Keeping young people safe

Keeping young people safe

At Early Careers, safeguarding isn't an optional extra. It's part of how we operate.

We work with people aged 16 to 24, including under-18s and young people who may need additional support. We take our responsibility to keep them safe seriously, from the opportunities we publish to the way we handle referrals and personal information.

Everyone involved in handling referrals receives appropriate safeguarding training and works under the guidance of a named Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Every opportunity is checked

We do not automatically publish opportunities sent to Early Careers.

Every opportunity goes through a review before it appears on the platform. We check that:

• The employer is genuine and identifiable.
• The role and requirements are clear and legitimate.
• Pay and employment conditions are appropriate and lawful for the age group.
• The application process is clear and professional.
• The opportunity does not ask candidates for inappropriate payments or personal information.

We will not publish opportunities that ask young people to pay a fee to apply for a job, use unpaid work as a substitute for a paid role, or ask candidates to bypass a professional recruitment process.

Our checks are designed to reduce risk, but no online platform can identify every potential issue. If something doesn't look right, please tell us.

Referrals and consent

We work with institutions and organisations that refer young people to Early Careers for additional support.

Before making a referral, the referring organisation must confirm that the young person has agreed to it, or that appropriate consent has been obtained from a parent or guardian where this is required.

Referrals are handled by named members of staff and information is shared only where it is necessary to provide appropriate support.

Please do not include detailed medical or other sensitive information in a referral unless it is genuinely necessary. We ask referrers to provide only the information we need to understand the referral and provide appropriate support.

Worried about something?

If you are concerned about a young person, an employer, an opportunity or anything else you have seen on Early Careers, we want to hear from you.

You don't need to be certain that something is wrong before raising a concern. If something doesn't feel right, it's better to ask.

Please provide as much relevant information as you can, including what happened, who was involved and when it happened.

Our safeguarding inbox is not monitored outside normal working hours.

If a young person is at immediate risk of harm, call 999.

Staying safe when applying for opportunities

Most employers are genuine, but it's important to know what to look out for when applying for jobs online.

A genuine employer should not ask you to:

• Pay money to apply for a job or attend an interview.
• Pay for training that is presented as a requirement for getting the job.
• Send money or purchase equipment on their behalf.
• Provide sensitive financial information before you have received a genuine offer and understand the employment arrangements.
• Communicate through unusual or inappropriate channels instead of a professional recruitment process.

If you're unsure about an opportunity, take a step back. Don't send money or personal information until you've checked who you're dealing with.

Something doesn't feel right? Stop and tell us.

You won't be in trouble for asking a question or raising a concern. We'd always rather hear from you.