Destination STEM is a sub-brand, powered by STEM Learning. STEM Learning is committed to taking all reasonable steps to promote and safeguard the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults engaged in STEM learning-related activities and services.

This includes:

• Children or young people who are involved as part of their school/college/community setting work.

• Children, young people and vulnerable adults who come onto STEM Learning premises as part of outreach activities.

• Children, young people and vulnerable adults engaged in activities off-site with STEM Learning staff and volunteers, including volunteering activities in schools, colleges and community settings.

• Children, young people and vulnerable adults engaged in online activities with STEM Learning staff and volunteers.

Our safeguarding policy applies to all staff, including the board of directors, paid staff, volunteers, agency staff, contractors or anyone working on behalf of STEM Learning Limited.

In foreseeable circumstances STEM Learning seeks to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults by avoiding all non-supervised and one-to-one contact with children and vulnerable adults by its staff, agency staff, contractors and volunteers in the delivery of all its programmes of STEM support.

Safeguarding Concerns Reporting Procedure

The steps that should be taken if, as a member of staff, volunteer, agency worker or contractor at STEM Learning, you have concerns that a child, young person or vulnerable adult is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, harm.

• Ensure the immediate safety of the person in question.

• Write down all the details relating to the concern. If applicable, this should include the date, time and place the conversation took place and what the child/ vulnerable adult said in as much detail as possible. Record what the person has said and not your interpretation of what they said. Use their terms and phrases.

• Inform the child/vulnerable adult that you need to pass the information on but that only those that need to know about it will be told.

• Report the above to the STEM Learning’s DSO and/or Safeguarding Lead(s)via safeguarding@stem.org.uk as soon as you are able to OR the Safeguarding Officer at the establishment the employee/ volunteer/ agency worker/ contractor is based.

• If school-based it would be the school’s Safeguarding Officer(s) responsibility to refer to social care etc. and this would need to be done immediately, not passed through STEM Learning’s DSO/ Safeguarding Leads.

Where appropriate, the DSO / Safeguarding Lead will, as appropriate:

• Inform the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) within 24hrs

• Make a referral to the local Social Care Services.

• Contact the police.

• Take steps to initiate the appropriate staff disciplinary procedure.

• Consult with relevant colleagues.

If you would like to request a copy of our safeguarding policy in full, please email safeguarding@stem.org.uk.

If you would like to request any programme- or activity-specific safeguarding information, please email the contact email address associated with that programme or activity as well as safeguarding@stem.org.uk.

For Teach Computing-related safeguarding information please click here.

For Isaac Computer Science-related safeguarding information please click here. Extracts from our safeguarding policy relating to further information and responsibilities can be found below.

Further information

In non-foreseeable circumstances, STEM Learning seeks to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults by:

• Recruiting staff, volunteers, agency workers and contractors safely. As appropriate, this may include taking up written references and undertaking Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS), Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) or equivalent checks at the appropriate level and frequency.

• Producing safeguarding guidance for staff, volunteers, agency workers and contractors visiting schools, or involved in activities, as part of volunteering projects at the appropriate level and frequency.

• Helping staff, volunteers, agency workers and contractors recognise their responsibilities and ensuring they are aware of the procedure they should follow if they suspect a child, young person or vulnerable adult is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, harm.

• Entering into strict contractual arrangements with any external party delivering STEM Learning activities on their behalf

STEM Learning also aims to ensure all current safeguarding legislation and government guidance, including the Children’s Act (2004); Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006); and Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) are adhered to. In addition, all personal information that is acquired or held in the course of working with children will be treated as confidential and stored securely. Particular care will be taken with sensitive information. Consideration is also given to STEM Learning’s Information Security Policy, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2018.

Safeguarding responsibilities

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. All members of staff volunteers, agency workers and contractors who come into contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults are in a position of trust and have a duty of care to act if there is cause for concern. It is not the responsibility of staff, volunteers, agency workers or contractors to investigate, make judgements or provide a response on safeguarding matters. It is simply their responsibility to follow the Safeguarding Concerns Reporting Procedure (see below) if there is cause for concern. The Head of Human Resources is STEM Learning’s Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO). The DSO is supported by a number of Safeguarding Leads who are drawn from a range of roles and expertise and have received Level 3 Safeguarding Training.