AYA College is committed to the vital contribution that all governors, staff and support staff make to safeguarding students. We aim to ensure that child protection concerns and referrals are handled sensitively, professionally and in ways that support the specific needs of the individual child. Through providing a caring, safe and stimulating environment which promotes the social, physical and moral development of all our students, we aim to foster an atmosphere of trust, respect and security.

The College will ensure all our own staff, other professionals, parents/carers and students work together to know the rules about keeping children safe. They will understand the importance of following procedures and listening to each other, especially when there are safety concerns.

Our safeguarding culture is built on:

• safe and trusted relationships with young people
• clear reporting procedures and professional accountability
• safer recruitment and thorough pre-employment checks
• regular staff safeguarding training and updates
• strong partnership working with parents, carers, social workers and other agencies
• a therapeutic, trauma-aware and relational approach to supporting pupils