Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

1. Purpose and scope

Study Smarter with AI provides online tuition to children and young people, typically from Key Stage 3 to A-level. This policy sets out how we keep those children safe. It applies to everyone who works for or on behalf of the service, including tutors, employees, contractors and volunteers, in every interaction with a child, a parent or a carer.

The welfare of the child is our paramount concern. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and no single member of the team is expected to deal with a concern alone.

2. Our commitment

We are committed to:

• providing a safe environment for children to learn in, online and at all times;
• recognising that all children have an equal right to protection, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or background;
• taking all reasonable steps to protect children from harm, discrimination and degrading treatment;
• responding promptly and appropriately to every concern, disclosure or allegation;
• working openly with parents and carers, and with statutory agencies where needed.

3. Framework and guidance

This policy follows the principles of current statutory guidance and legislation, including Keeping Children Safe in Education, Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Children Acts 1989 and 2004, and the guidance issued under the Prevent duty. We handle personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

4. Roles and responsibilities

Our safeguarding contact holds lead responsibility for safeguarding. They manage concerns, make referrals to the relevant agencies, keep records, and ensure that tutors are trained and supported. Their contact details are in the box at the top of this policy.

Every tutor and member of the team is responsible for being alert to the signs of abuse and neglect, for maintaining professional boundaries, and for reporting any concern to the safeguarding contact without delay. If a child is in immediate danger, they must call the emergency services on 999 first.

5. Safer recruitment

We take reasonable steps to ensure that everyone who works with children is suitable to do so. Before any tutor works with a child, we:

• carry out the background checks that are appropriate to the role;
• verify identity and the right to work;
• take up references and explore any gaps in employment history;
• provide a safeguarding induction and require ongoing safeguarding training.

6. Code of conduct for tutors

All tutors are required to:

• maintain clear professional boundaries at all times;
• deliver sessions only through the service’s approved online platform, with cameras on and in an appropriate, non-private setting;
• never arrange private tuition, contact or meetings with a child outside the service, and never share personal contact details or connect with a child on social media;
• use appropriate language and treat every child with respect;
• report any concern about a child, or about the conduct of a colleague, to the safeguarding contact immediately.

7. Online safety and how sessions run

Because our tuition is delivered online, we build safety into the way every session works:

• sessions take place on an approved platform that we control, not through personal accounts;
• a written transcript of every session is taken and made available to the child’s parent or carer, so there is always a clear and open record of what took place;
• parents and carers are welcome to be present or to sit in at any time;
• we encourage children to speak to a trusted adult if anything online ever makes them uncomfortable, and we act on any such concern.

8. Safe and responsible use of AI

Helping children use AI wisely is central to what we teach, and we do it safely. In our sessions we:

• use age-appropriate tools and keep a human tutor in charge at all times;
• teach children not to enter personal or identifying information into AI tools, and to turn off data-sharing settings;
• explain the real limits of AI, including bias, inaccuracy and content that cannot be trusted, so children learn to question what they are told;
• never use AI to make decisions about a child’s welfare.

9. Recognising abuse and neglect

Abuse and neglect can take many forms, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. We are also alert to online harms, child exploitation, and the risk of radicalisation. Tutors are trained to notice signs that a child may be at risk, whether through what a child says, how they behave, or something seen during a session.

10. Responding to a concern or a disclosure

If a child discloses something, or a tutor becomes concerned, the tutor will:

• listen carefully and calmly, and take the child seriously;
• reassure the child, without promising to keep the information secret;
• avoid asking leading questions or trying to investigate the matter themselves;
• make a written record of what was said, in the child’s own words, as soon as possible;
• report to the safeguarding contact the same day.

11. Reporting and referral

The safeguarding contact will decide on the right course of action and, where there is a safeguarding concern, will make a referral to children’s social care in the child’s local authority. Where a child is at immediate risk of harm, we will contact the police on 999 without delay. We will normally keep parents and carers informed, unless doing so would place the child at greater risk.

Useful contacts include the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000, and Childline on 0800 1111 for children themselves.

12. Concerns or allegations about a member of the team

Any concern or allegation that a tutor or member of the team may have harmed a child, or behaved in a way that suggests they are unsuitable to work with children, is taken very seriously. The safeguarding contact will follow the procedures for managing allegations, including referral to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) where the criteria are met. Lower-level concerns about conduct are also recorded and addressed.

13. Whistleblowing

Anyone who is worried about the safety of a child, or about how a safeguarding concern has been handled, can raise it directly with the safeguarding contact. If they feel unable to do so, or their concern is not acted upon, they can contact the NSPCC whistleblowing helpline or the relevant statutory authority.

14. Confidentiality and data protection

We share safeguarding information only with those who need it in order to protect a child, and we store records securely in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. The duty to protect a child always comes before a concern about confidentiality.

15. Working with parents and carers

We work openly with families. Parents and carers receive a transcript of every session, are welcome to sit in, and can raise any concern with us at any time. We will always explain how we use AI and how we look after their child’s information.

16. Training and review

All tutors complete safeguarding training before working with children, and refresh it regularly. The safeguarding contact undertakes further safeguarding training. This policy is reviewed at least once a year, and sooner if guidance or the law changes.

17. Contacts

• Safeguarding contact: joe@grassroots-intelligence.com
• NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000
• Childline: 0800 1111
• In an emergency: 999

This policy is a live document. If you would like to see it, discuss it, or raise a concern, please contact our safeguarding contact using the details above.