Safeguarding Updates

We have had a couple of updates to the Partnership Development Office’s (PDO) list of Designated Safeguarding Officers (DSO).

The list of DSOs is as follows:

  • Shauna-Aine O’Brien (Student Support and Development Officer)
  • Lucy Frost (Head of Access Programme (Uniconnect)
  • Becca Jones (Outreach Programmes Co-ordinator)
  • Francesca Plom (Outreach Activities Co-ordinator)

Designated Safeguarding Officers are specifically trained and are responsible for co-ordinating a response to and managing any safeguarding incidents, issues or concerns. They should be contacted as soon as possible in the event of any potential safeguarding-related issue, and will be the ones to make contact with the relevant authorities, parents and guardians, and any other people who may need to be involved. They can also provide help and support to staff and ambassadors who may be affected by an incident, issue or disclosure and will debrief with those concerned.

We have a duty of care to keep learners and each other safe when working for the University. This is through our actions, and through the development of respectful, caring and professional relationships that demonstrate integrity, maturity and good judgement.

If you are on a work opportunity and are worried about something you see or hear, remember that you’re not a detective! You don’t need to try to find out more before making a report, or try to fix anything yourself. Your duty of care is to keep your concern, or any disclosures, confidential and only share them with a DSO.

PDO Safeguarding email address safeguarding@kent.ac.uk

Remember that we have a copy of the PDO ‘Supporting Safeguarding’ Guidelines, and Safeguarding Procedures Flowchart on the Ambassador Scheme Moodle.

If you have any questions, we would love to hear from you! Just email safeguarding@kent.ac.uk.