Safeguarding Policy

Last updated: August 2026

1. Purpose of this policy

West Lancs Tutors is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child and young person using its services.

This policy explains how safeguarding concerns will be recognised, reported and managed. It applies to West Lancs Tutors, all tutors accepting referrals through the service and the families using it.

For the purposes of this policy, a child is anyone under the age of 18.

2. Our safeguarding commitment

West Lancs Tutors believes that:

The welfare and best interests of the child must always come first.
Every child has the right to be protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm.
All safeguarding concerns must be taken seriously and acted upon promptly.
Children should be listened to and treated with dignity and respect.
Children must receive equal protection regardless of age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family circumstances or background.
Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone involved in providing tuition.

3. Relevant legislation and guidance

This policy takes account of relevant legislation and safeguarding guidance, including:

The Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004.
Working Together to Safeguard Children.
The relevant principles of Keeping Children Safe in Education.
The Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation.
Relevant Disclosure and Barring Service guidance.

West Lancs Tutors is not a school and does not replace the responsibilities of schools, local authorities, children’s social care or the police.

4. West Lancs Tutors safeguarding contact

David Currie is responsible for receiving safeguarding concerns relating to West Lancs Tutors and referring them to the appropriate safeguarding authority where necessary.

Safeguarding contact: David Currie
Email: admin@westlancstutors.co.uk

Emails concerning safeguarding should use the subject line:

URGENT SAFEGUARDING CONCERN

The safeguarding contact is not responsible for investigating allegations or deciding whether abuse has taken place. Concerns will be recorded and, where necessary, advice will be obtained or a referral made to the appropriate statutory service.

If a child appears to be in immediate danger, contact the emergency services by calling 999.

If the safeguarding contact is unavailable and delaying a report could place a child at further risk, the concern should be reported directly to the relevant local authority children’s social care service or the police.

5. Concerns involving the safeguarding contact

If a concern or allegation relates to David Currie, it should not be reported to him.

It should instead be reported directly to the appropriate:

Local authority children’s social care service.
Local Authority Designated Officer.
Police force.

The appropriate authority will normally be determined by where the child lives or where the incident is alleged to have taken place.

If there is an immediate risk of harm, call 999.

6. Types of safeguarding concern

Safeguarding concerns may include, but are not limited to:

Physical abuse.
Emotional abuse.
Sexual abuse.
Neglect.
Domestic abuse.
Bullying or child-on-child abuse.
Grooming or exploitation.
Online abuse or harmful online contact.
Radicalisation.
Self-harm or risk of suicide.
A child being missing from home or education.
Any behaviour or circumstances suggesting that a child may be at risk of harm.

Tutors are not expected to investigate concerns or determine whether abuse has occurred. Their responsibility is to recognise possible concerns, respond appropriately and report them promptly.

7. Responding to a disclosure or concern

If a child makes a disclosure or a tutor observes something that causes concern, the tutor should:

Remain calm and listen carefully.
Take the child seriously.
Reassure the child that they have done the right thing by speaking.
Avoid expressing shock, disbelief or judgement.
Avoid asking leading questions or attempting to investigate.
Never promise to keep the information secret.
Explain that the information may need to be shared with somebody who can help.
Make an accurate written record as soon as possible.
Use the child’s own words wherever possible.
Report the concern promptly to the West Lancs Tutors safeguarding contact.

The tutor must not confront the person alleged to have caused harm.

If the child is in immediate danger or requires urgent medical assistance, the tutor should call 999 before contacting West Lancs Tutors.

8. Informing parents and carers

Parents or carers will ordinarily be informed when a safeguarding concern arises.

However, information may be shared with children’s social care, the police or another appropriate safeguarding body before contacting the family where:

Informing the family could place the child or another person at greater risk.
Informing the family could interfere with a safeguarding or criminal investigation.
The concern relates to a parent or carer.
Advice from a safeguarding authority indicates that the family should not yet be informed.

The welfare and safety of the child will determine what information is shared and when.

9. Concerns or allegations involving a tutor

Any concern or allegation regarding the conduct of a tutor must be reported promptly to West Lancs Tutors.

West Lancs Tutors may pause the tutor’s existing and prospective arrangements while advice is obtained and the concern is considered. This is a precautionary measure and does not mean that an allegation has been proven.

Where appropriate, West Lancs Tutors will seek advice from or make a report to:

The relevant Local Authority Designated Officer.
Children’s social care.
The police.
The Disclosure and Barring Service.
Another appropriate professional or regulatory body.

West Lancs Tutors will cooperate with any statutory investigation and will not undertake an investigation that could interfere with the work of safeguarding authorities or the police.

10. Safer tutor recruitment

West Lancs Tutors works with qualified teaching professionals and undertakes appropriate checks before a tutor may receive a family referral.

Depending on the role and the legal eligibility of the check, these may include:

Verifying the tutor’s identity.
Checking relevant teaching qualifications or professional status.
Confirming the tutor’s right to work in the United Kingdom.
Obtaining and considering appropriate references.
Requiring an appropriate Enhanced DBS check.
Requiring a Children’s Barred List check where the role is legally eligible.
Checking a tutor’s DBS Update Service status with their consent, where applicable.
Requiring tutors to disclose relevant changes in their circumstances.

