Zero Gravity | Safeguarding Policy

1. Introduction

Zero Gravity takes seriously its responsibilities and duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of Young People and Adults At Risk. The welfare and protection of those we support and those involved in our activities is paramount in all we do. This Safeguarding Policy (the “Policy”) sets out that commitment.

For the purposes of this Policy, the term “Zero Gravity” refers to both Zero Gravity Tech Ltd (company number: 12091675) and Zero Gravity Fund (charity number: 1188177).

This Policy should be read in conjunction with the Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Membership Agreement.

We will review this Policy annually and make amendments in line with any significant changes in legislation, statutory guidance, or learnings from external case reviews and internal management of concerns. We will post any changes to this Policy on the Zero Gravity Platform.

2. Definitions

For the purposes of this Policy, the following definitions will apply:

“Regulated Activity” will be used to describe:

Certain roles that require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, ensuring that all individuals undertaking these roles meet the statutory safeguarding criteria.

”Position of Trust” will be used to describe:

Certain roles in which an adult is responsible for the care, supervision, training or support of a Young Person or Adult At Risk. This includes situations where a dependency or vulnerability exists and aligns with legal requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

“Zero Gravity Platform” will be used to describe:

The digital platform that is accessible through app.zerogravity.co.uk.

“Zero Gravity Board” will be used to describe:

The Board of Directors of Zero Gravity Tech Ltd..

“Zero Gravity Staff” will be used to describe:

Employees of Zero Gravity; and
Contractors of Zero Gravity who partake in Regulated Activity.

“Designated Safeguarding Lead” will be used to describe:

A member of Zero Gravity Staff who is responsible for coordinating Zero Gravity’s safeguarding provision, adherence to the Policy, overseeing the management of concerns, reporting to relevant authorities, and maintaining records of all safeguarding reports.

“Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team” will be used to describe:

Zero Gravity Staff who are responsible for the management and oversight of this Policy, including the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

“Zero Gravity Members” will be used to describe:

Any persons that are signed up to the Zero Gravity Platform and have had their membership status approved.

“Zero Gravity Partners” will be used as a collective term to describe:

Organisational partners of Zero Gravity, including schools, universities and employers.

“School Student” will be used to describe:

Zero Gravity Members that are currently enrolled in a secondary school, sixth form, or further education college.

“University Student” will be used to describe:

Zero Gravity Members that are currently enrolled in a university institution on an undergraduate or postgraduate course.

“Professional” will be used to describe:

Zero Gravity Members that are currently employed in a full-time job role.

“School Partner” will be used to describe:

Schools and colleges who are formally partnered with Zero Gravity.

“University Partner” will be used to describe:

Universities who are formally partnered with Zero Gravity.

“Employer Partner” will be used to describe:

Employers who are formally partnered with Zero Gravity.

“Safeguarding Query” will be used to describe:

A question that relates to safeguarding but is not an allegation or concern.

“Safeguarding Concern” will be used to describe:

Any indication, whether physical, emotional or otherwise, that a Young Person or Adult At Risk might be vulnerable to harm, neglect or abuse.

“Safeguarding Allegation” will be used to describe:

When a member of Zero Gravity Staff, University Student or Professional is alleged to have:
- Behaved in a manner that has caused distress, negatively impacted, or harmed a Young Person or Adult At Risk;
- Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a Young Person or Adult At Risk; or
- Behaved in a way that indicates that they have poor intent or could present a risk of harm to Young People or Adults At Risk.

“Young Person/People” will be used to describe:

A person under the age of 18, as per the definition of a “child” in The Children Act 1989;
For the purposes of this Policy, we will use the term ‘Young People’ to refer to those under 18 years of age as it resonates with the way we seek to work in partnership with those Young People who Zero Gravity seeks to support;
Most, but not all, School Students will be Young People; and
No University Students, Professionals, or Zero Gravity Staff will be Young People.

