Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy
Reviewed – December 2025
Next Review – December 2027
PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
The welfare of a child and vulnerable adult is paramount. Abuse is a term to describe ways in which children and vulnerable adults are harmed, usually by adults and often by people they know and trust. It refers to the damage done to a child or vulnerable adult’s physical or mental health. New forms of abuse such as internet grooming, financial abuse of older people and the extreme difficulties faced by young asylum seekers, mean our policies and procedures need to be continually reviewed to keep abreast of these developments.
Abuse can occur within or outside the family including a place of learning or training. Safeguarding, if it is to have an impact, must become the responsibility of everyone. All employees, directors, board members, partners and other stakeholders have a responsibility to actively make the environment a safe and secure place for all.
DEFINITIONS
The Children Act 1989 and 2004 defines a ‘child’ as:
- a person under the age of 18.
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 defines a ‘vulnerable adult’ as:
- Person aged 18 and over, and;
- Receiving a social care service;
- Receiving a health service;
- Living in sheltered accommodation;
- Detained in custody or under a probation order;
- Requiring assistance in the conduct of his/her affairs;
- Receiving a service or participating in an activity targeted at older people;
- People with disabilities or with physical or mental health conditions.
POLICY STATEMENT
T2 Fitness Ltd is fully committed to providing a working and learning environment that is free from abuse and harm. It will strive to maintain a safe culture within all of its work and learning environments by: clearly identifying and communicating the roles and responsibilities within the organisation for safeguarding; having clear audited procedures in place; training staff in safeguarding procedures and by allocating sufficient resources to safeguarding; applying a zero tolerance to any form of abuse and harm. This policy is also designed to protect the staff of T2 Fitness Training Ltd against false allegations.
All children and vulnerable adults whatever age, culture, disability, gender, ethnic origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse. All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
T2 Fitness Ltd will clearly identify their Designated Persons (DP), it will be the tutor/assessor of the particular course the learners are attending, their location and contact details in formats that are easily accessible to all learners. There will be a deputy in case of sickness, annual leave or in the event of an allegation made against the DP.
POLICY FOR STAFF
T2 Fitness Ltd is committed to a policy in which:
- Where staff are required to have contact with children or vulnerable adults, T2 Fitness Ltd will only recruit or appoint staff who are deemed suitable to work with children or vulnerable adults;
- Existing members of staff moving into roles that have a direct contact with learners will undergo an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check;
- All new members of staff who are under the age of 18 will have a Young Persons Risk Assessment carried out as per the Health and Safety Policy Statement;
- As part of the initial advice and guidance session or induction session, all new learners will be shown this Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy. This will be followed by discussion and checking of understanding. All new employees will be made aware of and issued with this policy as part of their induction, depending on their role;
- All children and vulnerable adults within the organisation will be informed that their assessor or tutor will be their nominated contact point for any concerns they may have regarding safeguarding. The assessors and tutors must liaise with the HR coordinator at T2 Fitness, with any concerns to ensure safeguarding;
- Staff must keep a secure and up to date record of all children and vulnerable adults either working in or learning within the organisation. They should monitor their progress on a regular basis to check they are safe from abuse and harm whilst on the qualification.
New Areas to be Recognised
Online Safety & Digital Safeguarding
Statement of Intent
T2 Fitness recognises that learners and staff are exposed to risks through the use of:
- Online learning platforms
- Social media
- Messaging apps
- Digital assessment systems
We are committed to creating a safe digital learning environment.
Online Risks Include
- Cyberbullying and harassment
- Exposure to inappropriate or harmful content
- Grooming and exploitation
- Sharing of personal information
- Misuse of images or recorded sessions
- Radicalisation through online platforms
Staff Responsibilities
Staff must:
- Maintain professional boundaries online
- Never engage with learners via personal social media accounts as a first form of contact
- Only use approved communication platforms
- Report any online concerns
- Not share personal data without authorisation
Learner Responsibilities
Learners are expected to:
- Use online platforms responsibly
- Not share offensive, discriminatory, or harmful content
- Report online safety concerns immediately
- Protect personal information
Breaches may result in disciplinary action.
