Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

Last Updated:

Policy owner: The Medic Life

Applies to: All employees, tutors, contractors, volunteers, event staff and other representatives working on behalf of The Medic Life

1. Purpose and Commitment

The Medic Life is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people who participate in our events, courses, workshops and educational activities.

We recognise that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We aim to provide an environment in which children and young people are treated with respect, feel safe to raise concerns and are protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation and other forms of harm.

This policy applies to all The Medic Life activities, including:

  • In-person educational events, workshops and work experience activities.

  • Online courses, webinars, lectures and tutoring sessions.

  • Medical and dental interview preparation and practical workshops.

  • Communications with attendees before, during and after events.

  • Any other activity organised or delivered on behalf of The Medic Life.

For the purposes of this policy, a child is anyone under the age of 18.

This policy should be read alongside our Under-18s, Parental Consent and Supervision Policy, Photography, Video and Privacy Policy, and relevant event terms and conditions.

2. Safeguarding Principles

The Medic Life will:

  • Prioritise the safety and welfare of children and young people participating in our activities.

  • Treat all children fairly, respectfully and without discrimination.

  • Take concerns, disclosures and allegations seriously and respond appropriately.

  • Take reasonable steps to prevent abuse, inappropriate conduct and avoidable risks during our activities.

  • Ensure that staff, tutors and other representatives understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

  • Share information with appropriate authorities where necessary to protect a child or meet legal obligations.

  • Respect children's privacy while recognising that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where safeguarding concerns require information to be shared.

We will act in accordance with applicable safeguarding legislation and relevant guidance in England, including Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026. 

3. Roles and Responsibilities

The Medic Life

The Medic Life is responsible for taking reasonable and appropriate steps to safeguard children during activities it organises or delivers.

This includes providing relevant guidance to staff and representatives, responding to safeguarding concerns, maintaining appropriate records and contacting external agencies where necessary.

We will appoint a designated safeguarding lead to oversee safeguarding matters and act as the main point of contact for concerns.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) contact email: admissions@themediclife.com

Where the designated safeguarding lead is unavailable, concerns should be reported to another appropriate senior member of The Medic Life team.

Staff, Tutors, Contractors and Representatives

Anyone working on behalf of The Medic Life who comes into contact with children is expected to:

  • Read and follow this policy and any relevant safeguarding instructions.

  • Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

  • Treat children with dignity and respect.

  • Report safeguarding concerns promptly.

  • Avoid conduct that could place a child or themselves at risk.

  • Cooperate with reasonable safeguarding enquiries and procedures.

No member of staff or representative should investigate a safeguarding allegation independently or promise a child that information will be kept secret.

Parents and Guardians

Parents and guardians retain responsibility for their child's general welfare. They are responsible for providing accurate information relevant to their child's participation, making appropriate travel and collection arrangements, and communicating any specific needs or restrictions in accordance with our Under-18s, Parental Consent and Supervision Policy.

4. Prevention and Safe Conduct

The Medic Life aims to reduce safeguarding risks through appropriate planning, clear expectations and professional conduct.

Any contact between staff and children must be appropriate, necessary for the activity and consistent with safety requirements. Staff should avoid unnecessary contact and respect a child's personal boundaries.

Where activities involve practical demonstrations or simulations, instructions should be clear, appropriate and respectful of participants' comfort and consent.

The Medic Life will take reasonable steps to ensure that staff and representatives understand the professional standards expected of them and know how to report concerns.

5. In-Person Events

At in-person events, The Medic Life will take reasonable and proportionate steps to manage foreseeable safeguarding risks associated with the activities it organises.

Depending on the event, this may include:

  • Providing clear arrival, registration and finishing-time information.

  • Identifying event staff and explaining how attendees can raise concerns.

  • Providing relevant safety instructions and venue information.

  • Ensuring that practical activities are appropriately organised and supervised.

  • Responding to incidents, injuries or safeguarding concerns.

  • Contacting parents, guardians or emergency services where appropriate.

The Medic Life does not provide continuous individual supervision outside its organised activities or beyond advertised event hours unless expressly agreed in writing.

