Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
Protecting children and young people
Introduction
The purpose of this policy is:
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in the UK, including the Children Act 1989, the United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991, the General Data Protection Regulation, the Human Rights Act 1998, the Sexual Offences Act 2003, the Children Act 2004, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Children and Families Act 2014. This policy should be read alongside our Data Protection Policy and Online Policy.
We believe that:
We recognise that:
We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:
Safeguarding children at events or activities:
All our events and activities are for A level students and therefore students range in age from 16-18. Any young person in this age bracket may attend unaccompanied, providing the parental consent form has been completed in full prior to the event or activity taking place. Both event and activities are defined broadly to include any occasions where The Biology Tutor will be providing a service.
Disclosure and barring
The Biology Tutor offers the following activities to young people:
All activities are led by Gemma Hunt who has an enhanced DBS check, made available upon request.
Health and safety aspects of safeguarding
Before starting any event, The Biology Tutor will carry out a risk assessment and then take steps to minimise all risks to health and safety. Young people and their parents will be made aware of any particular risks and of the steps to be taken to minimise those risks.
Photographing or video recording of activities
For face to face events, no photos or video recordings will be taken of any young people attending an event or activity unless prior written permission is sought from a person with parental responsibility and from the young person. For online webinars, recordings are made in line with our online policy. If any person has concerns regarding any person taking photos or recordings at an event or activity, that person should contact The Biology Tutor immediately.
Managing behaviour
The Biology Tutor has high expectations of behaviour and has a zero-tolerance policy on unacceptable behaviour. In the unlikely event of unacceptable behaviour, such as the use of inappropriate language, the young person(s) involved will be removed from the activity and, depending on the severity of the behaviour, may be banned from future events.
In the event of a concern
Any concerns of a safeguarding / child protection nature (see appendices A and B) will be reported in the following ways:
If you have any concerns regarding safeguarding or child protection, please contact:
Name: Gemma Hunt
Phone: 07814 162736
Email: [email protected]
We are committed to regularly reviewing our policy and good practice. This policy was last reviewed on 7th May 2023 and is due for review every two years.
The purpose of this policy is:
- To protect children and young people who receive The Biology Tutor’s services from harm.
- To provide staff, volunteers, children, young people, and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in the UK, including the Children Act 1989, the United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991, the General Data Protection Regulation, the Human Rights Act 1998, the Sexual Offences Act 2003, the Children Act 2004, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Children and Families Act 2014. This policy should be read alongside our Data Protection Policy and Online Policy.
We believe that:
- Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind.
- We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.
We recognise that:
- The welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take.
- All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.
- Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues.
- Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:
- Valuing, listening to and respecting them.
- Adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies and procedures.
- Developing and implementing an effective online safety policy
- Recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance.
- Using our safeguarding procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know.
- Ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children and young people by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance.
Safeguarding children at events or activities:
All our events and activities are for A level students and therefore students range in age from 16-18. Any young person in this age bracket may attend unaccompanied, providing the parental consent form has been completed in full prior to the event or activity taking place. Both event and activities are defined broadly to include any occasions where The Biology Tutor will be providing a service.
Disclosure and barring
The Biology Tutor offers the following activities to young people:
- 1:1 and small group tuition
- Revision workshops
- Extension classes
All activities are led by Gemma Hunt who has an enhanced DBS check, made available upon request.
Health and safety aspects of safeguarding
Before starting any event, The Biology Tutor will carry out a risk assessment and then take steps to minimise all risks to health and safety. Young people and their parents will be made aware of any particular risks and of the steps to be taken to minimise those risks.
Photographing or video recording of activities
For face to face events, no photos or video recordings will be taken of any young people attending an event or activity unless prior written permission is sought from a person with parental responsibility and from the young person. For online webinars, recordings are made in line with our online policy. If any person has concerns regarding any person taking photos or recordings at an event or activity, that person should contact The Biology Tutor immediately.
Managing behaviour
The Biology Tutor has high expectations of behaviour and has a zero-tolerance policy on unacceptable behaviour. In the unlikely event of unacceptable behaviour, such as the use of inappropriate language, the young person(s) involved will be removed from the activity and, depending on the severity of the behaviour, may be banned from future events.
In the event of a concern
Any concerns of a safeguarding / child protection nature (see appendices A and B) will be reported in the following ways:
- Call the police by dialling 999 if the child is at immediate risk of harm.
- Call the NSPCC (Monday – Friday 08:00 – 22:00 or Weekends 09:00 – 18:00) by dialling 0808 800 5000 or the local social services, within one working day, if the child is not at immediate risk of harm. The social services of the local authority in which the activity is taking place can be found by searching on the internet for the ‘MASH’ team.
If you have any concerns regarding safeguarding or child protection, please contact:
Name: Gemma Hunt
Phone: 07814 162736
Email: [email protected]
We are committed to regularly reviewing our policy and good practice. This policy was last reviewed on 7th May 2023 and is due for review every two years.