Safeguarding for All

 

Preamble

• Reference to Tutors includes all Tutors, Teachers, Translators, Service Providers or Associate Freelance or Employed Operatives under the Faculty Room Limited umbrella.
• Reference to Clients includes all Clients, Students, Learners, Schools, Trusts, Businesses or Organisations contracting work or Services from the Faculty Room Limited umbrella.
• Reference to Students includes all Students, Learners, Class Attendees, Trainees under the Faculty Room Limited umbrella.

 

 

1. Overview

1.1 Faculty Room Limited are committed to providing the highest standard of safeguarding. The safety of our users is our paramount concern.

1.2 Our site, premises, business model, resources and coordinating policies have all been designed to ensure students and tutors work together in a safe environment.

2. Legislation

2.1 Our site and coordinating policies have been developed to ensure we comply with all relevant safeguarding legislation.

2.2 This safeguarding policy should be read in conjunction with our Terms and Conditions

3. Aims of Policy

3.1 Faculty Room Limited seeks to provide the best service possible and provide a safe experience in which children can learn.

3.2 This policy aims to ensure we safeguard all users of Faculty Room Limited (including Users, Students, Clients and Tutors) whilst they engage with our Website or Lessons.

3.3 This policy outlines the responsibilities of all users of Faculty Room Limited (including Users, Students, Clients and Tutors) and it is important that all have familiarised themselves with this policy and our Terms and Conditions.

3.4 Alongside this policy, users of Faculty Room Limited (including Users, Students, Clients and Tutors) must comply with the DBS guidance

3.5 If any User has a concern regarding child protection, they must contact Faculty Room Limited

3.6 Contravention of any of the terms contained within this policy may result in immediate removal of access to and permanent barring from our services.

4. Faculty Room Limited Responsibilities

4.1 Faculty Room Limited will use reasonable endeavours to check the identity of all Tutors.

4.2 Background checks will be accepted if they are an enhanced check provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland or Access Northern Ireland. Faculty Room Limited cannot verify any claim made by Tutors within their profile or in any other communication which relates to them having a valid background check other than through the awarding of the “Background Checked Status”. It is entirely at the Client’s discretion as to whether they determine having a background check is part of their selection criteria, but within or with schools and associated business provision, these are fully prerequisite.

4.3 Faculty Room Limited may require new Tutors to provide references from people who are not related to them, in which the referees confirm that they are not family and agree that their reference may be shared with Students before their profile is set live and lessons can ensue. Faculty Room Limited are not responsible for the accuracy of, or content within, these references and will proceed according to the documentation they can realistically see or access.

4.4 Faculty Room Limited may assess, meet with and train Tutors and introduce them to prospective clients or students to enable them to find the right Tutor for them.

4.5 Faculty Room Limited encourages Students to leave a Review of Tutors they have Lessons with. “Review” means any review, comment or rating. These can be accessed on the website under Testimonials or will be stored by Faculty Room Limited.

4.6 Faculty Room Limited will take precautions we consider reasonable to protect Students’ and Tutors’ information. We adhere to GDPR compliance.

4.7 Faculty Room Limited will protect all data in accordance with all relevant legislation

4.8 Faculty Room Limited will be able to monitor postings made on the Website and messages sent between Students and Tutors and via Take-away Learning or online links and telephony. Faculty Room Limited do so in the hope of helping Students and Tutors meet each others’ expectations, but also to stop misuse of the Website or services and to ensure we safeguard all users.

4.9 Faculty Room Limited may join in on or review any recorded Online Lessons between consenting adult decision makers (school representatives, parents, carers, adult learners, business representatives) only if agreed and arranged in advance each time. Otherwise, no recordings of meetings in person, by telephone or online will be kept.

4.10 Faculty Room Limited will deal with reports of possible illegal activity promptly, focusing on the safety and wellbeing of all. Faculty Room Limited will allow access to UK law enforcement of any arranged recording where a criminal offence may have occurred in relation to a specific Lesson or event, and will be open with all details requested.

