THE LEARNING INSTITUTE

Safeguarding

Proprietor and Tutor: Fatima
Business: The Learning Institute
Last reviewed: September 2026
Next review: September 2027, or earlier if legislation, guidance or business practices change

1. Purpose

The Learning Institute is an independent tutoring service providing online tuition to children and young people.

The purpose of this policy is to set out how The Learning Institute seeks to safeguard students, respond to safeguarding concerns and maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

The welfare and safety of children and young people are a priority. Safeguarding concerns will be taken seriously and acted upon appropriately.

2. Responsibility for Safeguarding

The Learning Institute is operated by Fatima as a sole trader.

As the sole tutor and proprietor, Fatima is responsible for implementing safeguarding procedures within the tutoring service, maintaining appropriate records, reviewing safeguarding arrangements and seeking advice or making referrals to the appropriate external authorities when necessary.

Safeguarding concerns will not be investigated beyond the role of an independent tutor. Where appropriate, concerns will instead be referred to the relevant safeguarding authority or emergency service.

3. Safeguarding Principles

The Learning Institute aims to:

  • place the welfare of the child or young person first;

  • provide a safe and professional tutoring environment;

  • maintain clear tutor-student boundaries;

  • listen to and take safeguarding concerns seriously;

  • respond appropriately to disclosures or suspected abuse;

  • record safeguarding concerns accurately and securely;

  • share information where necessary to protect a child;

  • collect and retain only information that is reasonably necessary; and

  • review safeguarding arrangements regularly.

4. Scope

This policy applies to all tuition and interactions provided through The Learning Institute, including:

  • online lessons;

  • consultations;

  • email communication;

  • interactive whiteboard activity;

  • homework and educational resources;

  • parent or guardian communication; and

  • any other business-related interaction with a student.

5. Parent and Guardian Involvement

For students under 18, a parent or guardian will normally be the primary administrative contact for tuition.

Parents or guardians should be aware of when online lessons are taking place. For younger children, an appropriate adult should be reasonably accessible during the lesson where practicable.

Administrative matters, including bookings, payments and significant concerns, will normally be communicated through the parent or guardian.

Appropriate educational communication with an older student may take place through The Learning Institute's business communication channels where suitable. Professional boundaries will apply at all times.

6. Online Tuition

Online lessons will be conducted using the platforms approved by The Learning Institute.

At present, lessons are ordinarily delivered through Google Meet, with Scribble Together used as an interactive whiteboard where appropriate.

Students and families must not share private lesson links with unauthorised individuals.

Cameras are not compulsory unless separately agreed for a legitimate reason.

Lessons will not routinely be recorded. Photographs, screenshots or recordings of students will not be taken or retained without an appropriate and clearly established reason and any necessary permission.

The tutor will take reasonable steps to ensure that the visible and audible tutoring environment is appropriate and professional.

7. Professional Boundaries

The tutor-student relationship is a professional educational relationship.

The tutor will not:

  • form inappropriate personal relationships with students;

  • connect with minor students through personal social-media accounts;

  • make sexual or otherwise inappropriate comments;

  • request unnecessary personal information;

  • arrange inappropriate social meetings with students;

  • routinely communicate with minor students through personal messaging accounts;

  • photograph or record students unnecessarily; or

  • engage in behaviour that could reasonably compromise student safety or professional boundaries.

The Learning Institute's Communication & Professional Boundaries Policy provides further guidance.

8. Recognising Safeguarding Concerns

Safeguarding concerns may arise from something a student says, something observed during tuition, information provided by another person or a pattern of behaviour or circumstances that causes concern.

Concerns may include, but are not limited to:

  • physical abuse;

  • emotional abuse;

  • sexual abuse;

  • neglect;

  • bullying or cyberbullying;

  • exploitation or grooming;

  • domestic abuse affecting a child;

  • online abuse;

  • risk of significant harm; or

  • another situation in which a child's safety or welfare may be at risk.

The tutor is not responsible for diagnosing or proving abuse. A reasonable safeguarding concern is sufficient to consider whether advice or referral is required.

9. Responding to a Disclosure

If a student makes a safeguarding disclosure, the tutor will:

  1. listen carefully;

  2. remain calm;

  3. take the student seriously;

  4. avoid expressing shock, disbelief or blame;

  5. not promise to keep the information secret;

  6. explain, where appropriate, that information may need to be shared with somebody who can help;

  7. avoid leading questions;

  8. not conduct an investigation;

  9. make a factual record as soon as reasonably possible; and

  10. consider what safeguarding action is required.

