Safeguarding

Gloucestershire College is committed to the safeguarding of students and safer recruitment of staff. The drive for inclusive learning has succeeded in bringing into the system students with a wide range of needs, including many who can now be deemed 'vulnerable'.

Gloucestershire College promotes the welfare and safeguarding of our young people and vulnerable adults.

The College expects all students, staff and visitors to share this commitment and to refer any concerns in a timely manner via the safeguarding inbox: safeguarding@gloscol.ac.uk.

Please be aware that the Safeguarding inbox is only monitored Monday to Friday between 8.30am – 5.00pm during term time. During this time responses are usually within the same working day, however outside of these times the team are not available to respond.

Students need to be in a safe environment when they are at college, in contact with members of staff, other learners and/or visitors.

Safeguarding actions may need to be taken to protect learners from concerns such as:

• Radicalisation and/or extremist behaviour
• Neglect
• Peer on peer abuse
• Sexual violence
• Physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse
• Bullying, including on-line bullying and prejudice-based bullying
• Hate crime, including racist, disability and homophobic or trans-phobic abuse
• Gender-based violence and/or violence against women and girls
• Substance abuse
• Technological abuse e.g. sexting
• Child sexual exploitation and/or trafficking
• Teenage relationship abuse and/or coercive control
• Domestic violence
• Female genital mutilation
• Forced marriage

Please see our comprehensive A-Z list of local and national support services, their contact details and how they might be able to support you in times of crisis.

If you are concerned for your immediate safety or in the case of an emergency, you should call the police directly using 999.

We have pulled together a range of resources and information below that can help and support you to understand how you can look after your own mental health and wellbeing.

• Managing anxiety
• Self-harm coping strategies
• Stress coping strategies
• What is self-care?
• Self-care checklist
• Self-care calendar
• Positive thinking activity
• Wellbeing: Little book of coping strategies
• Wellbeing diary

We have included some helpful links below with information, advice and support around knife crime in young people.

Please take the time to look at the information below and seek out the support available if you are worried or concerned about knife crime.

Childline — Knife Crime

There also some links below that can offer information, advice and support around gangs, gang culture and exploitation in young people.

Childline — Gangs

NSPCC — Gangs and Criminal Exploitation

If you or someone you know is in serious or immediate danger, you should dial 999 for urgent help.