4.11 Faculty Room Limited will endeavour to ensure Complaints are considered promptly and in accordance with our Terms and Conditions

4.12 Faculty Room Limited will regularly review this policy and our Terms and Conditions of contract to ensure they are best suited to safeguarding all users. 

5. Student Responsibilities

5.1 Clients must be at least 18 years old to book a Tutor for themselves or another learner. Learners under the age of 18 must be represented by a parent or legal guardian who gives consent for them to receive tuition and attends telephone/ online/ in-person meetings in advance. Faculty Room Limited is not responsible for any dispute regarding parental consent or split family decisions.

5.2 Clients must ensure that all of their personal details and contact information are accurate and up-to-date.

5.3 Clients must ensure that there is no inappropriate communication between themselves, a Learner they represent and the Tutor outside the lesson periods and must report any unsolicited communications from the Tutor if appropriate.

5.4 Clients must exercise their own judgement regarding the accuracy of the information provided on the Website or via lessons or resources and contact Faculty Room Limited if there exists any perceived discrepancy.

5.5 Clients are responsible for checking any claims made by Tutors with whom they confirm a Booking after the first session has begun and relay all details to Faculty Room Limited, which may influence their decision to have Lessons with them (including, but not limited to, the Tutor’s identification, Background Check and qualifications). We recommend doing so prior to, or at the beginning of, their first Lesson booked with a Tutor.

5.6 Clients are solely responsible for the material they or the Learner they represent post on the Website or on Take-away Learning or across all written, electronic or online work, including messages sent, and they must not post defamatory, offensive or illegal material. 

5.7 Clients must immediately report to Faculty Room Limited any defamatory, offensive or illegal material they view on our Website. 

5.8 Any Client who is the parent or guardian of a Learner under the age of 18 who has a Lesson with a Tutor should not leave the child in the sole care of that Tutor, either in person or online. They must be available for the Learner to report any inappropriate behaviour or concerns. Learners must report any concerns to a parent, carer, known professional or legal guardian immediately and then also directly inform Faculty Room Limited.

5.9 Clients must ensure their own physical environment is safe, both for learners and tutors. 

5.10 Clients must ensure that Tutors are treated with respect and are not subjected to abusive behaviour or language. 

5.11 Clients must ensure no improper suggestions are made to, or by, the Tutor and must report any such instances to Faculty Room Limited. 

5.12 Clients are responsible for their own security in conjunction with our services, both online and offline, although Faculty Room Limited maintains secure and fully checked premises, resources and also has insurance and indemnity cover in place. 

5.13 Clients must report any Complaint in line with our Terms and Conditions

5.14 Clients must report any safeguarding concerns or illegal activity immediately and in line with our Terms and Conditions 

6. Tutor Responsibilities

6.1 Tutors are not employees of Faculty Room Limited and are solely responsible for their own actions both on and off the Website and the premises. They must discuss any potentially conflicting instances or commitments to Faculty Room Limited.

6.2 If Tutors contact Students who are under 18, they must ensure that these Students are represented by a parent or legal guardian who gives consent for the Student to receive tuition.

6.3 Tutors may cancel Lessons if no parent or legal guardian is present during a Lesson with a Learner who is under 18 and they or the Learner do not feel comfortable to continue. These are still subject to payment.

6.4 Tutors are responsible for ensuring that the personal information they provide and their personal statements on the Website or documentation are accurate and in no way misleading. They must update this information promptly to maintain its accuracy. This includes grades, progress and attainment information, which will not be accessible to third parties and may be stored physically in confidential Faculty Room Limited systems only. 

6.5 Tutors are solely responsible for the material they or the Learner they represent post on the Website or in any other Faculty Room Limited or associates medium, including messages sent, and they must not post defamatory, offensive or illegal material. 

6.6 Tutors must immediately report to Faculty Room Limited any defamatory, offensive or illegal material they view on our Website.

6.7 Tutors must disclose any criminal convictions or cautions they may have to Faculty Room Limited, including any criminal convictions or cautions received at any time after having registered with Faculty Room Limited and for as long as the Tutor remains registered. 

