The Learning & Enterprise College Bexley holds as a high priority the health, safety and welfare of its learners, especially those who are most vulnerable, by helping to protect them from bullying, harassment, abuse of any kind, discrimination or victimisation. To help safeguard our learners the College will: 

• Take a preventative approach to protect them from potential harm or damage
• Take all appropriate actions to address concerns about their welfare
• Work to agreed local policies and procedures in full partnership with other local agencies
• Plan, implement, monitor and review policies and procedures to ensure that the maximum is done to provide a safe environment for vulnerable learners in the College
• Take all reasonable measures to ensure that risks of harm to them are minimised

Our procedures include:

• Carrying out risk assessments and managing any risks effectively
• Adhering to our Health and Safety procedures
• Staff selection, recruitment, induction supervision and training to be carried out safely and thoroughly
• Reacting quickly and decisively to any reported incidents of harm or abuse
• Awareness training for all staff

Reporting a safeguarding issue

​Please get in touch with our Safeguarding Team:

Email: ​safeguarding@lecb.ac.uk
Phone: 020 3045 3592​​

Learning free from harm, abuse, or neglect we have a duty of care for children, young people, and vulnerable adults. Vulnerable adults include anyone over the age of 18 years who may need community care services because of mental or other disability, age or illness or somebody may be temporarily vulnerable due to factors such as divorce, bereavement, addiction, or financial difficulties.
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Concerns may include:

• Domestic violence z Abuse (emotional, mental, sexual, physical, or financial)
• Bullying or harassment
• Neglect
• Online safety
• Exploitation (sexual/ modern slavery)
• ​Sexual harassment

​The Prevent Duty, Safeguarding and British Values

All Colleges have a duty to safeguard their learners, Prevent is about safeguarding our learners to keep them both safe and within the law. Under the Prevent Duty this also includes supporting any learners who are at risk or being radicalised or drawn into terrorism by challenging the spread of terrorist ideology and providing early intervention designed to divert people away from terrorist activity. This does not mean preventing learners from having political and religious views and concerns but about supporting them to use those concerns or act on them in non-extremist ways.

If you feel that you have been subject to, or have witnessed, any of the above, you are encouraged to let us know. We promise to take anything you tell us seriously.

​All College staff are offered training in the Prevent Duty and how to recognise radical views and opinions that could indicate radicalisation has taken place.

Prevent is a government strategy to reduce the threat of terrorism by stopping people becoming radicalised. Radicalisation can happen when a person becomes exposed to extreme ideologies, which may be founded in social, religious, or political beliefs that seek to undermine society and choice.
This may result in individuals or groups being encouraged to take part in violent or extreme actions or joining groups, which promote these. There are some tell- tale signs of possible radicalisation.

​Secretive behaviour about online viewing:

• Extreme ‘them and us thinking’
• Social isolation
• Holding very strong views and being unwilling to listen to other points of view
• Promotion or distribution of extremist content
• Change in physical appearance and dress
• Change in aspirations, routines, and travel patterns 

If you have an urgent concern and none of the LECB Safeguarding team are available you should contact:

For an adult:
Email: screeners@bexley.gov.uk
Phone: 020 8303 7777 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm) and ask for ‘screeners’ 

For an child:
Phone: Children’s Services at the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 020 3045 5440 and speak to a social worker. If you’re worried you’ll be put in a difficult position, you can speak to them anonymously.
​The opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. If it’s out of hours, call 020 8303 7777 or 020 8303 7171.

​In an emergency situation always call 999.