s a helpful guide on how to stay safe online:
- Stay Safe — Don’t give out your personal information to people, companies, or places you don’t know or trust
- Don't meet up — Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Always check with someone else that you trust
- Accepting files — Accepting emails, files, pictures or messages from people you don’t know can cause problems
- Reliable — Check information before you believe it. Is the person or website telling you the truth?
- Tell someone — Tell someone if someone or something makes you feel worried or uncomfortable
Download our guide on how to stay safe online.
British Values and Prevent Agenda
Read our informative overviews of British Values and the Government's Prevent Agenda here: