Policy Statement
[Your Name], trading as [Business Name], is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people in my care. The welfare of the child is paramount. This policy applies to all tutoring — in-person, online, and group sessions.
Scope and Purpose
This policy applies to all tutoring services delivered by [Your Name] to students under the age of 18. It sets out how I identify, report, and respond to safeguarding concerns, and the safe working practices I follow in all sessions.
This policy is informed by:
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), current edition — statutory guidance for schools, reflected here as good practice for private tutors
- Working Together to Safeguard Children, current edition — HM Government guidance
- The Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004
- ICO guidance on children's data under UK GDPR
DBS and Vetting
[Your Name] holds a DBS certificate at the following level: [Basic / Enhanced / Enhanced with barred list check]. (Self-employed tutors working directly with families can apply for a Basic check themselves; an Enhanced check can only be obtained through an eligible organisation such as a tuition agency, school, or registered umbrella body.)
Certificate number: [DBS Certificate Number]
Date of issue: [DBS Issue Date]
Update Service registered: [Yes / No]
Verification: original certificate shown on request; organisations entitled to run a DBS Update Service status check may do so with my consent
The DBS certificate is renewed every [2 / 3] years or immediately upon any change in circumstances that requires re-checking. Any agency, school, or parent may request sight of this certificate. A one-page parent-facing summary of this policy is provided as the DBS & Safeguarding Statement.
Safeguarding Training
Safeguarding training completed by [Your Name]:
| Training | Provider | Date completed | Renewal due |
|---|
| Safeguarding Children Level [1 / 2] |
[Provider, e.g. NSPCC Learning / EduCare / High Speed Training] |
[Date] |
[Date] |
| [Additional training, if any] |
[Provider] |
[Date] |
[Date] |
Safe Working Practices — In-Person Sessions
- Sessions are conducted in a room visible to a parent or other responsible adult
- The session location, start time, and expected finish time are always communicated to a parent or guardian in advance
- I do not conduct sessions in a child's bedroom or any space not known to and approved by a parent
- Physical contact is limited to what is educationally appropriate (e.g. guiding a pen hold) and only with visible parental knowledge
- I make my DBS certificate available for inspection on request
Safe Working Practices — Online Sessions
- A parent or responsible adult is in the building during all online sessions with under-18 students
- Sessions are not recorded without prior written parental consent (see Parental Consent Form)
- All communications with students outside scheduled session times are via the parent or guardian, not directly with the child
- I use a professional platform ([Zoom / Google Meet / Teams]) with a waiting room enabled — no student is admitted early
- I do not accept social media friend or follow requests from under-18 students
- I do not communicate with students via personal messaging apps or personal social media accounts
Recognising Signs of Abuse or Neglect
I am alert to indicators of the four categories of abuse defined in Working Together 2023:
- Physical abuse — unexplained injuries, bruising, or the child flinching from contact
- Emotional abuse — persistent low self-esteem, fear, anxiety, or statements of worthlessness
- Sexual abuse — age-inappropriate sexual knowledge, withdrawal, or concerning disclosures
- Neglect — persistently poor hygiene, hunger, inadequate clothing for conditions, frequent tiredness
I am also alert to indicators of child criminal exploitation (CCE), child sexual exploitation (CSE), online abuse, and child-on-child abuse (including bullying and the sharing of nudes or semi-nudes).
Responding to a Disclosure
If a child discloses abuse or makes a concerning statement:
- Listen calmly — do not interrupt, probe, or ask leading questions
- Tell the child they have done the right thing by telling me
- Do not promise confidentiality — explain I may need to tell someone who can help
- Record exactly what was said, in the child's own words, as soon as possible after
- Contact the relevant authority (see Section 8) without delay
I will never:
- Investigate the allegation myself
- Confront an alleged abuser
- Promise to keep the matter secret
- Delay reporting because I am not certain the concern is well-founded
Reporting Procedure
As a sole trader, I am the designated safeguarding contact for all safeguarding matters relating to my tutoring: [Your Name], [Your Phone Number], [Your Email Address].
Where I have a concern about the welfare of a child, I will:
- In an emergency — call 999 immediately
- Non-emergency concern — contact my local authority's Children's Services (details below)
- NSPCC Helpline — 0808 800 5000 (free, 24/7)
- Childline — 0800 1111 (for the child to contact directly if appropriate)
- Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) — if a concern involves me or another adult working with children (details below)
My local authority: [Local Authority Name]
Children's Services: [Phone number]
LADO: [LADO name and contact]
I will inform the parent or guardian that a referral has been made, unless doing so could put the child at greater risk or compromise a police investigation.
Record Keeping and Information Sharing
All safeguarding concerns, disclosures, and actions taken are recorded in writing within 24 hours and stored securely. Records are kept [until the student's 25th birthday / for a period agreed with the local authority], following the approach taken by schools, and are not destroyed while any inquiry is ongoing or without taking advice from the local authority. Records are held separately from general business files.
Where I record or share safeguarding information without consent, I rely on the safeguarding of children condition in the Data Protection Act 2018 (Schedule 1, Part 2, paragraph 18) and, in an emergency, vital interests under UK GDPR. See the Children's Data GDPR Pack for full data-handling detail.
Allegations Against Me
If a parent, guardian, or student has a concern about my conduct, they should:
- Contact me directly in the first instance at [Your Email Address]
- If the concern relates to possible abuse, contact the LADO in [Local Authority] at [LADO contact]
- Contact the DBS if they believe I should be barred from working with children — via the barring referral contact details published at gov.uk (search "DBS barring referrals")
I will cooperate fully with any investigation and will not contact the child or family during an active investigation without guidance from the relevant authority.
Online Safety
For online-delivered tutoring, I follow the UK Safer Internet Centre guidance and ensure:
- All platforms used have appropriate age-verification and privacy settings enabled
- I am aware of the risks of screen sharing (ensure no personal files or sensitive information are visible)
- Parents are made aware of which platform is used and can observe sessions
- If I become aware of a child being subjected to online abuse or exploitation, I report it to the CEOP Safety Centre (ceop.police.uk, run by the National Crime Agency) and the parent immediately
Policy Review
This policy is reviewed annually, or following any safeguarding incident, or when statutory guidance is updated.
| Version | Date | Change summary |
|---|
| 1.0 | [Date] | Initial policy |
| | | |