Safeguarding statement
Tutors’ behaviour
Tutors must:
Have a valid DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check.
Ensure that the classroom environment and teaching materials are age appropriate.
Ensure that their environment and behaviour is culturally sensitive.
Value and take students’ contributions seriously.
Treat students fairly and without prejudice or discrimination.
Always ensure language is appropriate and not offensive or discriminatory.
Ensure any contact with the student is appropriate to their role as a tutor and confined to the relevant lesson.
Not send unsolicited communications to the student or parent/responsible adult unless it is relevant to the learning process.
Report any inappropriate behaviour or illegal activity identified within a lesson by the student or third party.
Responding to abuse
UK law states that all adults who come into contact with children have a responsibility for protecting them from abuse. Tutors should be mindful of this responsibility and follow NSPCC guidelines for recognising and responding to abuse:
Recognising abuse
The four main types of abuse are physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. Possible signs of each type of abuse include, but are not limited to:
Physical – signs of physical harm, such as bruises, burns and bite marks
Emotional – lack of confidence, lack of affection towards parents, acting in an anxious way, showing unusual levels of affection to people they have not known for long, low self-esteem, struggling to control emotions, lacking social skills
Sexual – using sexual language that you wouldn’t expect at that age, acting promiscuously, avoiding certain people
Neglect – poor hygiene and appearance, untreated health problems or injuries, poor quality housing environment
These signs alone do not prove that abuse has taken place, but they can be a cause for concern. If a tutor is worried about a child, they should report their concerns (‘Reporting abuse’, see below).
Responding to a disclosure
If a student discloses abuse to a tutor, the tutor will:
Stay calm
Tell the student they have done the right thing by reporting the abuse
Reassure the child that you will try to help them by informing people who can help
The tutor will not:
Jump to conclusions or guess who the abuser is
Act emotionally, seem shocked or make negative comments about the abuser
Promise to keep it a secret
Stop the student from speaking freely
Ask lots of questions to obtain as much information as possible
Show that they are suspicious that they are making it up
Reporting abuse
It is not tutors’ responsibility to decide whether the child is a victim of abuse. It is also not tutors’ responsibility to stop the abuse from happening. However, it is the tutors’ responsibility to report the abuse so the appropriate action be taken.
The best person to report to is the NSPCC, who can give advice on what to do next. They can be reached on: 0808 800 5000
Even if a child asks you to keep the information confidential, it is important to still report the abuse. However, it should not be shared with anyone who does not need to know.
Recording abuse
If a student discloses abuse to a tutor, the tutor should record everything they say, as soon as possible after (but not during) the disclosure. They should record the date and time of the disclosure, the child’s personal details (name, age, gender, religion, ethnicity, any disability) and the details of the concern. Where possible, the student’s own words should be use. The tutor should also record their response and who they reported the concern to. The record should be signed by the tutor.
For more information about protecting children from abuse, please visit the NSPCC website at:
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/
The Safeguarding Policy and procedures will be reviewed by Sue Whitfield Tutoring on a regular basis to ensure they are adequate and relevant to safeguarding standards.
