Page 21 - Prime - Marking Ten Years

Our Impact:
Eligibility
Criteria and
Safeguarding
mobility. In 2019, following a detailed review, we added a number of additional factors to our eligibility criteria so that we were aligned with the schemes that many of our member firms were
running and the identity of the most marginalised groups in society. We also worked with the Solicitors Regulation Authority to ensure that our eligibility criteria aligned with the data it collects. Today, we see
PRIME’s eligibility criteria as a minimum marker for social mobility.
With this criteria, we tried to reflect the way in which the social mobility narrative has developed since PRIME was established and the focus that our member firms had for their own initiatives, programmes and strategies. We believe that the
new formulation of the criteria is a better representation of who we are seeking to support. In short, our criteria requires that a student must be:
“We all have a responsibility to ensure that we promote young people’s wellbeing and protect them from harm.”
Julie Randles, PRIME Safeguarding Trustee
Eligibility for our work experience is central to everything that PRIME is striving to achieve. We believe that the criteria should apply, in effect, to “define” what we mean by social
• Of school age, at a state school and the first generation in their household to attend University. In addition, they must also meet one of the following:
• currently in receipt of, or have previously received, free school meals, Pupil Premium, Education Maintenance Allowance and/or 16 to 19 Bursary
ensure that we promote young people’s wellbeing and protect them from harm.
Following conversations with our member firms, it became apparent that many firms were in need of a work experience specific safeguarding guidance. In response, we have developed, in consultancy with the NSPCC, a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy which has been made freely available to all our member firms, with the expectation and requirement that all member firms must either use this policy or ensure that all elements from it are covered within their own safeguarding policies.
• have been, or are currently, in local authority care (for a period of 3 months or longer)
• came to the UK as a refugee or asylum seeker
• attending a state school or college with:
a) below average A-Level or Higher point score and/or b) low rate of progression to higher education.
Full details can be found on our website
At PRIME we are committed to protecting all young people who take part in work experience programmes at our member firms. We all have a responsibility to
• be in, or previously been in, local authority care (for a period of 3 months or longer)