Safeguarding Policy

1. Introduction

Inclusion at Heart is dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults who access our services. We believe that every child, young person and adult at risk has the right to learn in a safe, supportive environment, free from abuse, neglect, harm, exploitation and discrimination.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. As a lone tutoring provider, the owner and tutor of Inclusion at Heart acts as the Safeguarding Lead and takes responsibility for safeguarding arrangements.

This policy is informed by current safeguarding legislation and guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, relevant local safeguarding procedures and guidance for out-of-school education and tuition providers.

2. Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to all tutoring and support activities carried out by Inclusion at Heart, including:

One-to-one tuition
Group tuition
Online tuition
Face-to-face tuition
Family outreach and support
School outreach and consultancy where safeguarding responsibilities apply
Communication with students, parents and carers
Digital communication and online learning environments
Any educational activity or interaction undertaken on behalf of Inclusion at Heart

3. Responsibilities

Inclusion at Heart takes responsibility for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of students during all sessions.

As a lone provider, the tutor/owner acts as the Safeguarding Lead.

The Safeguarding Lead is responsible for:

Maintaining and reviewing this safeguarding policy
Ensuring appropriate safeguarding training is completed and kept up to date
Understanding local safeguarding procedures and thresholds for support
Recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding concerns
Recording and reporting safeguarding concerns
Making referrals to the appropriate local authority safeguarding service where required
Contacting the police or emergency services where there is an immediate risk of harm
Understanding the procedures for reporting allegations made against the tutor
Promoting safe working practices
Maintaining appropriate safeguarding records
Ensuring parents/carers are provided with appropriate safeguarding information

The Safeguarding Lead will maintain an awareness of specific safeguarding issues and relevant local safeguarding procedures.

4. Safeguarding Measures

Inclusion at Heart is committed to maintaining safe and professional practice.

Safeguarding measures include:

Holding an up-to-date Enhanced DBS certificate and being registered with the DBS Update Service
Completing regular safeguarding training and refresher training
Completing Prevent training
Staying informed about changes to safeguarding legislation and government guidance
Reviewing this policy at least annually and sooner where significant guidance or legislative changes occur
Maintaining clear professional boundaries with students and families
Avoiding inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact
Using secure, password-protected platforms for online tuition
Using professional communication channels rather than private or personal social media accounts
Maintaining appropriate records of safeguarding concerns
Following appropriate procedures when reporting concerns
Ensuring appropriate health and safety arrangements are in place

5. Lone Working

As Inclusion at Heart is operated by a lone provider, particular consideration is given to safeguarding when working independently.

Parents/carers will be provided with appropriate safeguarding information, including:

The name and role of the Safeguarding Lead
How to raise a safeguarding concern
Relevant local authority safeguarding contact information
The NSPCC helpline where appropriate

For face-to-face and online tuition, safeguarding arrangements will be agreed with the parent/carer before sessions begin.

Where tuition takes place in another person's home, sessions should take place in an appropriate shared or observable area wherever possible, rather than in a bedroom or other isolated area. A parent/carer must remain available and within earshot during all one-to-one tuition sessions, whether delivered face-to-face or online.

If a parent/carer is not available and within earshot, the session will not be able to go ahead.

If a parent/carer needs to leave the property unexpectedly during a face-to-face session, the session will need to end unless an alternative responsible adult, agreed in advance, is present and available. The tutor will not knowingly place themselves or a student in an inappropriate or unsafe lone-working situation.

These arrangements are intended to protect both the student and tutor and to maintain clear professional boundaries throughout the tutoring relationship.

Online safety forms an important part of safeguarding.

The tutor will:

Use secure and appropriate online platforms
Maintain professional boundaries in all online communication
Avoid communicating with students through personal social media accounts or private messaging channels
Ensure parents/carers are aware of online tutoring arrangements
Encourage students to report anything online that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe
Remain alert to online abuse, grooming, exploitation, cyberbullying and inappropriate content
Consider the wider online environment in which students are learning

Online safeguarding includes awareness of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories, which are recognised as online content risks within KCSIE 2025.

Where a safeguarding concern arises from a student's online activity or information disclosed during an online session, the same safeguarding reporting procedures will apply.

