Prevent Duty
The Prevent duty requires all education providers ‘to help prevent the risk of people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism’. This includes safeguarding learners from extremist ideologies and radicalisation.
Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support or be involved in extremist ideologies. It can result in a person becoming drawn into terrorism and is in itself a form of harm.
Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. The Prevent Strategy (2015) is a part of the government’s overall approach to counterterrorism and tackling radicalisation and extremism.
Challenging and tackling extremism needs to be a shared effort – all organisations that work with children and young people have a responsibility to protect children from harm, including becoming radicalised and/or being exposed to extreme views.
Most importantly, providers like Tutor Trust, should consider the needs of children, young people and adult learners at each stage of the safeguarding process. Providers should consider radicalisation concerns in line with their existing safeguarding processes, skills and experience.
Managing radicalisation and extremism safeguarding concerns
Safeguarding learners who are susceptible to radicalisation into terrorism depends on effective partnership.
To comply with the Prevent duty, schools, colleges and further education independent training providers must show evidence of:
- productive co-operation, in particular with local Prevent staff, the police and local authorities
- co-ordination through existing multi-agency forums
Each local authority has its own referral routes for safeguarding learners from radicalisation and extremism. Effective partnerships will ensure that you understand these processes.

Remember
What should I do if I have concerns about a young person?
The process you should follow for reporting a Safeguarding concern is the same no matter the age of the young person:
- Report the issue as soon as practically possible to the school/college’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) before you leave the school/college premises; and
- Report the issue the same day to the Tutor Trust’s DSL or Deputy DSLs
The procedure flow chart can also be found in the Safeguarding Policy and Remote Tuition Guidance documents above, contact details for the DSL and Deputy DSLs can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
Our safeguarding team

Jason Heaford

Jason Heaford
Chief Operating Officer and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Jason joined Tutor Trust in 2014 after spending 15 years leading early years provisions within the Stockport area. Jason is a member of the Senior Management Team, and his main responsibilities now include leading People and Culture, Safeguarding, and Business Operations teams.
Jason began his working life as a professional footballer, most notably with Derby County FC
Jason says: "Alongside working with like-minded people who are passionate, hardworking, and talented, I enjoy the fact that no two days are alike in carrying out my role - I have a very varied in-tray! Ultimately, playing a role in transforming lives through tutoring of so many young people provides me with the greatest satisfaction of all. Long may Tutor Trust continue to champion support to those who need it most!"

Steff Wardell

Steff Wardell
Merseyside and West Yorkshire Strategic Operations Manager & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Steff joined Tutor Trust in 2018 as the first full-time member of staff for Merseyside. She had graduated from the University of Leeds the previous year with an MA in Race and Resistance and a BA in International History and Politics. During her studies, Steff was a part-time Secondary English and Primary tutor in Leeds. Seeing the impact small group intervention had on the pupils is why she joined Tutor Trust full-time.
Steff has worked in a variety of roles with us, including Liverpool Schools Coordinator, Merseyside Schools Manager, Merseyside Schools Partnership Manager and now Merseyside and West Yorkshire Strategic Operations Manager, where she is responsible for operations across Merseyside and West Yorkshire. Steff is a member of Tutor Trust's digital working group as she is keen to be involved in driving the organisation forward into a digital future. Steff also sits on Tutor Trust's Equity, Diversity & Inclusion committee and participates in the Wellbeing group (alongside being a Mental Health First Responder trained to help with staff wellbeing). She is also a & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. Outside of Tutor Trust, Steff is on the governing board of a large Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) school in Knowsley, the borough where she attended school.
Steff says: “I grew up in a community similar to those we work in, and my experience of school when I was growing up in Merseyside is a key reason why I became committed to working in the education sector and improving educational equality in the North West. Tutor Trust allows me to do that, and I am privileged to work with such a committed team and amazing school partners, who share a common purpose in making education fairer.”

Lewis Howell

Lewis Howell
Risk Manager and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Lewis joined Tutor Trust in March 2014 as a Schools Coordinator and worked across both the Manchester and Leeds schools teams, including leading the original Leeds tuition pilot. In Spring 2022 Lewis moved across to the newly created role of Risk Manager covering various operational areas including Safeguarding, Health & Safety, and Data Protection. Lewis is also one of Tutor Trust's Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.
Before to joining the charity, Lewis had spent the previous two-and-a-half years working in South Africa’s Kalahari Desert. Lewis was the Field Project Manager at the Kalahari Meerkat Project for 18 months, a behavioural research project run by the University of Cambridge looking at the evolution of cooperative breeding in meerkats. He was responsible for managing both the day-to-day research of the project and the team of international volunteers who collected the data. Prior to this, Lewis was one of the research volunteers for 12 months.
Lewis graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2010, having studied Wildlife Conservation.
Lewis says: “I have always enjoyed working at Tutor Trust. The mission is vital and necessary; we’re making a difference and we’re very good at what we do to boot! Just as importantly, I’m surrounded by people who care and help to create a wonderful working environment.”

Jo Meredith

Jo Meredith
Director of Tutoring Plus and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
After graduating from Bangor University Jo began her career as a teacher of Chemistry. Jo has over 20 years’ experience in senior leadership across Greater Manchester and Lancashire including Headship, with wide-ranging involvement in both mainstream and Alternative Provision settings.
Having worked in senior positions in both mainstream and Alternative Provision settings across Greater Manchester, Jo is well placed to lead and drive the quality of our tutoring programmes within our Tutoring Plus offer.
Jo is the Director of Tutoring Plus, which provides a bespoke service of one-to-one tutoring and other supportive interventions for children and young people with even greater barriers to overcome than their peers. This may include cared-for children, those at risk of exclusion, those excluded, and children and young people not attending school regularly.
Jo is also the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Jo says: "The Mission and Values of Tutor Trust align perfectly with my own and this is what drew me to working with Tutor Trust initially. However, this has strengthened and developed as we have grown. It is so rewarding to know that you are part of a team of like-minded colleagues all working together to make a difference to the lives of children and young people who need it most."
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) – Jason Heaford
Deputy DSL – Jo Meredith
Deputy DSL – Steff Wardell
Deputy DSL – Lewis Howell