Safeguarding and Child Protection policy 2024 - 2025

Person Responsible for this Policy: Rebekah Sanderson

Policy last updated: 12th August 2024

Next update: 11th August 2025

1. Introduction, Government Guidance and Aims

Booster Tutoring is committed to the well-being and safeguarding of all children, adults and staff who attend tuition with them. This policy’s main aim is to provide all children and adults with a comprehensive, secure and clear commitment to safeguarding and a framework to ensure all children attending Booster Tutoring are protected from harm.

Under no circumstances must staff at Booster Tutoring use physical force as a punishment.

This Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is written with consideration of the following Department for Education statutory guidance:

· Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024)

· Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)

and the following guidance from HM Government:

· Prevent Duty Guidance (2023)

· Information Sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services (2024)

and the following Department for Education non-statutory guidance:

· After-school clubs, community activities and tuition: safeguarding guidance for providers (2023)

· What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (2015)

In addition, this setting operates in accordance with the local authority in partnership to keep children safe. Details of the local authority can be found here:

In cases where a criminal offence has been committed or it is suspected that one has been committed, the matter must be reported immediately to the local police force using the 101 services. In an emergency, this must be reported using the 999 service.

Definitions of ‘significant harm’ are taken from Section 47 of The Children Act (1989)

This policy must be read in conjunction with the Booster Tutoring terms and conditions and company policies below: Data Protection and Security Policy

Behaviour (including anti-bullying) and Attendance Policy

The policies will be provided in the client welcome pack upon signing up children for tuition with Booster tutoring either via email or hard copy. The policies will also be available on the Booster Tutoring website https://boostertutoring.org.uk/

For the purpose of this policy, ‘children’ refers to any student under the age of 18 attending the sessions. ‘Adults’ refers to parents or other responsible adults who are responsible for the care of the child in the home at the time of the lesson.

The aims of this policy are:

· To ensure that all coming into contact with Booster Tutoring understand the importance of safeguarding and that it is everyone’s responsibility.

· To support any child who makes a disclosure of abuse.

· To ensure everyone at Booster Tutoring knows who to inform in the event of a disclosure, concern or safeguarding issue and to ensure they are alert to the signs of possible child abuse.

· To aid everyone at Booster Tutoring in understanding and recognising specific safeguarding concerns.

· To ensure, in accordance with The Children Act 1989, that the welfare of the child is paramount at all times.

2. Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is

· Name: Rebekah Sanderson

· Job Title: Owner and Private Tutor

· Contact Details: boostertutoring.info@gmail.com

The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is to:

· Be a point of advice on safeguarding and pastoral issues

· Have overall responsibility for safeguarding (this cannot be delegated)

· Raise awareness of safeguarding amongst those attending the setting

· Manage referrals from to the local authority

· Manage the record-keeping of safeguarding concerns and ensure records are kept up to date

· To update their Level 3 safeguarding training at least once every two years using an external provider including Online Safety training and Prevent training

· Make referrals to the local authority Prevent Officer under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.

3. Safeguarding Issues

For further details and definitions of types of abuse and neglect, we can reference DfE guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) and Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024). External training will also reference these documents including definitions of abuse and neglect.

a. Types of abuse For the purposes of this policy, Booster Tutoring is aware of and vigilant to the following types of abuse and safeguarding issues:

· Physical abuse

· Emotional abuse

· Sexual abuse

· Neglect

· Child on child abuse (see below)

· Extremism and radicalisation

· Sexual harassment

· Bullying

· Substance abuse

· Online exploitation and abuse

· Domestic abuse

b. Contextual Safeguarding

We are also aware that safeguarding incidents and behaviours can occur outside the home environment and are vigilant to reports of these. These contextual safeguarding issues form part of external training.

These include:

· Child Sexual Exploitation

· Child Criminal Exploitation

· Female Genital Mutilation

· Honour Based Abuse

· Knife Crime

· Children Absent from Education

c. Child on child abuse

We are vigilant to the possibility of child-on-child abuse in the setting. Close supervision of children attending the setting is designed to mitigate this risk, however, we maintain the attitude of ‘it could happen here’.