A DBS certificate is only one part of safer recruitment. It does not replace references, professional judgement, appropriate conduct or ongoing safeguarding responsibilities.

West Lancs Tutors may refuse, pause or end referrals where satisfactory checks cannot be completed or where information raises concerns about a tutor’s suitability.

11. Professional boundaries and safer working

Tutors must maintain appropriate professional boundaries with children and families.

Tutors must not:

Form inappropriate personal relationships with students.
Communicate secretly with a child.
Use personal social-media accounts to communicate with students.
Share inappropriate, sexualised, discriminatory or offensive material.
Use humiliating, threatening or discriminatory language.
Take photographs, videos or recordings without appropriate prior consent.
Share confidential information without a legitimate safeguarding or legal reason.
Arrange unnecessary private meetings or activities outside the agreed tuition arrangement.
Give a child a lift without the prior knowledge and agreement of the parent or carer and West Lancs Tutors.
Engage in unnecessary or inappropriate physical contact.

Any physical contact must be appropriate, necessary, proportionate and in the child’s interests.

Tuition should take place in a suitable environment. A parent or responsible adult should know when and where tuition is taking place and remain contactable during the session.

12. Tuition in a family or tutor’s home

Where tuition takes place in a home:

The lesson should take place in an appropriate room or working area.
A parent or responsible adult should know that the lesson is taking place.
The tutor should have an emergency contact number for the parent or carer.
Doors should not be locked to create unnecessary isolation.
Tutors and families should respect appropriate personal and professional boundaries.
Any situation that makes the tutor or child feel unsafe should be reported to West Lancs Tutors.

Parents and carers remain responsible for their child before and after the agreed lesson time.

13. Online tuition

During online tuition:

An appropriate and secure platform should be used.
The student should participate from a suitable location.
A parent or responsible adult should know that the session is taking place and remain contactable.
Tutors and students should use agreed communication channels.
Sessions must not be recorded without prior informed consent.
Tutors must maintain the same professional standards and boundaries that apply during in-person tuition.
Inappropriate online contact, content or behaviour must be reported.

Tutors should end a session if continuing would expose a child to inappropriate conduct, content or an unsafe environment.

14. Information sharing and confidentiality

Safeguarding information will be handled sensitively and shared only with people or organisations that need the information to protect a child or meet a legal obligation.

Consent is not always required before safeguarding information is shared. Information may be shared without consent where there is a lawful basis and sharing is necessary and proportionate to protect a child or another person from harm.

Safeguarding records will be stored securely and separately from ordinary business correspondence wherever practicable.

Further information about the handling of personal data is provided in the West Lancs Tutors Privacy Notice.

15. Tutor responsibilities

Tutors accepting referrals through West Lancs Tutors must:

Read and follow this policy.
Follow any separate safeguarding instructions issued to tutors.
Maintain suitable and current safeguarding knowledge.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Report safeguarding concerns promptly.
Make accurate and timely records of concerns.
Cooperate with appropriate safeguarding enquiries.
Inform West Lancs Tutors of any allegation, investigation, criminal matter, professional restriction or change that could affect their suitability to work with children.
Never assume that another person has already reported a concern.

Tutors should not contact statutory services on behalf of West Lancs Tutors unless the situation is urgent, they have been advised to do so or waiting would expose a child to further risk.

Failure to follow safeguarding requirements may result in referrals being paused or ended and, where appropriate, information being passed to the relevant authorities.

16. Safeguarding records

Safeguarding records should be factual, dated and completed as soon as possible after the incident, observation or disclosure.

A record should include, where applicable:

The child’s name.
The date, time and location.
The people present.
What was seen, heard or disclosed.
The child’s own words wherever possible.
Any immediate action taken.
Who the concern was reported to.
Any advice received or further action agreed.

Opinions should be clearly distinguished from facts. Records must not include speculation presented as fact.

17. Referral and escalation

After receiving a concern, West Lancs Tutors may:

Request enough information to understand the immediate safeguarding risk.
Seek advice from the relevant local authority safeguarding service.
Make a referral to children’s social care.
Contact the police.
Consult or refer the matter to the Local Authority Designated Officer.
Make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service where the legal referral criteria are met.
Pause or end a tuition arrangement or tutor’s referrals.

West Lancs Tutors will not delay a necessary safeguarding referral while attempting to gather information that is not immediately available.

18. Complaints

A complaint about the standard or administration of the tutoring service should normally be handled under the West Lancs Tutors Complaints Procedure.

Where a complaint indicates that a child may have been harmed or placed at risk, it will be managed as a safeguarding concern rather than solely as a service complaint.

The safeguarding process will take priority where the two procedures overlap.

19. Policy review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where:

Legislation or national guidance changes.
A safeguarding incident identifies a need for revision.
The operation of West Lancs Tutors changes.
Advice is received from a safeguarding authority.

West Lancs Tutors
Safeguarding contact: David Currie
Email: admin@westlancstutors.co.uk