“Adult(s) At Risk” will be used to describe:

The Care Act 2014 defines an Adult At Risk as someone aged 18 or over who:
- has care and support needs; and
- is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect.
Our safeguarding commitment also extends to supporting and protecting Adults At Risk from harm and abuse.
Some School Students, University Students and Professionals will be Adults at Risk.
It may not always be possible to pre-emptively designate a Zero Gravity Member as an Adult At Risk without information regarding the care and support needs of that individual. Any relevant information regarding care and support needs should be sent to the Designated Safeguarding Lead through the contact details documented in this Policy.

“In-Person Event” will be used to describe:

Any in-person gathering of Zero Gravity Members that is organised or hosted by Zero Gravity Staff or a Zero Gravity Partner.

“Safeguarding Event Plan” will be used to describe:

A record of the potential safeguarding issues identified in relation to an in-person event and the plan for addressing these.

“Event Safeguarding Lead” will be used to describe:

The person(s) with designated responsibility for safeguarding at an in-person event.

“Online Promotion” will be used to describe:

The usage of images and/or videos of Young People and Adults At Risk on the Zero Gravity website and/or Zero Gravity’s social media channels.

3. Purpose

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure:

The protection and welfare of Young People and Adults At Risk using the Zero Gravity Platform.
Compliance with UK legislation and statutory guidance, including but not limited to:
- Children Act 1989
- Children Act 2004
- Care Act 2014
- Sexual Offences Act 2003
- Equality Act 2010
- Criminal Justice Bill 2023
- Serious Crime Act 2015
- Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
- The Prevent Duty (Home Office 2015 – updated April 2022)
- Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 (DfE)
- Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 (DfE)
- Care and Support Statutory Guidance (updated March 2024)
- Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance 2022
- Bridging the Gap: Transitional Safeguarding and the role of social work with adults 2021 (Department of Health & Social Care)
- Online Safety Act 2023 including the duty to cooperate with Ofcom information notices and any notice‑to‑end requirements - see our Terms & Conditions for the full list of priority illegal harms and enforcement measures.
Clarity about designated roles and responsibilities, as well as clear lines of accountability within Zero Gravity.
Accessible support and protection for Young People and Adults At Risk who reach out to Zero Gravity in relation to safeguarding and welfare issues.
Awareness is raised among Zero Gravity Staff, Zero Gravity Partners, University Students, and Professionals of safeguarding issues.
Procedures for identifying, responding to and reporting Safeguarding Concerns and Safeguarding Allegations are understood and implemented by all Zero Gravity Staff, Zero Gravity Members and Zero Gravity Partners.

4. Principles

The welfare and protection of Young People and Adults At Risk will always be our paramount consideration. Zero Gravity’s approach to safeguarding is underpinned by the following principles, which reflect those set out in statutory guidance:

Empowerment: encouraging Young People and Adults At Risk to make their own decisions with informed consent.
Prevention: it is better to take action before harm occurs.
Proportionality: the least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.
Protection: support and representation for those in greatest need.
Partnership: working in collaboration with Young People and Adults At Risk to ensure that their views and needs are central to assessing concerns and safeguarding risk.
Accountability: implementing policies and procedures that create clear accountability for safeguarding.

5. Scope

This Policy aims to ensure that all persons, in particular Young People and Adults At Risk, can use our services safely and free from abuse.

As per the Equalities Act 2010, all Young People and Adults At Risk have equal rights to protection regardless of age, ability, sex, sexuality, marital status, maternity status, race, religion or belief. Through our commitment to embedding safeguarding into our culture, we endeavour to promote an environment within which all Zero Gravity Members feel supported, respected and valued.

Zero Gravity cannot guarantee that it will follow the safeguarding policies of organisations that it is not formally partnered with. However, School Students, University Students and Professionals themselves will likely be covered by the safeguarding policies of their relevant education provider or employer in addition to this Policy. That being said, in the event of a Safeguarding Concern or a Safeguarding Allegation, Zero Gravity will seek to work in partnership with the relevant organisation’s Designated Safeguarding Lead to ensure any safeguarding issues are taken seriously, responded to appropriately and without delay.

