Safeguarding and Child protection
Our Core Belief
All children, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.
Our Safeguarding Promise
We promise that, whilst in our care, we will do our utmost to look out for the wellbeing and safety of all of our students. If we see something that we don’t think is right or appropriate, we will speak out, and always advocate for the rights of the young people in our care. We hope to be champions for our students, advocates and to lead by example at all times.
In order to achieve this, we will :
- Ensure that every adult that works with, or on behalf of, our students is capable, qualified, and responsible
- Make sure the every adult we work with with is aware that they are responsible for their own actions and encourage them to always behave to the highest standards of professionalism, primarily by adhering to Tutelage’s code of conduct
- Provide clear procedures for Tutors and other employees to report any concerns
Recruitment and Training
All of our employees and contractors are subject to an enhanced background and/or criminal record check before they can begin working with any of our students. If they do not already have an existing check then we will pay and process one for them ourselves.
We offer individual training in Online Safety and Child Protection in Education through educare.co.uk to all staff and contractors before they start working with students and will provide funding for any staff member who wishes to undertake a course in Safeguarding, Child Protection or any related areas, in order to better provide support and protection for our students.
Online Safety
Providing educational services online is an excellent way to expand our reach and help as many students as possible, which is one of our fundamental aims.
We are passionate about children being given the opportunity to use and explore the internet for education and personal development, but it comes with its own pitfalls and safeguards must be in place to ensure they are protected at all times.
Educating children, young people and adults within our organisation (and the wider world) to use the internet in a safe and respectful manner, focusing on personal security online and courteous behaviour towards others, is the best way to ensure everyone’s protection.
In their lessons our tutors will often take the time to talk to their students about online safety, providing them with tips and insight on how to safely navigate the digital world.
Privacy and Data Protection
We always strive to provide our students and their families with the highest levels of discretion, privacy and data protection. To that end, we expect ourselves to remain more than compliant with regulations in both the US and Europe. We have taken inspiration from both the GDPR and COPPA regulations when designing our privacy policy.
We don’t collect any cookies from website visitors, other than those strictly necessary for the smooth functioning of the website. Out of an abundance of caution, we don’t allow students under the age of 16 to sign up for our services or give us their personal data without express parental consent and any personal data we gather is securely stored and never transferred to 3rd parties without your express permission.
Reporting Procedures
We take any reports of inappropriate behaviour, whether by our staff, contractors or a third party, very seriously.
We have a number of specific and detailed reporting procedures outlined in our full Safeguarding policy, and in all cases related to child protection and safeguarding, the main procedure is to treat the allegation seriously, in strict confidence and immediately contact the Tutelage Education Designated Safeguarding Officer.
Points of Contact
We have a number of senior members of staff with direct responsibility for the implementation of our safeguarding policies. Our CEO, Cait Tysoe, is our Designated Safeguarding Officer with responsibility for:
- Offering support and training to all staff and contractors involved in Tutelage Education’s work
- Ensuring that all Tutelage Education staff and contractors are sufficiently vetted
- Acting as the main point of contact in the event of any allegation or disclosure
- Report any instances of abuse or inappropriate behaviour to the relevant Authorities and act as their liaison for any follow up enquiries
Our C.Ed.O, David Tysoe, is our Online Safety Coordinator with responsibility for all aspects of Online Safety and Data Protection.
Finally, we also have an Independent Safeguarding Ombudsman, Susan Wherry. Susan has over 20 years of experience in child safety advocacy, moderating forums for childhood abuse survivors and successfully campaigning for law changes in California. Her role is to be an independent voice, providing oversight of any safeguarding matters and to be an advocate for the children in our care, under all circumstances.
Codes of Conduct
We have put together codes of conduct, published in our full Safeguarding policy, for every one of our stakeholders: Tutors, Consultants, Students, Parents and Families.
Anyone working with Tutelage or using any of our services is expected to abide by these codes, as a matter of safety and out of respect for others.