Safeguarding

Safeguarding and child-protection policy

Approved 14 August 2026. Reviewed at least annually and after any material incident or guidance change.

Purpose and scope

Sevenoaks STEM Tutors is committed to protecting every child and young person who comes into contact with the service. Their welfare comes before commercial or educational considerations. This policy applies to the founder, tutors, contractors and anyone acting for the service in person or online.

Safeguarding lead

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Ben Walker
Email: enquiries@stovioskills.com

Our tutor standard

Every tutor must hold an Enhanced DBS, provide two satisfactory references and be interviewed personally by Ben Walker before introduction to a family. We also verify identity, right to work where relevant, qualifications or experience relied upon, employment gaps and suitability to work with children. DBS Update Service status is checked where available; otherwise appropriate fresh checking is required. Vetting is recorded, access-controlled and reviewed rather than treated as a one-off exercise.

Code of conduct

Keep communication professional, necessary and transparent. Parents or carers should be included in arrangements and ordinarily copied into communications.
Do not use disappearing-message features or private social-media accounts to contact learners.
Meet in a suitable, agreed environment. For home tuition, a responsible adult should be present in the property unless a documented exception has been agreed.
For online tuition, use an agreed platform and appropriate working space. Do not record sessions or take screenshots without prior written consent and a defined reason.
Do not exchange gifts, money, personal favours or unnecessary personal information with learners.
Never initiate sexualised, discriminatory, humiliating or otherwise inappropriate conversation or conduct.
Maintain appropriate physical boundaries. Any necessary physical contact must be proportionate, explained and never secretive.
Do not transport a learner alone unless specifically authorised, insured and risk-assessed.
Report concerns, allegations, boundary breaches and low-level concerns promptly; do not investigate them personally.

If a child makes a disclosure

Listen calmly and take the child seriously.
Do not promise confidentiality. Explain that you need to share the concern with people who can help.
Ask only open questions needed to clarify what is being said; do not lead, investigate or confront anyone.
Make a factual written record as soon as possible using the child’s own words, including date, time, context and actions taken.
Report immediately to the DSL. If the concern involves the DSL, report directly to Kent Children’s Services or the police as appropriate.

Responding and reporting

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. For safeguarding concerns in Kent, contact Kent Children’s Services on 03000 41 11 11 during office hours or 03000 41 91 91 out of hours. Reports can also be made through the official Kent County Council safeguarding route. The NSPCC helpline is 0808 800 5000. A referral does not require certainty; reasonable concern is enough.

Allegations about adults

Any allegation that an adult working with children has harmed a child, may have committed an offence, poses a risk of harm or may be unsuitable must be referred without delay to the DSL and handled in line with Kent procedures, including contact with the Local Authority Designated Officer where the threshold may be met. The person concerned must not be asked to investigate or contact the child or family about the allegation.

Recording and confidentiality

Safeguarding records must be factual, dated, attributable, stored separately from routine tuition records and shared only on a need-to-know basis. Information may be shared without consent where lawful and necessary to protect a child. The child and family should be told what will happen unless doing so could increase risk or prejudice an investigation.

Training, supervision and review

The DSL and deputy should complete suitable safeguarding training and refresh it in line with current guidance. Tutors receive the policy and code of conduct before work begins, confirm they understand them and receive updates and supervision proportionate to their role. Compliance, DBS status and conduct are reviewed periodically and after any concern.