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Safeguarding

Last updated: 17 May 2026

The pursuit of sacred knowledge requires an environment of trust. Tahawi Institute holds safeguarding to the standard parents and students have every right to expect.

Where someone in our care is, or may be, at risk of harm — whether physical, emotional, sexual, online, or through neglect — we will act. This page sets out how we are organised, who to contact, and what happens when a concern is raised.

Our campus and the responsibility split

Tahawi Institute teaches at a campus shared with another educational organisation. Each organisation is responsible for safeguarding within its own remit: Tahawi for its staff, curriculum, and student conduct during Tahawi teaching hours; the host organisation for the fabric of the building and any incident occurring outside Tahawi’s teaching. Both organisations follow statutory safeguarding duties. The Designated Safeguarding Lead named below is your first point of contact for any concern arising from Tahawi teaching, staff, or students.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for Tahawi Institute is Mufti Mamunur Rashid.

To contact the DSL directly, email mamun@tahawi.org, or write to admin@tahawi.org with “Safeguarding” in the subject line. Messages sent to the general inbox are passed to the DSL on the day they are received.

Our staff

  • Teaching staff who work with under-18s hold an enhanced DBS check, renewed in line with statutory guidance.
  • All staff complete safeguarding training before they begin teaching. The training covers recognising indicators of abuse, the institute’s reporting routes, and our code of conduct.
  • Where a safeguarding concern requires referral, we follow statutory routes — social services, police, or the NSPCC — as appropriate to the concern.

How we expect students and staff to conduct themselves

Inside the classroom and at any Tahawi-sponsored event:

  • Mutual respect across age, gender, ethnicity, and prior level of study.
  • Respectful, modest dress and conduct appropriate to a classical Islamic learning environment. This standard applies to all students regardless of faith background.
  • Adherence to teacher instructions and to the published timetable.
  • Honesty in all matters relating to study, including assessment.

Bullying, harassment, discrimination, and any form of abuse are incompatible with the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and will not be tolerated. Repeated breaches are addressed first by conversation, then by formal notice; persistent or serious breaches may result in suspension or withdrawal from a programme.

If you are worried — three routes to raise a concern

If you are worried about your own safety or that of another student:

  1. Talk to a teacher you trust. Any member of our teaching staff can take a disclosure and pass it to the DSL.
  2. Contact the DSL directly at the address above.
  3. Email admin@tahawi.org with “Safeguarding” in the subject line.

All disclosures trigger our standard process. Where the concern is serious and immediate, we follow statutory reporting routes and involve external agencies. We will keep you informed as far as safeguarding law permits.

Statutory reporting may take place even where the discloser asks for confidentiality. We will tell you if we have made a report, unless doing so would put you or another person at risk.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 999. To report concerns directly to social services in Tower Hamlets, call the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub on 020 7364 5601 (during office hours) or the out-of-hours team on 020 7364 4079.

How we handle safeguarding data

Information shared during a safeguarding disclosure is personal data and is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and UK GDPR. Safeguarding records are retained for the duration of the student’s study with us plus seven years. Where we report to statutory authorities, we share only the data those authorities require.

Online safety

For any online channel run by Tahawi Institute (Google Chat groups and tahawi.org email):

  • We do not direct-message under-18s privately. Communication is through an approved group or via a parent or guardian.
  • Recordings and screenshots of classes may not be shared without the institute’s permission.
  • Concerns about online conduct are raised through the same routes as any other safeguarding concern.

If you are unhappy with how a concern has been handled

If you are dissatisfied with how Tahawi has handled a safeguarding matter, you may escalate to Tower Hamlets Children’s Social Care via the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (numbers above), or to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) at Tower Hamlets Council. We welcome that external check.

Review

This policy is reviewed annually and after any material safeguarding event. The “last updated” date at the top reflects the most recent review.

Contact

admin@tahawi.org — general safeguarding enquiries mamun@tahawi.org — Mufti Mamunur Rashid, Designated Safeguarding Lead 999 — immediate danger