Oxbridge Summer Education

The Magdalen Centre
The Oxford Science Park Oxford OX4 4GA
United Kingdom..

T: +44 1865 589500

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E:  info@oxbridgesummereducation.com

 

Safeguarding

OSE Arrangements for safeguarding welfare and security of child visitors

 

Oxbridge Summer Education (OSE) programme directors and resident counsellors create a balanced residential, recreational and extracurricular experience for summer school participants.

 

1.0 OSE STAFF AND KEY SAFEGUARDING ROLES

 

At OSE, all senior staff are parents themselves and / or have experience in dealing with children in educational settings. The senior staff at OSE Oxford is currently composed of a Programme Director, Outreach and Communications Director, and Education Advisor. The junior staff is composed of student counsellors. Only staff that has gone through Enhanced DBS checks are allowed to be in unattended supervisory roles with children.

 

Student counsellors, who are at the heart of our programme delivery, are adult University students or recent graduates who serve as an essential part of the OSE experience and are sourced to support and act as role models for OSE participants. As current Oxford students or recent graduates, counsellors have experience in residential life at Oxford Colleges. They live in close, accessible proximity to the participants on each floor to separate participants by gender and age. OSE hires the required number of counsellors to abide by the Oxfordshire County Council guidelines for safeguarding children away from home, such as having available one counsellor for every ten participants: counsellors create a community, are always on hand to look after participants, provide support, organize activities, provide tours, and generally make sure our participants get the most out of their summer experience in Oxford. Alongside the counsellors, at least one OSE senior staff member lives in residence and is available to help address student concerns and emergencies, day or night.

 

2.0 POLICIES ON SAFETY, SECURITY & SUPERVISION

 

The safety, security, well-being and welfare of our participants is our top priority. We follow generally accepted guidelines to ensure our participants are looked after, well cared for and safe at all times:

  1. International participants under 18 must be accompanied with an adult (usually a teacher or school principal) and one who has gained consent from parents to serve as carer / guardian during the overseas visit to the UK
  2. Our staff receives overseas visitors at the airport and see them off for departure from the UK
  3. 24-hour residential care and support (participants are overseen by OSE staff during the entirety of their stay, whether on campus or outside during tours)
  4. Residential arrangements and tours are always maintained at 1 to 10 child to residential staff ratio
  5. For guest speakers and visitors who have not been DBS checked, one of our staff members must be present for the entire duration of stay of the guest speakers or visitors
  6. 24-hour security with a team of porters on staff at St Edmund Hall, Oxford: porters monitor the entrance, sign in visitors, assist with lost keys, answer questions, and provide first-aid response
  7. Electronic key pass required for entry into residence hall buildings and individually secured rooms
  8. Child participants are always escorted outside of College by counsellors or other staff members
  9. Buddy system to ensure even adult participants never travel alone
  10. Designated zone in which participants can travel within Oxford
  11. All participants must carry the OSE emergency booklet with key contact numbers
  12. 9pm daily curfew and face-to-face check-in
  13. Zero tolerance for drugs / alcohol / smoking or bullying