Contextual Safeguarding
What is Contextual Safeguarding?
Contextual safeguarding recognises that harm can occur outside the home or classroom, including:
- Gyms and fitness facilities
- Social environments
- Online communities
- Peer groups
Young people and adults can be influenced by risks in their wider environment.
Examples of Contextual Harm
- Peer-on-peer abuse
- Sexual exploitation
- Criminal exploitation
- Gang association
- Harassment and coercion
Risks Specific to the Fitness Industry
- One-to-one coaching environments
- Changing facilities
- Online coaching interactions
- Social media fitness influencers
- Power imbalance between trainer and learner
- Physical contact within training contexts
How We Reduce Contextual Harm
We manage risks through:
- Clear professional boundaries
- Safe recruitment procedures
- Supervised training environments
- Code of conduct for staff and learners
- Whistleblowing procedures
- Clear reporting routes
Reporting Contextual Safeguarding Concerns
- All contextual safeguarding concerns must be reported to upper management
- Concerns will be assessed and referred to appropriate agencies
- Multi-agency working will be supported where required
Prevent Duty & Radicalisation
Statement of Intent
T2 Fitness is committed to safeguarding learners, staff, and associated persons from all forms of harm, including the risk of radicalisation and extremist influence. We recognise our responsibility under the Prevent Duty to protect individuals from being drawn into terrorism or extremist ideologies.
We promote fundamental values of:
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
These values are embedded through our teaching practice, learning environment, and staff conduct.
What is Radicalisation?
Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism or extremist ideologies associated with terrorist groups. This may happen through:
- Online content and social media
- Peer influence
- Personal grievances or vulnerabilities
Risks in a Fitness Education Setting
In a fitness education and training environment, risks may include:
- Exposure to extremist content via social media or online platforms
- Influence from external peers or gym environments
- Isolation, identity issues, or low self-esteem
- Misuse of training spaces for recruitment or propaganda
While the risk is definitely low, it is not entirely absent and must be actively managed.
Responsibilities of Staff
All staff must:
- Be alert to indicators of radicalisation
- Challenge extremist behaviour or views appropriately
- Promote inclusive values and respectful discussion
- Report any concerns immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead
Signs and Indicators of Radicalisation
These may include:
- Sudden changes in behaviour or beliefs
- Use of extremist language or symbols
- Justification of violence or extremist actions
Reporting Concerns
Any concern relating to radicalisation must:
- Be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Be recorded formally
- Be referred to external agencies where necessary
Confidentiality will be maintained as far as possible and information only shared on a need-to-know basis.
GUIDANCE
Good Practice
- Always work in an open environment avoiding private or unobserved situations, encourage open communication;
- Treat all children and vulnerable adults equally with respect and dignity;
- Maintain a safe and appropriate distance;
- Be aware of the effect your words or actions may have.
Practices to be avoided
- Spending excessive amounts of time alone with children and vulnerable adults away from others;
- Straying from the specified task or assignment;
- Being unnecessarily inquisitive;
- Saying anything that may make a child or vulnerable adult feel uncomfortable, or that could be interpreted as aggressive, hostile or impatient;
- Being drawn into personal conversations;
- Sitting or standing too close;
- Meeting other than at the prearranged venue;
- Exchanging personal details;
- Making contact via social internet contact sites.
Practices never to be sanctioned
You should never:
- Allow allegations made by a child or vulnerable adult to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon;
- Promise a child or vulnerable adult that their confidences will be kept secret;
- Allow children or vulnerable adults to use inappropriate language unchallenged;
- Reduce a child or vulnerable adult to tears as a form of control;
- Allow or engage in any form of touching or make suggestive comments to a child or vulnerable adult.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATON OF THE POLICY
We believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to remain vigilant and to ensure that children and vulnerable adults are provided with a safe and secure environment.