These arrangements do not remove the need for The Medic Life to respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns arising during its activities.

6. Online Safeguarding

The Medic Life delivers online educational activities using digital platforms and communication tools.

We will take reasonable steps to promote safe and appropriate online participation, including establishing clear expectations for staff and attendees.

Where appropriate, this may include:

  • Using authorised platforms and meeting links.

  • Sharing joining instructions securely.

  • Maintaining professional boundaries in online communications.

  • Taking reasonable steps to prevent inappropriate access to sessions.

  • Managing disruptive or inappropriate behaviour.

  • Responding to concerns about cyberbullying, harassment, exploitation or other online harm.

Parents and guardians remain responsible for their child's home environment, device use and supervision.

Online sessions may be recorded for educational purposes in accordance with our Photography, Video and Privacy Policy. We will take reasonable steps to avoid including attendees' identifying information in recordings distributed after the event.

7. Recognising and Reporting Safeguarding Concerns

A safeguarding concern may arise from a disclosure by a child, an observation, information provided by a parent or another attendee, or an allegation about the behaviour of a staff member or other individual.

Concerns may relate to physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation, bullying, discrimination, inappropriate adult behaviour or online harm.

Anyone working on behalf of The Medic Life who becomes aware of a safeguarding concern must report it promptly to the designated safeguarding lead or another appropriate senior member of the team.

If a child discloses abuse or harm, the person receiving the disclosure should:

  1. Listen calmly and take the child seriously.

  2. Allow the child to explain in their own words without asking leading questions.

  3. Reassure the child that they have done the right thing by speaking up.

  4. Explain that the information may need to be shared with people who can help keep them safe.

  5. Record the information as accurately as possible, including the date, time and relevant details.

  6. Report the concern promptly and avoid investigating it independently.

If a child appears to be in immediate danger, emergency services should be contacted by calling 999.

Where appropriate, The Medic Life will contact the relevant local authority children's social care team or police and follow the applicable safeguarding procedures. Concerns must not be delayed solely because a parent or guardian has not given permission to share information where sharing is necessary to protect a child.

8. Allegations Involving Staff or Representatives

Any allegation or concern involving a member of staff, tutor, contractor, volunteer or other representative must be reported promptly to the designated safeguarding lead or an appropriate senior person.

The individual concerned must not investigate the allegation themselves or attempt to resolve a serious safeguarding concern informally.

Appropriate steps will be taken to protect children while concerns are assessed, and relevant information will be shared on a need-to-know basis.

Where the concern involves the designated safeguarding lead, it should be reported directly to another senior person or the appropriate external authority.

9. Confidentiality and Record Keeping

Safeguarding information will be handled sensitively and shared only with those who need it for safeguarding, legal or related legitimate purposes.

The Medic Life will maintain appropriate records of safeguarding concerns, actions taken and referrals made.

Records will be factual, accurate, securely stored and retained in accordance with applicable data protection requirements and relevant retention arrangements.

Information may be shared with parents, guardians, statutory agencies or other appropriate individuals where lawful and necessary. However, parents or guardians will not automatically be informed where doing so could increase risk to a child, compromise an investigation or otherwise be inappropriate.

10. Photography, Video and Personal Information

Photography, filming and recording at The Medic Life events will be managed in accordance with our Photography, Video and Privacy Policy.

Personal information, including emergency contact details, will be handled in accordance with our privacy information and applicable data protection legislation.

11. Responding to Breaches of This Policy

The Medic Life will consider any alleged breach of this policy seriously.

Depending on the circumstances, action may include additional guidance or training, restricting an individual's involvement in activities, removing an attendee from a session where appropriate, suspending an individual's duties, or referring the matter to relevant external authorities.

Any action will be proportionate to the concern and consistent with applicable legal obligations.

All staff and representatives are expected to follow the current version of the policy.

12. Contact Details

The Medic Life

Email: admissions@themediclife.com

Website: https://themediclife.com

For immediate danger, contact emergency services on 999. For non-emergency safeguarding concerns, contact the relevant local authority children's social care team or police as appropriate.