Raising concerns and safeguarding
Placement areas provide excellent learning environments for students. However, from time to time, students may witness an incident or poor practice that is of real concern. Witnessing and reporting concerns can be distressing and difficult and we recognise that students can feel vulnerable in such situations. However, students have a responsibility to practice ethically and professionally while on placement, which includes reporting any incidents of poor practice.
Please refer to University Policy Policy-for-Raising-and-Escalating-Concerns-in-relation-to-Safeguarding if you have worries about vulnerable adults or children or you are concerned about something you have seen in the placement/practice area. Students should also have read the raising and escalating concerns, safeguarding and freedom to speak up policies and procedures of their placement areas as part of their induction period.
Students should be reassured that the university will support students who raise concerns regarding poor and unsafe practice. Whomever receives the concern will ensure it is passed to the correct person within the placement setting, university and/or other relevant external body, for example: the professional regulator; local authority. The student can seek support before, during or after this process from their academic placement support, Personal Tutor, another member of the academic team or be signposted to specialist support within the university. Your course Placement Handbook and the policy will cover this in more detail.
Concerns on placement must be reported immediately as per the guidance within the Raising and Escalating Concerns in Relation to Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults, Children and Young People policy.
The university has an Operational Safeguarding Lead and the academic placement support will involve them if appropriate.
If for any reason you do not feel able to report the concern to your placement educator/mentor, or it is relating to them, please continue to follow the specific guidance related to this which is in the Raising and Escalating Concerns in Relation to Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults, Children and Young People policy.
If for any reason you do not feel able to report the concerns to your academic placement support, or it is relating to them, please report to either your Personal Tutor, course Placement Lead (if there is a designated one), Programme Lead, or Principal Lecturer, who will escalate your concern appropriately
Complaints
There is a University Student Complaints Policy and Procedure Policy that you may wish to follow should you have concerns about the delivery of any service provided by the university, including placements. There is support available to students from the Student Union with this process. The complaint may be referred to an appropriate manager at the placement for investigation under that organisation’s own complaints procedures.