“Child’ is defined as a person who has not yet reached their 18th birthday (i.e. is under 18)
“Adult at risk” is defined by the Care Act 2014 as an adult aged 18 or over who (a) has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs), (b) is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and (c) as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
The term “young person” is occasionally used as an additional term when describing children, in recognition that this is a widely-used term to describe those aged under 18 but over 16.
This policy is intended to promote the welfare of children and adults at risk. It is also intended to act as a guide for the self-employed tutors we represent, introduce or work with in any other legitimate manner, to help them follow our approach those o safeguarding.
This policy applies to anyone working with or on behalf of our company, including senior managers, directors, employees, contractors, volunteers and tutors. We expect any tutor, mentor, coach or other individuals who we introduce (including where we act as an employment agency) to comply with this policy, wherever possible and appropriate, and to take prompt and effective action in the event of a safeguarding concern arising.
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in United Kingdom. However, it is understood and intended that this policy will apply to our employees, agents, contractors and other connected parties wherever they work across the world. In this event, we expect the policy to be followed to the fullest extent permissible in any given jurisdiction, with the intention of safeguarding children and young people. Where we operate outside of the UK we undertake to:-
A summary of the key UK legislation and guidance is available from https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/
This policy statement should be read alongside our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, and the following policy documents, included as appendices:
Name: Majid Khan
Role: Head of Education
Phone: 07840201255
Email: majidtkhan@mail.com
Name: Florence Omowunmi Akindele
Role: Manager
Phone: 07462116897
Email: florence85@hotmail.co.uk
0808 800 5000 - Open 10am-4pm Monday to Friday
help@nspcc.org.uk - email 24 hours a day
If a child, young person, or any person is in immediate danger, call 999 (for a person in the UK).
01753477321 _safeguardingboards@slough.gov.uk
This policy, and our good practice, will be reviewed annually.
This policy was last reviewed on: September-2024
1.Take a lead role in developing and reviewing the company’s safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures.
2.Take a lead role in implementing House of Tutors safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures: ensuring all safeguarding and child protection issues concerning children and young people who take part in House of Tutors activities are responded to appropriately.
3.Make sure that everyone working with or for children and young people at House of Tutors, including the board of directors, understands the safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures and knows what to do if they have concerns about a child’s welfare.
4.Make sure children and young people who use the company’s services, and their parents, know who they can talk to if they have a welfare concern and understand what action the organisation will take in response.
5.Receive and record information from anyone who has concerns about a child who uses the company’s services, and ensure reports are stored securely.
6.Take the lead on responding to information that may constitute a child protection concern, including a concern that an adult involved with House of Tutors may present a risk to children or young people. This includes:
a.assessing and clarifying the information - not investigating
b.making referrals to statutory organisations as appropriate
c.consulting with and informing the relevant members of the organisation’s management
d.following the organisation’s safeguarding policy and procedures.
2.Liaise with, pass on information to and receive information from statutory child protection agencies such as:
a.the Local Children's Safeguarding Partnership (LSCP)
b.the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) 01753 474053.
c.the police. 999
2.This includes making formal referrals to agencies when necessary.
3.Consult the NSPCC Helpline when support is needed, by calling 0808 800 5000 (10am-4pm, Mon-Fri) or emailing help@nspcc.org.uk.
4.Store and retain child protection records according to legal requirements and the organisation’s safeguarding and child protection policy and procedures.
5.Work closely with the company directors to ensure they are kept up to date with safeguarding issues and are fully informed of any concerns about organisational safeguarding and child protection practice.
6.Report regularly to the company directors on issues relating to safeguarding and child protection, to ensure that child protection is seen as an ongoing priority issue and that safeguarding and child protection requirements are being followed at all levels of the organisation.
7.Be familiar with and work within inter-agency child protection procedures developed by the local child protection agencies.
8.Be familiar with and work within inter-agency child protection procedures developed by any educational settings we work in (e.g. schools) and share these with House of Tutors staff working in those places - seeking the name and contact details of the safeguarding lead in the setting and how to report any concerns, then sharing this with House of Tutors staff before they start work. Make the setting aware that House of Tutors also have safeguarding policies and part of working together means that as well as reporting concerns to them, staff may make reports to House of Tutors as well, and these may be passed on to other authorities. Share DBS status of staff/volunteers with any settings they may go to work in - this should be made clear to all staff/volunteers when working for House of Tutors.
9.Be familiar with issues relating to child protection and abuse, and keep up to date with new developments in this area.
10.Attend training in issues relevant to child protection and share knowledge from that training with everyone who works or volunteers with or for children and young people at House of Tutors.
11.Attend team meetings, supervision sessions and management meetings as arranged.
House of Tutors take safeguarding seriously and staff will be trained to notice signs where the welfare of a child or adult at risk may be at risk. Staff and volunteers for House of Tutors should report their concerns directly to the safeguarding lead and deputy lead majidtkhan@gmail.com.
