Safeguarding
Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. We are fully committed to protecting the welfare, safety and wellbeing of every child, young person and vulnerable adult in our care. Our team always follow our safeguarding policies and procedures. These are in line with local authority and national legislation.
Our Safeguarding Team
At The Hub, we believe in openness and transparency when it comes to safeguarding. Our priority is to ensure that every learner and member of staff feels safe, supported, and protected across all of our sites. We work closely with relevant professionals and agencies to share concerns appropriately and maintain the highest standards of care and safety.
Throughout the year, our safeguarding team lead a range of engaging discussions and awareness sessions designed to help learners understand how to keep themselves and others safe. These take place through workshops, guest speakers, group activities and themed events covering key topics such as online safety, child exploitation, grooming, anti-bullying, anxiety, exam stress, respect, healthy relationships and personal wellbeing.
Our goal is to empower learners with the knowledge and confidence to make safe choices, seek help when needed, and support one another through challenging times.
Reporting a Safeguarding Concern
Should you, as a parent, carer or student, have any safeguarding concerns that you wish to share with us please follow our contacts link below to direct to the right member of our Safeguarding team.
You can also contact us on 01509 522 162.
If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
If your concern arises outside of Hub hours, or relates to someone not connected to The Hub, you can contact your local safeguarding authority directly using the information below.
Important Contacts
Leicestershire (including Leicester City & Rutland)
Concerns About a Child or Young Person
If you believe a child is being abused, neglected, or is at risk of harm:
Leicestershire County Council – First Response Children’s Duty Team
📞 0116 305 0005 (24 hours)
🌐 Report abuse or neglect of a child – Leicestershire County CouncilLeicester City Council – Duty and Advice Service
📞 0116 454 1004 (24 hours)
🌐 Children’s Social Care – Leicester City Council
Concerns About an Adult at Risk
Adult Social Care – Leicestershire County Council
🌐 Report abuse or neglect of an adult
Concerns About a Professional or Member of Staff (LADO)
If your concern involves a professional, volunteer, or member of staff working with children, contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
Leicestershire & Rutland LADO:
📞 0116 305 0005
📧 Cfs-lado@leics.gov.uk
🌐 Leicestershire & Rutland LADO information
Safeguarding Partnerships
Nottinghamshire
Concerns About a Child or Young Person
If you believe a child is being abused, neglected, or is at risk of harm:
Nottinghamshire Children’s MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub)
📞 0300 500 80 80 (office hours)
📞 0300 456 4546 (Emergency Duty Team – out of hours)
🌐 Report a new concern about a child – Nottinghamshire County Council
Concerns About an Adult at Risk
Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Adults Board (NSAB)
📧 safeguarding1.adults@nottscc.gov.uk
🌐 Safeguarding adults – Nottinghamshire County Council
Concerns About a Professional or Member of Staff (LADO)
If your concern involves someone working with children (including in schools, care, or voluntary roles), contact:
Nottinghamshire LADO:
📞 0115 804 1272
📧 LADO@nottscc.gov.uk
🌐 Nottinghamshire LADO information
Safeguarding Partnerships
National Help and Advice
If you or your child need advice, guidance, or immediate support, you can also contact:
NSPCC Helpline: 📞 0808 800 5000 – for advice if you’re worried about a child
Childline: 📞 0800 1111 – for children and young people to talk confidentially
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection): www.ceop.police.uk – to report online abuse
Young Minds: www.youngminds.org.uk – mental health support for children, young people, and parents
Report Harmful Content: www.reportharmfulcontent.com – to report unsafe or inappropriate online material
Online Safety
At The Hub, learners use the internet regularly as part of their education, research, and creative projects. We believe it’s essential that they understand how to use technology safely and responsibly, therefore we embed e-safety education across all key stages, helping learners recognise risks, make informed choices, and protect themselves online.
We also recognise that at home, children and young people may have unsupervised access to the internet. This can open the door to both positive opportunities and potential risks. By working together with parents and carers, we aim to help learners navigate the online world safely — developing digital awareness, critical thinking and confidence in knowing where to go for help or advice. Below is some information and links to help and support you.
Social Media Platforms
Facebook Safety Tips
Minimum age: 13
Facebook’s privacy settings allow your child to control who can see their posts, photos, and timeline activity. It’s important to review these settings together and remind them to only connect with people they know in real life.
To adjust privacy settings:
Click or tap the padlock icon at the top of any page to access Privacy Shortcuts. On the mobile app, select Menu → Settings & Privacy → Privacy Shortcuts.
Your child can:
Limit who sees their posts: Choose between “Friends,” “Only Me,” or create custom lists.
Review tags: Enable timeline review so your child approves posts and photos before they appear on their profile.
Block someone: Click or tap the padlock icon, select How do I stop someone from bothering me? and type in their username.
Report abuse or offensive content: Click the arrow next to a post or the three dots on a group, then select Report Post or Report Group.
On mobiles and tablets, these options are found under Privacy Shortcuts → How do I stop someone from bothering me?
Snapchat Safety
Minimum age: 13
Snapchat lets users control who can contact them and who can view their Stories.
Go to Settings (tap the gear icon on your Profile screen).
Under Privacy Controls, tap Send Me Snaps to choose Everyone or My Friends.
Tap View My Story to select Everyone, My Friends, or Custom.
