Safeguarding

Last updated: July 2026

My commitment

The safety and wellbeing of children and young people are central to my work.

I am committed to providing tutoring and educational services in an environment where students feel safe, respected and able to learn. Safeguarding concerns will always be taken seriously and acted upon appropriately.

My safeguarding practice is informed by current national guidance, including:

Private tuition is included within the Department for Education’s safeguarding guidance for out-of-school settings.

When working on behalf of a school, trust or other organisation, I will also follow its safeguarding and child-protection procedures.

Suitability and professional conduct

I hold an Enhanced DBS certificate for the child workforce and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.

I maintain appropriate professional boundaries and will:

treat students fairly and respectfully;
use appropriate professional language and behaviour;
avoid unnecessary private or informal communication with students;
keep accurate and proportionate records where required;
report concerns through the appropriate safeguarding route; and
review my safeguarding knowledge and arrangements regularly.

Evidence of my DBS status can be provided to parents, carers and commissioning organisations through an appropriate verification process.

Tutoring students under 18

Where a student is under 18, the tutoring agreement will normally be made with their parent or carer.

Before tutoring begins, I will agree appropriate arrangements covering:

communication with the parent, carer and student;
the platform or location used for tutoring;
the sharing of work and resources;
parental or carer involvement where appropriate;
online safety and professional boundaries; and
what will happen if a safeguarding concern arises.

Administrative and contractual communication will normally take place with the parent or carer.

Where direct communication with a student under 18 is appropriate, this will be agreed with the parent or carer. The parent or carer will normally be copied into substantive email correspondence.

Students aged 18 or over may communicate and contract with me directly.

Online tutoring

Online tutoring will normally take place through Microsoft Teams or another platform agreed with the parent, carer or adult student.

Students should participate from an appropriate study space wherever reasonably possible. Parents and carers do not need to remain in the room throughout a session, but they should know when tutoring is taking place and be reasonably accessible.

Online sessions will not normally be recorded. A session will only be recorded where:

there is a clear and agreed purpose;
the parent, carer or adult student has agreed in advance;
arrangements for access and secure storage have been explained; and
a deletion date has been agreed.

In-person tutoring

Where tutoring takes place in person, the location and practical arrangements will be agreed with the parent or carer beforehand.

Tutoring will take place in a suitable environment. The parent or carer should know where and when the session is taking place and how to contact me.

Working in schools and education settings

Before beginning work involving pupils in a school or other education setting, I will ask to be informed of:

the setting’s safeguarding and visitor procedures;
the identity of the Designated Safeguarding Lead and an appropriate deputy;
how the safeguarding team can be contacted;
the procedure for recording and reporting concerns; and
any relevant emergency or site-specific arrangements.

Current school safeguarding guidance expects those working in schools to understand the setting’s safeguarding systems and to know the DSL, the deputy and their roles.

Any safeguarding concern arising during an engagement will be reported promptly through the setting’s agreed procedures.

Where immediate action may be required and the usual safeguarding contact is unavailable, I will follow the setting’s emergency arrangements and seek appropriate safeguarding advice.

Responding to a safeguarding concern

If a student tells me something suggesting that they or another person may be at risk, I cannot promise to keep that information secret.

I will:

listen carefully and respond calmly;
avoid asking leading questions or investigating the matter myself;
explain that relevant information may need to be shared;
make an accurate and factual record; and
report or refer the concern through the appropriate safeguarding route.

Where a concern arises while I am working for a school or organisation, I will follow its procedures and report the concern promptly to its Designated Safeguarding Lead, deputy or other named safeguarding contact.

For privately arranged tutoring, I may seek advice or make a referral to children’s social care, the police or another appropriate safeguarding service where this is necessary to protect a child.

Information will be shared proportionately and only with those who need it for safeguarding purposes.

Concerns about my conduct

Any concern about my professional conduct or behaviour should be taken seriously.

Parents, carers, schools and organisations may raise a concern with me at robgeog@outlook.com.

Where a concern relates directly to my conduct and it would be inappropriate to raise it with me, the concern may instead be reported to the relevant local authority safeguarding service or the police.

Confidentiality and information sharing

Safeguarding information will be handled carefully and stored securely.

Confidentiality is important, but it is not absolute. Relevant information may be shared without consent where this is necessary and lawful to protect a child or another person from harm.

Further information about the handling of personal information is provided in my Privacy Notice.

Review

This safeguarding statement will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where:

statutory guidance changes;
my services or working arrangements change;
a safeguarding incident identifies a need for revision; or
a school, organisation or professional adviser recommends an amendment.