6.8 Tutors must disclose any other relevant information which may lead Faculty Room Limited to determine they are not suitable to tutor.

6.9 Tutors claiming Background Checked Status must meet the requirements set out in DBS policies

6.10 Tutors must use their own judgement about whether they wish to offer their tuition services to each individual Student. 

6.11 Tutors must take every precaution to ensure that they work in a safe environment and are responsible for taking out and maintaining their own insurance policies to cover the work they undertake outwith the Faculty Room Limited covered premises and provision.

6.12 Tutors must ensure that their environment does not display any inappropriate images or documents when conducting a session.

6.13 Tutors must treat students fairly and without prejudice or discrimination; whatever their age, culture, ability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity.

6.14 Tutors must ensure all reasonable steps are taken to protect children from harm, discrimination and demeaning treatment and to respect their rights. 

6.15 Tutors must value students and take their contributions seriously.

6.16 Tutors must ensure they work in partnership with parents and children – which is essential for the protection of children.

6.17 Tutors must ensure the language they use is appropriate and not offensive or discriminatory.

6.18 Tutors must ensure no improper suggestions are made to, or by, the Student.

6.19 Tutors must ensure that any contact or communication they have with the Student is appropriate to their role as a Tutor and confined to the field for which they have been selected to tutor.

6.20 Tutors must ensure that there is no inappropriate communication between themselves and the Student on or outside of the Website and report any unsolicited communications from the Student if appropriate.

6.21 Tutors are responsible for their own security in conjunction with our services, both online and offline. 

6.22 Tutors must report any Complaint in line with our Terms and Conditions

6.23 Tutors must report any safeguarding concerns or illegal activity immediately to Faculty Room Limited. 

7. Parent/Responsible adult responsibilities

7.1 The parent/responsible adult will be responsible for the selection of the tutor and make any reasonable checks to ensure the tutor is suitable for the student (including, if required, reviewing the tutor’s CRB/DBS certification documentation).

7.2 The parent/responsible adult will ensure the student is fully aware of the Faculty Room Limited Safeguarding Policy.

7.3 The parent/responsible adult will always be responsible for the welfare of the student during the session.

7.4 The parent/responsible adult will always be responsible for the physical environment of the pupil during the session ensuring it is safe and appropriate.

7.5 The parent/responsible adult will if they consider it appropriate, be present or somehow available during a tutor session so any concerns encountered by the student can be reported as soon as possible and ensure the student and tutor are behaving in an appropriate manner.

7.6 The parent/responsible adult will ensure that tutors will be treated with respect and fairness by the student and will not be subjected to abusive behaviour or language.

7.7 The parent/responsible adult will ensure that no improper suggestions are made by either the tutor or student.

7.8 The parent/responsible adult will ensure the student has no inappropriate communication with the tutor outside the Online messaging and lesson sessions.

7.9 The parent/responsible adult will report any unsolicited communications between the tutor and student if appropriate.

7.10 The parent/responsible adult will report any dispute with a tutor to Faculty Room Limited in accordance with procedures set out in this document.

7.11 The parent/responsible adult will report any inappropriate behaviour or illegal activity by a tutor in accordance with procedures set out in this document.

8. Reported Breach

8.1 Any Student or Tutor reported for a breach of our Safeguarding Policy will be immediately suspended from the company or associates until the matter reported has been investigated by the appropriate authority. We will inform them of their suspension and seek guidance where required. The Client or Tutor reporting the breach may be informed of the resolution, if appropriate.

8.2 Faculty Room Limited reserves the right to make a final decision on action taken for minor breaches of our Safeguarding Policy.

8.3 Any Client or Tutor reported for illegal activity whilst using Faculty Room Limited may be barred from the service, reported to the police and any other relevant organisations.

9. Updating our Policies and Procedures

9.1 This Safeguarding Policy and our Procedures will be reviewed by Faculty Room Limited on a regular basis to ensure it is adequate and relevant to safeguarding standards.