Staff dealing with children and vulnerable adults will be trained in how to recognise and respond to a situation where abuse is reported and how to report this or any concerns. They should try to consider and act on 5 R’s:
- Recognition;
- Response;
- Reporting;
- Recording;
- Referral.
Recognition – signs and indicators of abuse may just cause concern, but it could be a direct disclosure from someone. A direct disclosure may be made to anyone within the organisation who is trusted by the individual.
Response – Appropriate response is vital. No report should ever be ignored. At this point the response is just to listen, stay calm, and not show shock or outrage at what is being disclosed. You may need to ask some questions, but these should never lead or probe, just gather enough information to ascertain if there is immediate danger or harm. Do not make any promises as to what will happen, and be clear that everything will be treated in confidence, but must be passed on to the appropriate HR coordinator at T2 Fitness Ltd.
Reporting – Immediately report your concerns or information to the HR coordinator. Once the report has been made, the responsibility will lie with the HR coordinator. You are within your rights to check that appropriate action has been taken, but confidentiality may mean that the HR coordinator may not be able to share this information with you. If for any reason you feel that the matter has not been taken forward, you can make a referral directly to the Independent Safeguarding Authority.
Recording – You should record precisely what has been alleged, using the key words and phrases used by the individual. You can also record your own observations of the individual, as well as your interpretation of the facts. This record should be passed on in person to the HR coordinator, who will store it securely, where it is only accessible to those staff with safeguarding responsibilities.
Referral – The HR coordinator should gather enough information to make a referral, if appropriate by talking to the appropriate people outside the organisation.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Roles and responsibilities are as follows:
Managing Director
- Allocate required resources and time to provide adequate safeguarding measures;
- Provide leadership in ensuring the safety of children and vulnerable adults;
- Review and approve policy annually;
- Review systems and procedures to report to the T2 Fitness Ltd Management Board.
Head of Quality & Compliance
- Put in place a comprehensive training programme to ensure all staff have a competent understanding of safeguarding that is relevant to their role;
- Ensure all staff have been thoroughly vetted prior to undertaking duties;
- Audit and review each divisional areas performance against safeguarding procedures;
- Review and update safeguarding procedures;
- Make sure sub-contractors arrangements for safeguarding are comprehensive;
- Audit and review all sub-contractors performance against safeguarding procedures.
Designated Person (Stuart Gatherum)
- Manage the application of safeguarding procedures in their centre;
- Act as the focal point for safeguarding in their centre;
- Ensure all staff are competent to undertake their safeguarding duties;
- Clearly communicate the safeguarding policy to all staff;
- Liaise with partner agencies as required, including Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB);
- Ensure publicity and organisational position statement are supplied to relevant sites with up to date information on contact details;
- DP will, where necessary, inform relevant agencies of concerns over safeguarding issues as relevant to their role.
Employees
- Ensure that all staff are aware of any children and vulnerable adults within their group or caseload;
- Comply with policy and procedures;
- Promote a safe learning environment;
- Ensure all learners and employers are aware of the safeguarding policy;
- Report any concerns to DP immediately or where necessary LSCB.
TRAINING
- Staff will attend regular training updates either internally or externally as deemed necessary by the DP;
- Staff will keep a record of their CPD affecting safeguarding issues.
SUPPORT TO STAFF
It is recognised that some disclosures might be upsetting and harrowing for some staff. T2 Fitness Ltd will offer appropriate support and assistance as necessary to staff involved with safeguarding issues.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR MONITORING THIS POLICY
Monitoring of this policy is by the Designated Person (Stuart Gatherum). They will share best practice to the employees / Assessors.
If anyone has any queries or concerns, please contact Stu Gatherum on 07816240137
Legislation covered in this policy:
- Safeguarding vulnerably Groups Act 2006;
- Children Act 1989 and 2004;
- Education Act 2002;
- Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in Education 2007;
- Rehabilitation offenders Act 1974.
Additional guidance information sourced from:
- No secrets;
- Every child Matters;
- ISA.
This policy will be reviewed in 2027. Any changes will be communicated to all customers and employees.