Zero Gravity will seek to follow the safeguarding policies of Zero Gravity Partners if:

The Zero Gravity Partner understands and accepts that Zero Gravity will also escalate any disclosures made to Zero Gravity under its own Safeguarding Policy.
The Zero Gravity Partner’s safeguarding policy has been reviewed by Zero Gravity’s Safeguarding Team and includes:
- Acceptable statements on safe recruitment for employees and volunteers.
- Clear process for vetting employees and volunteers who are deployed in Regulated Activities.
- A clear procedure for responding to and managing disclosures and allegations, including guidance on how to respond to a Young Person or Adult At Risk who is making a disclosure, a clear escalation pathway and relevant internal and external contact details, including Designated Safeguarding Leads and local statutory agencies.
- Provisions for regular review of the policy.
- Board level oversight and ownership of the policy.
- Clear guidance about professional boundaries and acceptable behaviour when engaging with Young People and Adults At Risk.

Where a Safeguarding Concern does not relate to a Zero Gravity activity, Zero Gravity’s Safeguarding Team will seek assurances that the relevant organisation is following the specific safeguarding policy or process which applies to that environment. However, where it is felt that there are immediate safeguarding risks that require urgent action, or where we are not confident that appropriate action is being taken by the relevant organisation, Zero Gravity’s Safeguarding Team will follow this Policy and refer concerns directly to the appropriate statutory agencies.

6. Positions of Trust

The abuse of power is a central concern in safeguarding. Our work aims to address inequalities in opportunity by empowering Zero Gravity Members, some of whom will be Young People and Adults At Risk. This requires those who work with us and for us to be conscious at all times of the potential power imbalances which necessarily exist within our context. Ensuring that individuals are protected and supported effectively if they are vulnerable or at risk is critically important in the context of Zero Gravity’s work.

The Sexual Offences Act (2003) established legislation relating to those in Positions of Trust, including teachers and other adults who are regularly involved in caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of Young People, whether voluntary or paid. This legislation is designed to protect 16 and 17-year-olds who are over the age of consent for sexual activity but are considered to be vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. This also extends to evidence of grooming and/or developing inappropriate relationships with any participant under 18 with intent to pursue a future sexual relationship.

An adult is considered to be in a Position of Trust where a Young Person in their care has some dependency on them and there is an element of vulnerability involved. We regard the scope of this definition to encapsulate Zero Gravity Staff, University Students, and Professionals who are offering support to School Students through the Platform.

7. Safer Recruitment

Zero Gravity is committed to a robust safer recruitment process to ensure that all Zero Gravity Staff are suitable to support Young People and Adults At Risk. Our approach includes:

DBS and Reference Checks: All Zero Gravity Staff and other relevant individuals must complete an Enhanced DBS check. At least two references, including one from the most recent employer, are required to confirm their suitability.
Induction and Training: Newly appointed staff complete safeguarding training and sign to confirm they have read and understood this Policy.
Ongoing Monitoring: A record of all recruitment checks is maintained and regularly reviewed. Staff are expected to uphold safeguarding standards at all times and undertake periodic refresher training as required.

8. Registration of School Students, University Students, and Professionals

The Platform has been designed such that:

Only users currently affiliated with a UK school, college, university, or employer are eligible to register on the Platform. University Students and Professionals must have their accounts verified by their institution before registration is accepted.
Zero Gravity Partners whose University Students and Professionals are referred onto the Platform, are required to demonstrate that appropriate safeguarding checks are undertaken to assess the individuals’ suitability to work with vulnerable groups.
Before being matched with a School Student for mentoring support, University Students and Professionals must complete an onboarding process on the Platform, which includes compulsory resources on safeguarding responsibilities and reporting procedures.

9. Platform Communication

The interactions and behaviours of School Students, University Students and Professionals are restricted and monitored through the Platform’s safeguarding functions. All concerns arising through any of the Platform’s reporting mechanisms will be assessed and responded to promptly by the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team.

