New students starting in September: You can find more information about College Ready Sessions and submitting your GCSE results in our online Guide. Transport and bursary information will be available from 15 June 2026.
a safe and stimulating environment
Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 gives maintained schools and colleges a statutory duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of children, and to have due regard to the DCFS policy ‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education’ and the Children Act 1989 and 2004 Guidance.
Truro and Penwith College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This means that we have a child protection and safeguarding policy and appropriate procedures in place.
All members of the College community (including volunteers and governors) will at all times establish and maintain a safe and stimulating environment where young people feel secure, are encouraged to talk to adults they can trust and are listened to.
Through training, all staff (teaching and non-teaching) will be able to recognise the signs of abuse and understand their responsibilities when young people may be at risk of harm. Training of all staff is updated regularly.
Where the sharing of personal information with appropriate agencies is necessary for the vital interests of a student or other person (for safeguarding or life preserving measures), we will do this in accordance with our duties under the General Data Protection Regulation or other current legislation.
We will ensure that our concerns about our children, young people and vulnerable adults are discussed with his/her/their parents/carers first (as appropriate); unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s, young person’s or vulnerable adult’s welfare.
The College recognises the importance of attendance at all meetings called when there is a concern regarding the safeguarding of a student.
In addition, Truro and Penwith College has a designated Governor for Safeguarding; Linda Batchelor.
Who can I speak to?
If you have concerns about someone or you need support and advice yourself, please contact one of the safeguarding team on:
phone: 01872 305712
email: safeguarding@truro-penwith.ac.uk
or pop into Student Services in the Mylor building at Truro College and in the Lamorna building at Penwith College. College staff can report via the CPOMS link on the intranet home page.
If there is an immediate risk of harm or abuse, or you need support out of hours, then please refer directly to the police on 101 or 999 or contact the MARU on 0300 123 1116. The 24 hour NHS Mental Health number is: 0800 038 5300.
NATIONAL SERVICES
The College’s Student Services Team has put together a helpful list of national services that are available to support students and their families:
The dedicated, professional teams across Truro and Penwith College are always on-hand to assist with any safeguarding concerns that arise.
Lisa Briscoe
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Mental Health First Aiders
Mental Health First Aid is the help given to a person experiencing a mental health issue before professional help is obtained. Orange buttons are worn by staff who have undergone mental health first aid and suicide prevention training. You can talk to them if you are having thoughts of suicide, or are worried about somebody else. All Mental Health First Aiders have received specialist training and will support you non-judgementally as well as signposting you to professional support.
Mental Health First Aiders based at Truro Campus:
- Karen Ashford (suicide prevention trained)
- Lisa Briscoe (suicide prevention trained)
- Sheona Cornes
- Becky Horne
- Gary Kos
- Gemma Marshall
- Maria Musgrove (suicide prevention trained)
- Antony Riley (suicide prevention trained)
- Victoria Russell (suicide prevention trained)
- Angela Thompson
- Rosie Tredinnick-Davidson (suicide prevention trained)
Mental Health First Aiders based at Penwith Campus:
- Matthew Hall (suicide prevention trained)
- Laura Kaley (suicide prevention trained)
- Bridget Shrosbree (suicide prevention trained)
- Stef Wade (suicide prevention trained)
Safeguarding Specialists
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Senior Mental Health Lead (Strategic Lead) for all matters relating to Child Protection and Safeguarding is Lisa Briscoe, Director of Student Experience. Our DSL is fully trained, receives updated training every two years and has a team of safeguarding specialists who offer help and support. Safeguarding specialists can be found within the Student Services team at each campus.
Prevent
Prevent radicalisation and extremism by acting early. It can be hard to know what to do if you’re worried someone close is expressing extreme views or hatred, which could lead to them harming themselves or others. Working with other organisations, the police protect vulnerable people from being exploited by extremists through a Home Office programme called Prevent. Act early and tell us your concerns in confidence. You won’t be wasting our time and you won’t ruin lives, but you might save them.
Contact ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) at ACT Early | Prevent radicalisation or 0800 011 3764
The College has effective filtering and monitoring in place for internet connectivity. The use of WatchGuard, Intrusion Prevention Service (IPS), Web blocker and Geo Location Restriction, to name a few, are all permanently active. The College have a unified threat management (UTM) firewall system, a dedicated computer services team and marketing team who can access, monitor and review IT security and social media sites. All concerns for internet usage or inappropriate material are reported to Safeguarding team members and the Safeguarding and Prevent Lead. The College is utilising Smoothwall assisted monitoring services on college devices. You can also find more guides and resources on the UK Safer Internet Centre website.
The College welcomes applications from students with learning difficulties and disabilities. Students access a wide range of externally accredited and College certificated courses developed to meet individual needs. Learning support and specialist equipment is provided as required.
Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools and colleges, prior to the start of the next college day, when a child or young person has been exposed to, or involved in, any domestic incident. Operation Encompass will ensure that a member of staff, known as a Key Adult, is trained to allow them to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, while ensuring that the College is able to make provisions for possible difficulties experienced by young people, or their families.
Truro and Penwith College believes in working closely with parents and there is an open door policy so that parents can feel able to visit at any time to discuss concerns. Email is used extensively by parents to contact members of staff directly. Truro and Penwith College is fully signed up to the Safeguarding of Children and Young People and the Safeguarding Policy is in place.
In line with the guidance ‘Safer Recruitment’, our Personnel and HR team has completed Safer Recruitment training. All staff, including volunteers, who have access to young people in the College, have been carefully selected and screened and all have had an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check prior to commencing work. Social media checks are also conducted on shortlisted staff as part of the recruitment process. Details of all appointments and checks are held in a central record. Staff will be inducted into the College and training will be given with regard to child protection.