Student safety has never been a higher priority for colleges. Twenty colleges across the West Midlands, working with the Association of Colleges and West Midlands Police have joined forces to affirm our commitment to student safety and deliver our West Midlands Colleges Safer Students Charter.

Keeping Students Safe

Students are partners in the education process and their safety is our priority. As a group of colleges, we follow robust safeguarding approaches, and together we have designed a programme of safety activities for students to attend or be involved in throughout their time with us.

Colleges build a culture focused on safety and founded on working in partnership with students to help them learn and develop by:

• Treating all students as active partners in learning and ensuring all college staff treat students with respect, consult with you and ask and listen to your views.
• Creating an environment where peer-on-peer sexual assault and sexual violence is not tolerated and individuals can speak out and receive support.
• Promoting equality, celebrating diversity, and ensuring whatever your identity you will feel welcomed, supported, safe and included.
• Providing opportunities for involvement in a calendar of themed activities to develop skills, confidence and resilience in preparing you for the future. 
• Empowering you to become informed and healthy citizens.

Safer Students Commitment

As a group of colleges and partners, we work together to:

• Encourage all member colleges to adopt and promote the Charter to shape student safety
• Develop a simple tracking system with you to measure our progress and ensure we are enhancing student safety
• Develop a plan for student activities and to promote shared resources
• Work with other partners to share information where it supports students’ safety and well-being
• Work around key themes, which we will keep continually under review.
  • Online safety
  • Prevention of radicalization and extremism
  • Risky behaviours and unsafe activities
  • Personal safety 
  • Crime and fear of crime
  • Equality and respect
  • Mental and physical health
  • Peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual violence
  • Exploitation
  • Domestic and other forms of abuse
  • Honour based abuse and harmful traditional practices
  • Financial security and safety

Safer Students Charter