The Platform has been designed such that:

All communication between Professionals, University Students and School Students is sent via the Platform.
Attempts to share contact details that would enable users to communicate outside of the Platform are automatically detected and blocked by the Platform.
All interactions with Zero Gravity Platform are tracked and accessible to review by Zero Gravity Staff.
The delivery of Zero Gravity services does not require any unsupervised physical meetings nor any communication between School Students, University Students or Professionals outside of the Platform.
The contact details of all Zero Gravity Members will remain private and will not be available to other members on the Platform.
The personal identities of University Students, Professionals, and School Students are partially anonymised on the Platform so that no identifiable details are shared, reducing the likelihood that contact can be made outside the Platform.
Mentoring session video recordings and message interactions between Professionals, University Students, and School Students on the Platform are available to Zero Gravity Staff.
There is a system that encourages School Students to provide regular feedback about the quality of their mentoring relationships with University Students and Professionals.
Safeguarding Concerns stemming from members’ interactions with various areas of Platform can be automatically detected, triggering alerts to the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team.

Sensitive and confidential information relating to School Students is held and stored securely by Zero Gravity with restricted access. This enables an informed and prompt safeguarding response by the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team where Safeguarding Concerns arise. This includes the School Students’ name, date of birth, contact details, address, and educational establishment.

10. Recording and Storage of Platform Communications

The Platform has been designed such that:

All messages are stored indefinitely.
All video mentoring sessions are automatically recorded and stored securely online for safeguarding purposes only. These recordings are automatically stored for 30 days and may:
- Be reviewed as part of an investigation into any safeguarding report made by a person using Zero Gravity services.
- Any available video recordings may be stored indefinitely whilst a safeguarding investigation is ongoing.
- Be provided to the relevant authorities if legally obligated to do so and in the interests of safeguarding.

11. Key Responsibilities - Zero Gravity Board

The Zero Gravity Board shall:

Appoint one member of the Zero Gravity Board as the Board Safeguarding Representative who shall be responsible for ensuring that the Zero Gravity Board complies with its key safeguarding responsibilities.
Appoint one Zero Gravity Staff member to be designated as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (“DSL”) who shall be responsible for coordinating Zero Gravity’s safeguarding provision, adherence to the Policy, overseeing the management of concerns, reporting to relevant authorities, and maintaining records of all safeguarding reports.
Oversee the performance and conduct of the DSL, ensuring that they have access to appropriate resources, training and specialist safeguarding support.
Include safeguarding as a standing agenda item for each Board meeting to ensure the Zero Gravity Board is appropriately informed, safeguarding is prioritised and learning from the management of concerns is embedded.
Review the DSL’s safeguarding reports in advance of each Board meeting.
Ensure the Board Safeguarding Representative is notified of any Safeguarding Allegations within 24 hours of any initial notification to the DSL.
Provide ongoing guidance and support to the DSL in the management of any Safeguarding Allegations until the resolution of such issues.
Ensure that each member of the Zero Gravity Board completes an Enhanced DBS Check when their responsibilities necessitate such clearance.
Ensure that this Policy is reviewed on an annual basis.

12. Key Responsibilities - Zero Gravity Staff

Zero Gravity Staff shall:

Have a mandatory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of Young People and Adults At Risk.
Sign a copy of this Policy confirming they have read, understood and will comply with it.
Prior to joining Zero Gravity, be required to complete an Enhanced DBS check as part of a safer recruitment process that assesses their suitability and appropriateness for their role.
Prior to joining Zero Gravity, be required to complete a ‘Child Protection for Tutors’ training course accredited by NSPCC.
Never agree to meet with any Young Person or Adult At Risk on a one-to-one basis in person.
Comply with the terms set out in Zero Gravity’s Privacy Policy.

13. Key Responsibilities - School Students

All School Students:

Must, on registration, confirm that they have read, understood and will comply with this Policy at all times.
Must, on registration, confirm that they have read, understood and will comply with Zero Gravity’s Membership Agreement at all times.
Shall restrict their interactions with University Students, Professionals, and the Zero Gravity Platform to the following areas:
- maximising academic attainment;
- applying to university;
- thriving at university;
- applying for apprenticeships, internships, and graduate jobs; and
- developing skills that are relevant to the workplace.

