Safeguarding Policy

1 Statement of Intent

Koris Maritime Ltd recognises the duty of care we hold whenever we work with or alongside children and young people. We are committed to:

• Promoting the welfare and safety of all children and young people at all times
• Ensuring that all representatives of Koris Maritime Ltd are suitable, vetted, and trained to work with children
• Creating and maintaining an environment in which children feel safe, valued, and respected
• Responding promptly and appropriately to any safeguarding concern or allegation
• Working in partnership with schools, parents, and statutory agencies to protect children
• Reviewing this policy annually and following any changes in legislation or statutory guidance

This policy has been developed in line with the following statutory framework and guidance:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023, updated 2024) — HM Government
• Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024) — Department for Education
• The Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004
• The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• The Equality Act 2010
• UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018

2 Scope and Application

This policy applies to all activities carried out by or on behalf of Koris Maritime Ltd that involve contact with children and young people under the age of 18. This includes:

• School visits and classroom presentations to primary and secondary schools
• Maritime awareness workshops and career talks
• Attendance at careers fairs, STEM events, and community activities
• Any online interaction with pupils, including video presentations or virtual classroom sessions
• Any activity conducted in partnership with schools, colleges, or youth organisations

A child is defined as any person under the age of 18. This policy applies equally regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic.

3 Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for Koris Maritime Ltd is the founder and sole director. The DSL is responsible for:

• Ensuring all representatives hold a valid DBS Enhanced Check before any contact with children
• Receiving and responding to any safeguarding concerns raised internally or by a school
• Liaising with the relevant school's Designated Safeguarding Lead when visiting their premises
• Making referrals to statutory agencies (Local Authority Designated Officer — LADO, or Police) where required
• Maintaining records of any safeguarding concerns in a confidential and secure manner
• Ensuring this policy is reviewed annually and updated in line with changes to statutory guidance

DSL Contact: The Founder — Koris Maritime Ltd
Email: [email protected]
Available: Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:30

4 DBS Checks and Recruitment

Koris Maritime Ltd ensures that all individuals involved in delivering activities to children hold an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to any contact with young people.

• The founder and all outreach representatives hold a current DBS Enhanced Check (the highest level, appropriate for regulated activity with children)
• DBS checks are renewed at least every three years, or sooner if circumstances require
• No individual will be permitted to deliver outreach activities until a satisfactory DBS check has been received and recorded
• Any associate or sub-contractor engaged by Koris Maritime Ltd to deliver activities with children must provide evidence of a current Enhanced DBS check before engagement
• Records of DBS check dates and certificate numbers are maintained securely by the DSL

5 Code of Conduct for School Visits

All Koris Maritime Ltd representatives must adhere to the following standards of conduct at all times when working with children and young people:

Physical Contact and Proximity

• We will never be alone with a child or group of children without a teacher or responsible adult present
• We will not make physical contact with any child without a clear educational reason, and only where appropriate (e.g. guiding a child's hand during a demonstration)
• We will maintain appropriate physical distance from children at all times

Communication and Language

• We will use clear, age-appropriate language in all communications with children
• We will not share personal contact details (phone number, personal email, social media) directly with any pupil
• Any communications with schools regarding visits will be conducted through the school's official channels and the designated teacher contact
• We will not contact a child or family directly — all communication goes through the school

Digital and Online Activity

• If delivering virtual or online sessions, we will only do so through the school's own secure platform, with a teacher present
• We will not record any video or audio of pupils without prior written consent from the school and parents/guardians
• We will not connect with or follow pupils on any social media platform
• Any digital educational resources shared with schools will be provided through the school, not directly to pupils

Photography and Images

• We will not take photographs or video of pupils without the prior written consent of the school and, where required, parents or guardians
• Where consent has been provided, any images taken will be used solely for the agreed purpose and stored securely
• Images of pupils will never be shared on social media or public-facing platforms without explicit written consent

