What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding is a term we use to describe how we protect children and adults-at-risk from abuse or neglect.

Definition of a child: Anyone who has not reached their 18th birthday. Therefore, ‘children’ means ‘children and young people’.

Definition of an adult at risk: An adult at risk is any person who is aged 18 years or over and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and/or support.

Universities have duties under the law towards people who are experiencing abuse or neglect (or are at risk of either).

This includes those who may be at risk of harm or exploitation (including radicalisation or being drawn into terrorism, as defined in the University’s Prevent Policy (PDF)).

The University has a duty to report suspected safeguarding concerns relating to a child or adult at risk to relevant external agencies, regardless of whether the individual is a member of the University community, if that concern is reported to, or identified by, a member of staff in the course of their duties.

To ensure it fulfils its duties, the University has Safeguarding Procedures which are monitored through appropriate governance. You can find out more on the University Safeguarding procedures page.

If you have a safeguarding query or concern, please contact the Principle Safeguarding Lead on safeguardingadvice@surrey.ac.uk. If you are unsure whether your concern is a welfare concern or safeguarding concern, you can contact the Centre for Wellbeing for further guidance.