14. Key Responsibilities - University Students

All University Students:

Have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of Young People and Adults At Risk.
Must, on registration, confirm that they have read, understood and will comply with this Policy at all times.
Must, on registration, confirm that they have read, understood and will comply with Zero Gravity’s Membership Agreement at all times.
Must ensure all contact with School Students only occurs on the Platform.
Shall restrict their interactions with School Students and the Zero Gravity Platform to the following areas:
- maximising academic attainment;
- applying to university;
- thriving at university;
- applying for apprenticeships, internships, and graduate jobs; and
- developing skills that are relevant to the workplace.
Shall not share any contact details or other information which may undermine the anonymity of the University Student to the School Student.
Shall not solicit any contact details or other information which may undermine the anonymity of the School Student to the University Student.
Should never agree to meet with a School Student in person during their engagement with Zero Gravity.
Shall ensure all video mentoring sessions on the Platform take place in an appropriate environment that is free of any inappropriate images of activity.
Shall not engage in, incite or condone inappropriate behaviour or illegal activity on the Platform or otherwise.
Shall ensure that all language when carrying out Zero Gravity mentoring duties is non-discriminatory, inclusive and respectful.
Shall not bring Zero Gravity into disrepute through their behaviours, attitudes or language.
Report all Safeguarding Concerns via the ‘Report Concern’ feature on the Platform, however minor these might appear.

15. Key Responsibilities - Professionals

All Professionals:

Have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of Young People and Adults At Risk.
Must, on registration, confirm that they have read, understood and will comply with this Policy at all times.
Must, on registration, confirm that they have read, understood and will comply with Zero Gravity’s Membership Agreement at all times.
Must ensure all contact with School Students only occurs on the Platform.
Shall restrict their interactions with School Students and the Zero Gravity Platform to the following areas:
- maximising academic attainment;
- applying to university;
- thriving at university;
- applying for apprenticeships, internships, and graduate jobs; and
- developing skills that are relevant to the workplace.
Shall ensure all video mentoring sessions on the Platform take place in an appropriate environment that is free of any inappropriate images of activity.
Shall not engage in, incite or condone inappropriate behaviour or illegal activity on the Platform or otherwise.
Shall ensure that all language when carrying out Zero Gravity mentoring duties is non-discriminatory, inclusive and respectful.
Shall not bring Zero Gravity into disrepute through their behaviours, attitudes or language.
Report all Safeguarding Concerns via the ‘Report Concern’ feature on the Platform, however minor these might appear.

16. Key Responsibilities - Employer Partners

All Employer Partners who refer their employees to mentor School Students through the Platform, shall:

Provide the name and contact details of a designated contact to act as the organisation’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in the case of a Safeguarding Concern or Allegation arising in relation to the employees they refer to the Platform.
Ensure that all employees referred to Zero Gravity are suitable and appropriate to work with and support Young People and Adults at Risk. It is the Employer Partner’s responsibility to verify the suitability of all employees they put forward to engage with Zero Gravity Members.
Share all relevant safeguarding information promptly with the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team regarding any Safeguarding Concerns or Safeguarding Allegations involving Zero Gravity Members.
Recognises that their duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of Young People and Adults at Risk, and compliance with statutory guidance which supports the sharing of sensitive and confidential information in the interests of safeguarding, must supersede their usual data sharing practices.

17. Key Responsibilities - School Partners and University Partners

All School Partners and University Partners shall:

Work in collaboration with the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team to ensure the prompt sharing of all relevant information regarding Safeguarding Concerns or Safeguarding Allegations involving Zero Gravity Members.
Acknowledge that they have primary responsibility for managing Safeguarding Concerns involving their students and that the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team will escalate Safeguarding Concerns to them where relevant whilst providing ongoing support.
Provide evidence that Safeguarding Concerns are being handled appropriately and that external referrals have been made to statutory agencies where appropriate.

18. In-Person Events

When an In-Person Event could involve Young People or Adults At Risk, Zero Gravity expects all of those involved in the planning and facilitation of the events to demonstrate their commitment to ensuring that safeguarding is a paramount consideration. Any individual involved in the event planning process needs to be clear about the safeguarding responsibilities and trust inherent in their role(s) and the same standards are expected of any Zero Gravity Partners in the planning and delivery of events.

