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People and Culture

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  • People and Culture COVID Guidance
    • COVID-19: People and Culture FAQs
  • Home
  • About People and Culture
    • Our Structure
    • People and Culture Strategy
    • Key Contacts
    • New Staff Welcome
  • Employees
    • HR Hub
    • Pay, Reward and Benefits
    • Learning and Development
    • Development and Career Progression
    • International Staff Support
    • Wellbeing at Queen's
    • Managing Stress at Work
    • Annual, Family and Other Leave
    • Sickness Absence
    • Employee Experience and Engagement
    • Green Impact
  • Managers
    • Performance Management Toolkit
    • Sickness Absence
    • Leave Toolkit
    • Induction Toolkit
    • Recruitment and Selection
    • Employee Assistance Programme Manager Support
    • Occupational Health Service
    • Workplace Conduct
    • Job Evaluation
    • Redeployment
    • Leaving Employment
  • Work at Queen's
    • Recruitment and Selection
    • International Staff Support
    • Women at QUB
    • Fellowships at Queen's
    • Pay, Rewards and Benefits
    • Learning and Development
  • HR HUB
  • A-Z
  • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Equality Legislation
    • Policies, Procedures and Guidance
    • Fair Employment Return Monitoring Data
    • Disability
    • Menopause
    • Fertility Treatment Leave
    • Celebrating Diversity
    • Faith, Religion and Belief
  • Annual, Family and Other Leave
    • Annual Leave
    • Work Life Balance Policies
    • Other Leave
    • Agile Working Toolkit
  • Legal Services and Employee Relations
  • Learning and Development
    • Researcher Development
    • Learning for All
    • Learning Resources LinkedIn Learning
    • Leadership and Management Development
    • Essential Learning
    • Administrative Skills
    • Career Development Hub
    • Coaching and Mentoring
    • Remote Working
  • News
  • Pay, Reward and Benefits
    • Reward and Recognition
    • Pay and Conditions
    • Financial Support
    • Parents and Caring
    • Discounts
    • Commuting
    • Pay & Reward Benefits
    • Financial & Other Benefits
  • Fellowships at Queen's
    • Illuminate: Vice-Chancellor's Fellowship Scheme
    • Fellowship Academy
    • Externally Funded Fellowships
  • People and Culture COVID Guidance
    • COVID-19: People and Culture FAQs
  • Home
  • People and Culture
  • Legal Services and Employee Relations
  • Working with Children and Adults at Risk
  • Policies & Procedures to Comply With
  • Safeguarding Concerns
  • Examples of concerns that must be reported

Examples of concerns that must be reported

Examples of welfare concerns/behaviours that may harm a child or adult at risk and must be reported are set out below: 

  • abuse has/may/is occurring  

Abuse can take many forms including: physical abuse, fabricated or induced illness, psychological abuse, financial abuse, neglect, domestic violence/familial abuse, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, grooming, trafficking, abuse in communities, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, honour-based violence, abuse by a person in a position of trust, peer abuse, bullying & harassment, cyberbullying.  Further information on each type of abuse.

a breach of the University’s: 

  • Code of Behaviour (Children and Adults at Risk)
  • eSafety Guidance​​​​​​​
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy 
  • Bullying and Harassment Complaints Procedure
  • The behaviour of someone working/close to the child/adult at risk makes you uncomfortable;  
  • a child or adult at risk is accidentally hurt;  
  • there is concern that a relationship is developing which may be an abuse of trust; 
  • you are worried that a child or adult at risk is becoming attracted to you; 
  • you are worried that a child or adult at risk is becoming attracted to a colleague; 
  • you think a child or adult at risk has misunderstood or misinterprets something you have done; 
  • you have been required to physically restrain a child or adult at risk to prevent them from harming themselves or another or from causing significant damage to property; 
  • you receive a report from a child or adult at risk alleging abuse regarding a member of an external organisation using Queen’s facilities; 
  • you see any suspicious marks on, or notice behaviours by, a child or adult at risk, that would possibly suggest abuse/harm; 
  • allegations of harm/abuse have been made by a child or adult at risk or someone acting on their behalf;
  • you belief a child or adult at risk may have been subjected to some form of abuse or harm either at home or elsewhere.

Please note the University has a legal duty to refer an individual to the Disclosure and Barring Service for a barring decision if they have engaged in relevant conduct and satisfied the harm test.  Many of the concerns detailed above would meet the requirements for a referral.  Further information on the legal duty to refer, relevant conduct and harm.  

Who might abuse/harm a child or adult at risk? 

Abusers come from all classes in society, all professions, genders and all races.  Some adults manipulate themselves into positions of trust to abuse and/or exploit. 

Abuse may be carried out by a stranger, but the abuser may be known.  An abuser may be a friend, family member or carer. 

Children may suffer abuse from other children. 

In This Section
Safeguarding Concerns
  • Safeguarding Concerns
  • Examples of concerns that must be reported
  • Who could raise/identify concerns?
  • If you have a concern
  • What to do if someone raises a concern
  • How the University responds to concerns
  • DBS Barring Referrals
  • Abuse
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