Safeguarding policy
A safeguarding policy is a statement which states clearly the steps that tutors will follow to keep their students safe and how they will respond to any safeguarding concerns.
The Purpose and Scope of the Policy
The Dyslexia Tutor is utterly committed to creating and maintaining a safe and secure environment for all learners, particularly those who may be vulnerable or at risk of harm. This statement outlines The Dyslexia Tutor’s dedication to safeguarding the welfare and well-being of all children and our belief that all young people have the fundamental right to experience a safe and nurturing childhood, free from any form of abuse, neglect or exploitation. This right is absolute and applies to individuals of all ages, disabilities, races, religions or beliefs, sexes, gender reassignments, or sexual orientations.
The purpose of this safeguarding policy statement is:
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to protect the children and young people who receive diagnostic assessments or tutoring services from The Dyslexia Tutor from harm;
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to respond to any allegations and / or any concerns relating to the welfare of a child or young adult for whom you provide tutoring services to;
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to state the ongoing training you and your team will undertake to ensure that safeguarding protocols are up-to-date and understood by all.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of The Dyslexia Tutor.
This policy will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis or before if there is a change in safeguarding protocols.
Responsibilities
As an assessor and specialist tutor, I have a responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of all my students.
This responsibility includes:
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Ensuring I have a DBS check completed once a year
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Ensuring that I undertake appropriate safeguarding training at least once every two years
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Endeavouring to keep up-to-date with any new information about safeguarding and child protection, and updating this policy accordingly to include any changes
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Reporting safeguarding concerns correctly, to the relevant bodies, following the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures. State the name of the LSCB, and where their procedures can be found. If you are an online tutor and therefore tutor students across the country, state instead that in the event of a safeguarding concern, you will notify the Local Authority Safeguarding Lead for the appropriate county.
If you are an independent tutor, state that you will use a third party to have your own DBS check completed on an annual basis. Link to or include a copy of your current DBS certificate.
Reporting safeguarding concerns
State here the process that you will follow if (a) a child tells you that they are being abused or (b) you suspect that there are safeguarding concerns for a child who you tutor.
If a student tells me that they or another child is being abused I will:
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show that I have heard what they are saying, and that I take their allegations seriously;
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encourage the child to talk, without prompting them or asking them leading questions. I will not interrupt
when a child is recalling significant events and will not make a child repeat their account;
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reassure the child that they can tell me anything that is worrying them, but that I cannot promise not to tell anybody because some things have to be passed on in order to keep them safe;
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explain what actions I must take, in a way that is appropriate to the age and understanding of the child;
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record what I have been told, as soon as I can, using exact words where possible;
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make a note of the date, time, place and people who were present during the disclosure.
I will contact the Safeguarding Lead for the relevant Local Authority. If I am concerned that the child is in immediate danger, I will call the police.
It is not my responsibility to attempt to investigate the situation myself.
If I have suspicions of a safeguarding or welfare concern in relation to one of my students I will:
I will contact the Safeguarding Lead for the relevant Local Authority. If I am concerned that the child is in immediate danger, I will call the police.
Useful Contact Details
West Sussex County Council – Keeping children safe
https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/education-children-and-families/keeping-children-safe/
West Sussex County Council – Raise a concern about a child
West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership
https://www.westsussexscp.org.uk/report-a-concern-about-a-child#
Where there are concerns about students in different local Authorities, contact will be made with the local authority of the student’s home town.
Training
Safeguarding training is regularly undertaken and provided by the National Society for the Protection of Children (NSPCC).