To block someone, go to My Friends, tap their name, select the gear icon, then choose Block.
Additional tips:
Turn on Ghost Mode in Snap Map to hide location.
Remind your child that Snaps can be screenshot or saved, even if they disappear.
Avoid sharing personal details such as address, school, or phone number.
Instagram Safety
Minimum age: 13
Instagram allows users to share photos and videos, follow others, and explore content through hashtags and Reels. It can be a positive space for creativity and connection when used safely.
Privacy and Safety Settings
Go to your profile → Menu (three lines) → Settings and Privacy.
Set the account to Private so only approved followers can see posts.
Choose who can comment or message under Interactions.
Use the Hidden Words tool to automatically filter offensive comments or messages.
To block or report someone, tap the three dots next to their username and select Block or Report.
Additional tips:
Avoid sharing personal details such as location, school, or phone number in profiles or captions.
Remind users that shared posts, even Stories, can be saved or screenshotted by others.
Encourage your child to talk to a trusted adult or The Hub team if they see or experience anything upsetting online.
TikTok Safety
Minimum age: 13
TikTok allows users to create and share short videos on topics such as pets, comedy, dance, art, music, and gaming. Users can like content to see more of the same and take part in weekly hashtag challenges via the Discover button. Videos can also be shared on other platforms such as Instagram or Facebook.
Privacy and Safety Settings
Tap the three dots in the top right of your profile and go to Privacy and Settings.
Set the account to Private (recommended).
Choose who can comment on, download, or duet with your videos.
Messaging is only available between approved friends.
Users can block or report others directly from their profile or comment section.
Additional tips:
Remind young users not to share personal information or location in videos.
Encourage regular breaks — videos auto-scroll, making screen time easy to lose track of.
Report inappropriate or harmful content using the Report option under each video.
WhatsApp Safety
Minimum age: 13
WhatsApp is a free messaging app that allows users to send texts, photos, videos, voice notes, and make calls over the internet. It’s widely used by young people to stay in touch with friends and family.
Privacy and Safety Settings
Open Settings → Privacy to manage who can see your Last Seen, Profile Photo, About, and Status. Choose from Everyone, My Contacts, or Nobody.
You can also turn off Read Receipts (blue ticks) under Privacy.
To block or report someone, open the chat, tap their name, scroll down, and select Block or Report Contact.
Enable Two-Step Verification (under Settings → Account) to add extra security to your account.
Additional tips:
Remind your child not to share personal details, photos, or their live location with people they don’t know.
Group chats can include unknown users—encourage them to leave any chats that feel uncomfortable.
Messages, photos, and videos can be screenshot or forwarded, so think before sharing.
Encourage open conversations if they receive anything worrying or inappropriate.
YouTube Safety
Minimum age: 13
YouTube allows users to watch, upload, and share videos on almost any topic. While much of the content is suitable for young audiences, some videos may be inappropriate or contain advertising not aimed at children.
Privacy and Safety Settings
Sign in and go to Settings → Privacy to manage who can see your liked videos and subscriptions.
Use Restricted Mode (found at the bottom of the YouTube homepage or under Settings in the app) to help hide mature or inappropriate content.
To block or report a user or video, click the three dots next to the video or comment and select Report or Block User.
Parents can manage children’s viewing using the YouTube Kids app or Family Link to set screen time limits and content filters.
Additional tips:
Encourage your child to think before commenting or sharing videos publicly.
Remind them not to share personal information or appear in videos without permission.
YouTube can auto-play videos — encourage regular breaks and mindful viewing.
Teach them how to report or avoid harmful or misleading content.
Safer Recruitment
To achieve our safeguarding aims and objectives, we follow strict safer recruitment procedures to ensure that everyone who works or volunteers with us is suitable, appropriately checked, and shares our values of safety, respect, and care.
Our Approach
Our safer recruitment process is designed to:
Deter unsuitable people from applying to work with children or vulnerable adults.
Identify and reject applicants who may pose a risk.
Maintain a culture of vigilance across all of our sites.
At every stage of recruitment, from advertising through to induction, we ensure that the guidelines are followed from key legislation including but not limited to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975), and Working Together to Safeguard Children.
What This Means in Practice
To ensure the safety of our learners, all staff, volunteers, and contractors must:
Complete a detailed application form with full employment history and explanations for any gaps.
Provide at least two professional references, including the most recent employer.
Undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, with barred-list checks where applicable.
Provide proof of identity, right to work in the UK, and relevant qualifications.
Take part in a face-to-face interview that explores attitudes toward safeguarding, motivation for working with young people, and professional conduct.
Complete induction and safeguarding training before working unsupervised with learners.
Where visiting professionals or contractors are used, we require written confirmation that all appropriate vetting checks have been completed.
Ongoing Commitment
Our safer recruitment responsibilities do not end at appointment.
All new staff receive mandatory safeguarding and child protection training as part of their induction.
We maintain an up-to-date Single Central Record (SCR) of all vetting and employment checks.
Regular supervision and training updates ensure that staff remain alert to safeguarding concerns.
Any concerns about staff conduct are dealt with promptly, in line with our Managing Allegations Policy and in consultation with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
Safer recruitment is not just about background checks — it’s about creating a culture where safeguarding is everyone’s priority.
At The Hub, we are proud of our caring and vigilant community where staff model the values of integrity, respect, and trust every day.