6. Children with SEND, Disabilities and Other Vulnerabilities

Inclusion at Heart recognises that children and young people with SEND, disabilities, communication difficulties or other vulnerabilities may experience additional safeguarding risks.

Some students may have difficulty:

Recognising that behaviour towards them is inappropriate
Communicating that something has happened
Understanding safeguarding language
Disclosing abuse verbally
Being believed because their behaviour or communication is misunderstood

The tutor will therefore:

Consider each student's individual communication needs
Take changes in behaviour seriously
Avoid assuming that a student's SEND explains away concerning behaviour or injuries
Use appropriate communication approaches where required
Consider the use of visual supports, AAC or other established communication methods where appropriate
Give students appropriate opportunities to communicate concerns
Never assume that another professional or adult has already reported a concern

The TTA (The Tutors Association) safeguarding guidance specifically highlights communication barriers for children with additional needs, including children who are non-verbal, and recognises their increased vulnerability to abuse and bullying.

7. Recognising Safeguarding Concerns

Safeguarding concerns may relate to abuse or neglect within or outside the home.

The four main categories of child abuse are:

Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional abuse
Neglect

Inclusion at Heart will also remain alert to:

Child-on-child abuse
Bullying and cyberbullying
Sexual harassment and sexual violence
Domestic abuse
Online abuse and exploitation
Grooming
Radicalisation and extremism
Children missing education
Risks associated with a child's wider environment or community
Other forms of contextual safeguarding

Safeguarding does not only concern harm occurring within the home. Current safeguarding guidance recognises the importance of considering risks and harm occurring in wider contexts and online.

8. Contextual Safeguarding

Inclusion at Heart recognises that children and young people may experience safeguarding risks outside their home or family environment.

The tutor will consider the wider circumstances surrounding a student, including:

Peer relationships
School and educational environments
Online environments
Community settings
Family and social circumstances
Potential exploitation or harmful influences

A concern will not be dismissed simply because the suspected harm does not occur during a tutoring session.

Where appropriate, concerns will be discussed with the relevant safeguarding authority in accordance with local procedures.

9. Adult Safeguarding

Inclusion at Heart may work with young people and adults who may meet the definition of an adult at risk.

An adult at risk may be someone who:

Is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect
Has care and support needs
As a result of those needs, is unable to protect themselves against abuse or neglect or the risk of it.

The tutor will remain alert to different forms of adult abuse, including:

Physical abuse
Domestic abuse
Sexual abuse
Psychological or emotional abuse
Financial or material abuse
Modern slavery
Discriminatory abuse
Organisational or institutional abuse
Neglect or acts of omission
Self-neglect

Concerns involving an adult at risk will be reported to the appropriate safeguarding service.

10. Prevent and Radicalisation

Inclusion at Heart recognises its responsibility to remain alert to the risk of radicalisation and extremism.

The tutor will:

Complete Prevent training
Remain aware of indicators that a child or young person may be vulnerable to radicalisation
Provide a safe environment in which students can discuss ideas and concerns
Report concerns where there is a reasonable basis to believe a student may be at risk
Follow relevant local authority Prevent procedures

The Prevent training completed by the tutor forms part of Inclusion at Heart's safeguarding training.

11. Responding to a Disclosure

If a child or young person discloses abuse, neglect or another safeguarding concern, the tutor will:

Remain calm and listen carefully.
Take the student seriously.
Allow the student to speak freely without interruption.
Avoid leading questions or attempting to investigate.
Reassure the student that they have done the right thing by speaking up.
Explain that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where information needs to be shared to keep them or someone else safe.
Explain, in an age-appropriate way, what will happen next.
Record the disclosure as soon as possible.
Use the student's own words wherever possible.
Record the date, time, location and people present.
Report the concern to the appropriate safeguarding authority.
Contact the police/emergency services immediately where there is an immediate risk of serious harm.

The tutor will not investigate allegations. The role of Inclusion at Heart is to recognise, respond, record and report. Investigation is the responsibility of the appropriate safeguarding professionals.

12. Recording Safeguarding Concerns

Safeguarding concerns will be recorded factually and promptly.