For the avoidance of doubt, this Policy regards In-Person Events as any physical gathering of Zero Gravity Members that is organised or hosted by Zero Gravity Staff or a Zero Gravity Partner. These events may include workshops, networking sessions, or social activities where Zero Gravity Staff take a direct role in the planning and/or delivery.

Event planning must consider and document the following elements when the event is likely to involve Young People and/or Adults At Risk:

Safeguarding Event Plan
- A Safeguarding Event Plan must be produced, providing a record of the potential safeguarding risks identified in relation to the event and the plan for mitigating them.
- The Safeguarding Event Plan must be approved by the DSL before any event takes place.
- The Safeguarding Event Plan should be available to all parties upon request and communication of expectations and safeguarding arrangements must be made to Zero Gravity Partners and participants.
- The plan should include a process for registering participants and ensuring the relevant information regarding their safeguarding status can be obtained, such as age and, where possible, any previous Safeguarding Concerns relating to each participant.
- The Safeguarding Event Plan should include local contact numbers for adult and children’s social care, the Local Authority Designated Officer and the local police and local emergency resources (e.g. nearest A&E, defibrillator, First Aid etc).
- The Safeguarding Event Plan should include a full risk assessment of the venue and a record of the measures in place to mitigate these risks.
Event Safeguarding Lead
- An Event Safeguarding Lead must be appointed, as the person with designated responsibility for safeguarding at the event.
- The Event Safeguarding Lead must have signed a copy of this Policy to confirm they have read, understood and will comply with it.
- The Event Safeguarding Lead shall be approved by the DSL prior to event planning, and the DSL reserves the right to propose an alternative Event Safeguarding Lead if they consider it appropriate or necessary.
- An emergency contact from the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team must be on call at the time of the event for the Event Safeguarding Lead to contact by phone if an incident necessitates it.
- The Event Safeguarding Lead should have access to Zero Gravity’s Signposting to Support document during event planning and on the day of the event, available from the DSL.
- Pre-event information should outline who the Event Safeguarding Lead is, their contact details and how they can be located or contacted at the event.
- The Event Safeguarding Lead will be equipped with local contact numbers for adult and children’s social care, the LADO and the local police, local emergency resources (e.g. nearest A&E, defibrillator, First Aid etc) and Zero Gravity’s Signposting to Support document.
- All Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations must be immediately shared with the nominated Event Safeguarding Lead who, after taking action to address any immediate risks, will liaise directly with the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team in accordance with the procedures set out in this Policy.
Supervision and Staffing
- All Zero Gravity Staff and employees of Zero Gravity Partners must be deemed suitable and appropriate to work with Young People and Adults at Risk by their relevant organisation, having been subject to appropriate safer recruitment and deployment processes.
- Supervision ratios of staff and suitable adults to participants should be increased for any residential event to reflect the increased support needs and risks for participants.
- Where additional vulnerabilities are identified, the Safeguarding Event Plan must indicate how these have been mitigated and addressed.

19. Online Promotion

Zero Gravity will always consider safeguarding risks when using images and/or videos of Young People and Adults At Risk. We recognise our duty of care, and we will seek to ensure that we always act in the best interests of Zero Gravity Members.

The greatest safeguarding risk is that Young People or Adults at Risk may be contacted by individuals with poor intent because information shared online enables them to be personally identified. Consent must be secured from Young People and Adults At Risk, or from parents/carers where appropriate, before any online promotion occurs via Zero Gravity’s website or social media channels.

In the situation that a Young Person or Adult at Risk is featured, Zero Gravity Staff must:

Ensure names are semi-anonymised;
Ensure no direct links to social media profiles are shared;
Ensure no identifiable information is included which could enable the Zero Gravity Member to be contacted outside the Platform.

20. Safeguarding Reporting

If an individual or organisation has a Safeguarding Query, then Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team will ensure that:

If a Safeguarding Query has been submitted via email to safeguarding@zerogravity.co.uk, the Safeguarding Query will receive a complete response within five working days.