Questions should be limited to what is reasonably necessary to understand whether there is a safeguarding concern and whether immediate action is required.

10. Immediate Danger

Where there is reason to believe that a child is in immediate danger or requires urgent assistance, the appropriate emergency service should be contacted without unnecessary delay.

The safety of the child takes priority over ordinary administrative procedures.

A factual record of the concern and the action taken will be made as soon as reasonably practicable.

11. Non-Emergency Safeguarding Concerns

Where there is a safeguarding concern but no immediate emergency, the tutor will consider whether advice or referral should be sought from the appropriate safeguarding service, including the relevant local authority children's social care or other appropriate authority.

Because The Learning Institute provides online tuition and students may live in different areas, the appropriate local safeguarding authority may depend upon the student's location.

The tutor will not attempt to investigate allegations independently where referral to an appropriate authority is required.

12. Informing Parents or Guardians

A parent or guardian will normally be informed of concerns affecting their child where it is appropriate and safe to do so.

However, a parent or guardian will not automatically be contacted before safeguarding advice is obtained or a referral is made where doing so could:

  • increase the risk to the child;

  • place another person at risk;

  • interfere with an appropriate safeguarding or criminal investigation; or

  • be inappropriate because the concern involves the parent or guardian.

Where uncertain, appropriate safeguarding advice should be sought.

13. Safeguarding Records

Safeguarding concerns will be recorded factually and as soon as reasonably possible.

A safeguarding record should, where relevant, contain:

  • the student's identifier;

  • date and time;

  • context in which the concern arose;

  • what was seen, heard or disclosed;

  • the student's own words where important;

  • any questions asked and responses given;

  • whether there was an immediate safety concern;

  • actions taken;

  • advice or referrals sought;

  • whether a parent or guardian was contacted;

  • reasons for not contacting a parent or guardian where relevant; and

  • any subsequent follow-up.

Safeguarding records will be kept separately from ordinary lesson and progress records and access will be restricted.

14. Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Safeguarding information will be treated confidentially, but confidentiality is not absolute where information needs to be shared to protect a child or comply with legal obligations.

Information will be shared only where there is an appropriate reason and, where practicable, only the information reasonably necessary for the safeguarding purpose will be disclosed.

Data protection requirements do not prevent appropriate information sharing for safeguarding purposes.

15. Concerns or Allegations About the Tutor

Any safeguarding allegation or serious concern relating to the tutor will be treated seriously.

The tutor will not attempt to resolve a serious allegation solely by investigating it herself where external safeguarding involvement is appropriate.

Information and potential evidence will be preserved, factual records will be maintained and advice or referral will be sought from the appropriate authority where required.

Depending upon the circumstances, this may include the relevant local authority safeguarding arrangements, police or another appropriate safeguarding body.

Tuition may be paused where this is reasonably necessary to protect a student or preserve the integrity of a safeguarding response.

Parents and students remain free to raise concerns directly with appropriate external authorities.

16. DBS and Safeguarding Training

The tutor has previously undergone an Enhanced DBS check in connection with tutoring work and intends to obtain an updated Enhanced DBS check appropriate to her current independent tutoring role.

This section will be updated when the new certificate has been obtained.

The tutor completed safeguarding training through MyTutor in 2025. Safeguarding knowledge and procedures will be reviewed periodically and refresher training undertaken where appropriate.

A DBS check is one element of safeguarding and does not replace appropriate professional conduct, safeguarding procedures or ongoing vigilance.

17. Data Protection

Personal information processed in connection with safeguarding will be handled in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements and The Learning Institute's Privacy Notice.

Safeguarding information may require different retention or disclosure decisions from ordinary educational records because of its nature and potential importance.

18. Related Documents

This policy should be read alongside:

  • Online Tutoring Safety Policy;

  • Communication & Professional Boundaries Policy;

  • Safeguarding Action Procedure;

  • Safeguarding Disclosure & Concern Procedure;

  • Safeguarding Concern Record;

  • Allegations & Safeguarding Concerns About Tutor procedure;

  • Privacy Notice; and

  • Terms & Conditions.

19. Policy Review

This policy will normally be reviewed at least annually and earlier where necessary because of changes to legislation, safeguarding guidance, services offered by The Learning Institute or lessons learned from a safeguarding matter.

Last reviewed: September 2026
Next scheduled review: September 2027