Such abuse can include:

· abuse in intimate personal relationships between children

· harmful sexual behaviour including but not limited to the use of inappropriate sexual language, sharing of nude or semi-nude images or videos, upskirting, sexual violence

· bullying (including cyberbullying)

· physical abuse such as:

- hitting

- kicking

- shaking

- biting

- hair pulling

- otherwise causing physical harm

In the event of suspected child on child abuse involving one or more children who attend the setting against another child who attends the setting and where there is reasonable cause to suspect significant harm, the case must be referred to the local authority.

d. Children with Additional Educational Needs, Disabilities and other vulnerabilities

Booster Tutoring is aware that children with Additional Educational Needs, disabilities or health issues may face additional safeguarding issues. We are vigilant to:

· Any indicators of possible abuse not in keeping with the child’s additional needs or history

· Any communication challenges the child faces in disclosing the abuse (for example, if the child is non-verbal)

· The fact that children with additional needs or other vulnerabilities are disproportionally impacted by abuse and behaviours such as bullying

· That children who are (or are perceived to be) lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans are more likely to suffer child-on-child abuse and are more vulnerable to abuse.

4. Reporting Concerns about a Child

Booster Tutoring is aware that barriers to reporting abuse exist, and that some children may not be ready or not know how to tell someone that they are being abused. We are aware that children with Additional Educational Needs or disabilities are more vulnerable to abuse. We never assume that an issue has been reported or disclosed by another person.

If a child discloses abuse:

· We will stop and listen straight away without delay

· We will write notes as soon as possible after the conversation

· We must not guarantee confidentiality

· We use TED – Tell me, Explain to me, Describe to me. We can ask children whether they have been harmed and the nature of that harm, without asking leading questions.

· We will not conduct our own investigation but will refer immediately

· We will maintain a calm and professional attitude and prioritise the wellbeing of the child at all times.

Reports to the local authority children's safeguarding board must be undertaken:

· As soon as possible and within 2 hours of the concern being raised or suspected.

· For a child at risk or suspected to be at risk of significant harm, the concern must be raised immediately

· In person or by telephone as required by local services.

We note that it is usually best practice to share concerns with parents/ carers. However, for children at risk of significant harm (or where there is reasonable cause to suspect this), it may not be appropriate to do so. Decisions on whether to share information must be made in conjunction with the DSL. It may be helpful to refer to the following guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-practitionersinformation-sharing-advice

The DSL will decide if a concern should be raised with the local authority. If a child is at risk of significant harm, in accordance with Section 47 of The Children Act (1989), statutory child protection agencies will conduct the investigation and the DSL must not investigate. At all times, decision-making in this regard must be documented, including:

· Who raised the concern (include details of date, time, job title)

· Who was the concern raised about (include details of child’s name, date of birth, address, school)

· What decision was made and why – what were the reasons for making the referral

· Who was consulted

· What action was taken

· Whether parents/ carers were consulted and if not, why not.

5. Useful Contact Details

Contacts DSL: Rebekah Sanderson - boostertutoring.info@gmail.com

Local authority contacts

Bristol’s LADO: 0117 903 7795

Bristol’s Children’s Safeguarding Board (Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership – First Response Team): 0117 903 6444

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South Gloucestershire’s LADO: 01454 868 508

South Gloucestershire’s Children’s Safeguarding Board: 01454 866 000

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Whilst we mainly work with children from Bristol and South Gloucestershire areas we appreciate this might not cover your council or country as we work with a vast number of families across the globe. We advise you search for your council, city or local area’s name and type LADO and Children’s Safeguarding Board contact information and this will provide you with the necessary information.

The names of these companies may differ in countries other than England, UK.

Specialist helplines

Police – immediate threat - 999

Police – serious concerns – 101

Prevent (non-emergency advice) – 0800 011 3764

NSPCC helpline – 0808 800 5000

Childline – 0800 1111

Ofsted – 0300 123 4666