Records should include, where known:

Date and time
Student's name
What was observed or disclosed
The student's own words wherever possible
Any relevant context
Actions taken
Who the concern was reported to
Date and time of referral/report
Any advice received
Any further action required

Records will be stored securely and only shared with individuals or organisations who have a legitimate safeguarding reason to receive the information.

13. Allegations Against the Tutor

Inclusion at Heart recognises that safeguarding procedures must also apply where an allegation or concern is made about the tutor.

If an allegation is made that the tutor has:

Behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child
Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child
Behaved towards a child in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm

The tutor will not attempt to investigate the allegation themselves.

The appropriate Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) will be contacted in accordance with local safeguarding procedures.

Where necessary, the police or other appropriate safeguarding agencies will also be contacted.

The tutor will cooperate fully with any safeguarding investigation.

The TTA training specifically highlights the importance of informing the LADO where allegations are made against a member of staff.

14. Missing Child / Unexpected Absence

As a lone tutoring provider, Inclusion at Heart will maintain arrangements for situations where a child is unexpectedly absent from a session or cannot be accounted for.

For face-to-face sessions, the parent/carer will normally be the identified responsible adult. If a student fails to attend an agreed session without explanation, the tutor will contact the parent/carer using the agreed professional contact details. Where there are concerns about a student's unexplained absence, repeated absence or whereabouts, this may become a safeguarding concern and will be considered in line with local safeguarding procedures.

15. Children Not in School / EOTAS / Alternative Provision

Inclusion at Heart may support children who are educated outside mainstream school, including students accessing EOTAS, elective home education or alternative provision arrangements. The tutor will remain alert to concerns relating to children who may be missing education or who may not be receiving suitable education.

Where Inclusion at Heart works within an alternative provision arrangement, appropriate safeguarding information and checks should be established with the commissioning school/provider where applicable. Safeguarding arrangements should be reviewed where there are concerns about the safety or suitability of an educational placement.

Current safeguarding guidance places particular emphasis on appropriate safeguarding checks and regular review of alternative provision placements.

16. Health and Safety

Inclusion at Heart will take reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of students attending tuition.

Where appropriate, this includes:

Maintaining a safe learning environment
Identifying relevant risks
Ensuring appropriate supervision arrangements
Having a fire evacuation procedure for relevant premises
Considering individual medical, accessibility and additional needs
Recording and responding appropriately to accidents or incidents

17. Information Sharing

Safeguarding information will be shared where necessary and proportionate to protect a child, young person or adult at risk.

The tutor will not promise a student that information disclosed will remain secret.

Information will be shared with appropriate safeguarding professionals, parents/carers or other agencies where this is necessary and appropriate. Where there is uncertainty about whether information should be shared, advice will be sought from the relevant safeguarding authority.

18. Key Safeguarding Contacts

Safeguarding Lead: Sara Lewis – Inclusion at Heart

Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership: 0117 903 6444

First Response – Bristol City Council: Online safeguarding referral service

Access and Response Team – South Gloucestershire Council: 01454 866000 / 01454 615165

First Response – Bath & North East Somerset Council: 01225 394570

Emergency Services: 999

NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000

Childline: 0800 1111

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO):
Contact via the relevant local authority safeguarding arrangements.

Contact details will be checked regularly and updated where necessary.

19. Training and Professional Development

The Safeguarding Lead / tutor will complete safeguarding training regularly and remain up to date with relevant safeguarding guidance.

Training completed:

Safeguarding Young People – TES – February 2025
The Prevent Duty – TES – February 2025
Safeguarding Essentials for Tutors – TTA – September 2026

The Tutors Association (TTA) training covered current safeguarding legislation and government guidance, lone-provider responsibilities, contextual safeguarding, online safety, child and adult safeguarding, Prevent, local authority thresholds, safer working practices and safeguarding documentation.

Safeguarding training will be refreshed at least annually, with additional training undertaken where necessary.

Copies of relevant training certificates are available upon request.

20. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and whenever there are significant changes to safeguarding legislation, government guidance, local authority procedures or the services provided by Inclusion at Heart.

The Safeguarding Lead will ensure that safeguarding practice remains current and appropriate to the children, young people and adults supported by Inclusion at Heart.

Policy updated: September 2026
Next review: September 2027