If an individual or organisation has a Safeguarding Concern, then they must ensure:

They inform the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team using the contact details below.
They immediately complete the Concern Reporting Form or Allegation Reporting Form and in doing so, submit the form to the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team, who will raise a safeguarding record which will collate all information linked to any particular individual or case.
The Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team will clarify concerns (in partnership with the Independent Safeguarding Advisor where appropriate) and assess appropriate responses, support needs and safeguarding risk, including:
- Contacting the individual who is the subject of the concern wherever appropriate or possible to ensure that their voice and views are central to any safeguarding assessment and decision-making.
- Liaising with and referring to relevant agencies or services, including the Designated Safeguarding Lead of any relevant organisations, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Police and Social Services as appropriate.
- If the Young Person or Adult At Risk is felt to be in immediate danger or it is indicated that a crime may have been committed, they will dial 999.

If a Young Person or Adult At Risk discloses a Safeguarding Concern or Allegation to a member of Zero Gravity Staff, then the respective member of Zero Gravity Staff must ensure:

They inform the Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team using the contact details below.
They advise the Young Person or Adult At Risk that they will offer them support but that they will have to share the concerns and information with the DSL to seek advice and support.
They listen carefully to the Young Person or Adult At Risk without interrupting them and seek clarification with open and non-leading questions.
They reassure the Young Person or Adult At Risk that sharing their concern/allegation was the right thing to do.
They complete the Concern Reporting Form or Allegation Reporting Form without delay and in the process of doing so, submit the form to the DSL or Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team.

The Safeguarding Team will assess the risk (in partnership with Zero Gravity’s Independent Safeguarding Advisor as necessary). A member of the Safeguarding Team will contact the Young Person or Adult At Risk wherever appropriate or possible to clarify concerns and ensure that their voice and views are central to any safeguarding assessment and decision-making. The Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team will ensure that Zero Gravity liaises with and shares information appropriately with/refer to the relevant agencies or services, including the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), police and social services as appropriate. The Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team will also ensure that any support needs for the Young Person or Adult At Risk are considered and responded to without delay.

All Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations must be sent from an email address associated with a Zero Gravity Member account on the Platform or one of Zero Gravity’s Partners. Safeguarding reports submitted from email addresses not associated with a user account on the Platform will be triaged by the Safeguarding Team. Information will be gathered and clarified in order to assess potential risks and to identify appropriate routes for referral to statutory agencies if sufficient information is shared. Wherever possible Zero Gravity will seek to verify membership details before taking action.

All Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations will be acknowledged within one working day by the DSL or Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team, during their working hours.

If any significant Concerns or Allegations arise where there is felt to be immediate risk of harm, the incident should be reported by calling 999 to seek support immediately.

If any of the Safeguarding Concerns or concerns about professional practice relate to the DSL or Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team, the Concern Reporting Form or Allegation Reporting Form should be sent to the Zero Gravity Board of Directors: board@zerogravity.co.uk.

21. Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team Contact Details

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Name: Charlotte Rowell

Email: safeguarding@zerogravity.co.uk

Zero Gravity Safeguarding Team

Name: Alex O’Connor

Email: safeguarding@zerogravity.co.uk

Name: Elliot Little

Email: safeguarding@zerogravity.co.uk

Board Safeguarding Representative

Name: Michael Lonergan

Email: board@zerogravity.co.uk

Independent Safeguarding Advisor

Name: Gill Camina

Email: gill.camina@universal-safeguarding-solutions.co.uk

22. External Contacts

Zero Gravity’s Safeguarding Team is committed to working in partnership with the Designated Safeguarding Leads of Zero Gravity Partners and other relevant organisations. We will liaise closely with statutory agencies where concerns meet appropriate thresholds or when advice and support is required.

In the event of Safeguarding Concerns or Allegations arising, it is never an option to do nothing. If, for any reason, an individual feels unable to report Concerns or Allegations directly through the process identified above, they are encouraged to contact the following external sources of support and advice:

NSPCC 24-hour Helpline

Tel: 0808 800 5000

Email: help@nspcc.org.uk

Police

Tel: 101 (or 999 in an emergency)

Where Safeguarding Concerns arise which relate to Zero Gravity Staff, Zero Gravity will seek the support and advice of the Designated Officer within the City of London’s Local Authority:

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub:

Tel: 07795 090649

Email: LADO@cityoflondon.gov.uk