It is important to remember that perpetrators can be adults but they can also be other young people - there is no specific identity of a perpetrator.
Any concerns should be reported without delay to allow those reporting to make the most accurate report of what raised the concern - delaying making a report can lead to forgotten or altered details.
All concerns should include only the facts of what raised the concern. Assumptions or interpretations should not be included. For example, if a person was crying the report should state that they were crying, not that they were sad or upset as this is an interpretation of the situation.
If there are concerns about a child or an adult considered to be at risk or a disclosure is made by them, it should be taken seriously and listened to. It is important not to ask leading questions, any questions should be very open and not suggestive of anything. For example, if they say "someone hurt me yesterday", responding "did they hit you?" would not be appropriate, but repeating back "how did they hurt you?" would allow the person to respond openly in their own words.
It is very important to never promise to keep things secret, or not to tell others. Instead, we should be open with children and adults at risk so that they can talk to us, but if we have concerns for their welfare, we might have to talk to others. It should be made clear that this will only be done with a view to keeping them safe and getting them support.
It is rare that we can be 100% sure that something is or is not taking place, but it is not our place to investigate. The role of those working with children is to be aware of the signs that welfare may be at risk and to report those concerns to those with the authority and experience in doing so - such as the Local Children's Safeguarding Partnership or the police. In this way, we safeguard children and allow any investigations to be done through the proper channels.
Who to report concerns to will depend on the situation.
Reports about concerns raised whilst working in the capacity of staff or volunteering with House of Tutors can be made directly to the safeguarding lead and deputy lead. This should be done by completing the form and sending it securely to the safeguarding email address (or handed directly to the safeguarding lead/deputy lead if seeing them in person).
If working through House of Tutors, but in a school, college or other educational settings, their internal safeguarding procedures should be followed and a report to House of Tutors should be made as normal. This should be shared with the safeguarding lead at the setting so that they are aware.
Tutors who work with children or adults at risk - online or in person (including in a family-based residential setting) - are encouraged to report directly to the Local Children's Safeguarding Partnership LCSP) or Adult Safeguarding Board as appropriate where the child or adult at risk lives, and/or report to the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 (Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm). If the person they are concerned about lives abroad, they should try to contact the local authorities where that person lives as this is where the concern will need to be dealt with.
Note that there are some occasions where the police should be contacted, as well as reports being made. If there is reason to believe the child or adult at risk is in immediate danger, the police can be contacted. A report should be made in the usual way to safeguarding leads/bodies, but the police can be contacted in order to protect that person from harm.
If it is ever unclear about who to report to, or how, instead of leaving the concern unreported, it is important to check. For staff/volunteers of House of Tutors, this can be the safeguarding lead or deputy lead. For those who work for themselves, this can be checked with the NSPCC helpline.
GDPR does not change the way child protection records should be stored. House of Tutors team will follow the guidance for storing data - outlined by the NSPCC.
When House of Tutors works with others (including children and adults at risk, and their carers), House of Tutors may collect and store data about these people in order to reasonably provide services.
Additionally, some data may be collected for the purposes of child protection - this is to protect the children concerned. It should be noted that in these cases, data may be shared with appropriate agencies or authorities such as the Local Children's Safeguarding Partnership (LCSP), or the police. This will only ever be shared for the purpose of safeguarding.
Personally identifiable data may be kept by House of Tutors for as long as is necessary and appropriate to carry out business and provide a service. After this time, as per GDPR, users can request their data be deleted. However, data relating to child protection may be kept for longer.
In such cases, House of Tutors will keep data for as long as is appropriate to retain the data. Generally, educational settings keep records until any person turns 25.
All physical records will be securely stored - locked away in a secure space that only the safeguarding team can access. And digital records will be stored in password-protected folders on computers with password protection and software to prevent hacking and viruses.
We recognise that bullying can take many forms. Anyone can engage in bullying behaviour and anyone can be bullied. It is important to remember that perpetrators can be adults but they can also be other children - there is no specific identity of a perpetrator.
When trying to prevent bullying, it is important to make it clear to others that we treat them equally and without judgement and to teach them that this is how everyone should be treated. House of Tutors staff and volunteers will always treat others, with respect - regardless of their identity.
If bullying is seen or disclosed it will be reported as a safeguarding concern to the relevant person. For example, the safeguarding lead at House of Tutors, or for the educational setting they are in.
We recognise some of the work we do with children takes place online, and that keeping them safe online is equally as important as keeping them safe in person.
One of the key things House of Tutors does is to only ever interact with children using their services through agreed means and times - arranged through a responsible adult - for example, a parent or carer, or through a school representative. Note that an adult may have vulnerabilities but still be able to arrange their own tuition - this should be considered when booking.
Staff and volunteers of House of Tutors will not contact children using their services through social media platforms or through their own personal profiles. The only time staff or volunteers will talk to children through social media if they contact House of Tutors company profiles in order to seek support or ask about their services.