Professional Boundaries

• We will not give gifts to individual pupils
• We will not enter a school building outside of the agreed visit time without prior arrangement with the school
• We will sign in and out of every school in accordance with the school's visitor procedure
• We will wear a Koris Maritime Ltd visitor lanyard or identification at all times whilst on school premises
• We will not transport a child in a vehicle without prior written consent from the school and parent/guardian, and the presence of another adult

6 Recognising and Responding to Abuse

All Koris Maritime Ltd representatives are expected to be aware of the indicators of child abuse and neglect. The four main categories of abuse recognised in England are:

• Physical abuse — causing physical harm to a child, including hitting, shaking, burning, or poisoning
• Emotional abuse — persistent emotional ill-treatment causing severe adverse effects on a child's emotional development
• Sexual abuse — involving a child in sexual activities they do not understand or consent to
• Neglect — persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and psychological needs

If a child discloses abuse

If a child makes a disclosure to a Koris Maritime Ltd representative during a visit, the following steps must be taken immediately:

• Listen calmly and carefully — do not show shock or disbelief
• Do not promise confidentiality — explain that you may need to share what they have told you with the right people to keep them safe
• Do not ask leading questions or attempt to investigate
• Immediately report the disclosure to the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
• Make a written record of exactly what was said, using the child's own words, as soon as possible and no later than one hour after the disclosure
• Report the disclosure to the Koris Maritime Ltd DSL (founder) at the earliest opportunity

If a Koris Maritime representative has a concern

If a representative observes something that causes concern for a child's welfare during a school visit — even if no disclosure has been made — they must report it to the school's DSL before leaving the premises and to the Koris Maritime DSL as soon as practicable.

7 Allegations Against Koris Maritime Representatives

If an allegation is made against any Koris Maritime Ltd representative in relation to a child, the following procedure will be followed:

• The school's Designated Safeguarding Lead will be notified immediately
• The representative against whom the allegation has been made will be suspended from all activities involving children pending investigation
• The matter will be referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) by the school, in accordance with statutory guidance
• Koris Maritime Ltd will cooperate fully with any investigation
• A record of the allegation, the action taken, and the outcome will be maintained in confidence

Any allegation against the founder (as DSL) will be referred directly to the school's DSL and the LADO without delay.

8 Record Keeping and Confidentiality

All safeguarding records maintained by Koris Maritime Ltd will be:

• Stored securely and separately from other business records
• Accessible only to the DSL and, where necessary, statutory agencies
• Retained in accordance with the statutory guidance — records of safeguarding concerns involving children should be kept until the child's 25th birthday (or 26th if the concern was raised when the child was 17)
• Not shared without the consent of the data subject, except where required by law or where disclosure is necessary to protect a child from harm

Safeguarding records are handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and UK GDPR obligations. Where there is a conflict between data protection and the duty to protect a child from harm, the duty to protect the child takes precedence.

9 Training and Awareness

Koris Maritime Ltd ensures that all representatives involved in delivering outreach activities have completed appropriate safeguarding training:

• The founder has completed, or will complete before the first school visit, an introductory safeguarding and child protection training course approved for use by educational visitors in England
• Safeguarding training will be refreshed at least every two years
• Any new associate or representative will complete safeguarding training before delivering any activities with children
• The DSL will keep records of all training completed, including dates and certificate references

10 Working with Schools — Our Commitment to You

When Koris Maritime Ltd visits your school, we commit to the following:

• Providing our DBS check certificate number and issue date on request before any visit
• Providing a copy of this Safeguarding Policy on request
• Following your school's safeguarding and visitor procedures at all times
• Never entering a classroom or school space without a teacher or responsible adult present
• Reporting any safeguarding concern arising during a visit to your school's DSL before we leave
• Providing appropriate public liability insurance — documentation available on request
• Conducting a risk assessment for any activity involving practical or physical elements

11 Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if there are changes to relevant legislation, statutory guidance, or the operational context of Koris Maritime Ltd's outreach programme. The next scheduled review date is April 2027.

Any substantive changes to this policy will be communicated to school partners before the commencement of the next academic year's outreach activities.