House of Tutors will also advise tutors connecting to families through House of Tutors to follow this guidance.
House of Tutors staff and volunteers will check all resources shared with or sent to children to ensure they are appropriate. Content should not include anything which could harm children or expose them to harm. For example, anything depicting illegal activity, violence or extreme views.
If sensitive topics arise in educational content, resources will be carefully chosen and will be checked by other staff to ensure they are appropriate for purpose.
All staff and volunteers working with House of Tutors will be considered for recruitment without discrimination to their identity (race, sex, gender, age, disability, pregnancy/maternity, religious belief, or sexual orientation).
House of Tutors engages in work with children - an enhanced DBS check is required by all employees and volunteers. This will be indicated in any advertisements.
Tutors connected to families through House of Tutors are directed to seek DBS checks.
Prior to the checks, applicants are required to provide at least two references who can be contacts. If the role is working directly with children, at least one referee should be for a role where the applicant has worked or volunteered with children.
Applicants will be given an opportunity to declare any prior convictions including any child protection investigations - regardless of their outcome. This can be written and delivered in a confidential way - for this to be reviewed by the safeguarding team at House of Tutors.
ID will be required from applicants to confirm identity - these should be viewed in person wherever possible as this helps to check the authenticity of the documents. Copies and prints outs will not be accepted - e.g. a printed online bank statement. If an in-person check is not possible, under the guidance in place since July 2021 this can be done via a video call. In both cases, the person checking the ID should be in physical possession of the original documents.
The criminal background checks required for staff and volunteers include:
Please note that a DBS check is not used to check the right to work in the UK - this is done separately.
All staff and volunteers working with House of Tutors are expected to follow the general code of conduct laid out by company policy.
With regards to safeguarding this includes:
When reporting safeguarding concerns it is important to follow the proper procedures.
When working with House of Tutors, this means that reports should be made by any responsible adult through the reporting procedure laid out in this policy - reporting to the safeguarding lead and/or deputy lead. Staff and volunteers are welcome to ask the safeguarding team for updates on what they have done. The team are not obliged to share specific details of actions taken but can share whether the report has been acted upon or referred internally or to external authorities/agencies. If a report has not been acted on or referred to relevant authorities and the staff member/volunteer feels it should have been, another report can be made and a discussion should be held with the safeguarding team. Staff and volunteers are encouraged to have discussions with the team as they may be aware of more information than the staff member/volunteer. Again, the team will not necessarily share specifics as these may be confidential but will aim to have a discussion around the concern raised and explain the actions taken.
If the staff member or volunteer still has concerns, the child protection report should be made to the Local Children's Safeguarding Partnership (LCSP) where the child lives (or the relevant board if the concern is about an adult at risk (in other jurisdictions the relevant authority will vary). At this time, the staff or volunteer may tell the board that they did make a report to House of Tutors but they feel it hasn't been passed along appropriately. This will help to ensure the report is passed along securely to the appropriate authorities.
It is not appropriate to go directly to the media or to post on social media. This will be treated as whistleblowing, in line with House of Tutors general company whistleblowing policy and may result in disciplinary action and/or dismissal.
Allegations made against staff and/or volunteers at House of Tutors will be taken seriously.
All allegations against staff and or volunteers will be passed along to independent authorities to investigate - for example, the LADO via the Local Children's Safeguarding Partnership (LCSP) - and the person the allegation has been made against may be suspended from their duties whilst the authorities investigate. Advice on this will be taken from the LCSP or other authorities who have been notified.
Whilst any investigations are taking place (by the relevant independent authorities) other staff and volunteers will not be informed of the nature of why the person is not working - this is to maintain confidentiality and allow the proper investigations to take place. If the authorities need to talk to other staff or volunteers, this should be kept confidential.
Any allegations proven to be truthful will lead to disciplinary action or dismissal - dependant on the nature of the allegation and any historical incidents. Again, advice will be sought from the relevant authorities. Any truthful allegations may be passed on to future employers seeking a reference.
Any allegations proven to be false will remain on a record but the outcome of any and all independent investigations will be included with it.
It is important that any and all allegations are taken seriously and investigated fully by the appropriate authorities. This ensures that we uphold our duty to safeguard children. It also helps to ensure that any false allegations are investigated and the truth can come out - clearing the name of the person concerned.
We recognise that perpetrators can be adults but they can also be other children - there is no specific identity of a perpetrator.
If an allegation is made against a child it will be reported as a safeguarding concern to the relevant person. For example, the safeguarding lead at House of Tutors, or for the educational setting they are in. In some cases, it will be necessary to refer the matter to external authorities or agencies, such as social workers, the police or international authorities.
It is important that any and all allegations are taken seriously and investigated fully by the appropriate authorities. This ensures that we uphold our duty to safeguard children. This guidance follows Keeping children safe in education - GOV.UK.
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