Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

Organisation: Edustep
Website: edustep.co.uk
Safeguarding contact: admin@edustep.co.uk
Applies to: Edustep owners, administrators, freelance tutors, parents/carers, and students
Review cycle: 21-Feb-2027

1. Commitment to Safeguarding and Child Protection

Edustep is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people who access tutoring services arranged through our organisation. Protecting children from harm is a fundamental priority and underpins all aspects of how Edustep operates, including recruitment, tutor conduct, communication methods, and the management of concerns.

Safeguarding is understood by Edustep as a proactive and ongoing responsibility. It is not limited to responding to incidents, but includes creating systems, expectations, and professional boundaries that reduce risk and promote safe learning environments. This applies equally to online tutoring contexts, where risks may be less visible but no less significant.

Edustep recognises that children and young people may be vulnerable to a range of harms, including abuse, neglect, exploitation, and online risks. These harms can occur in family settings, peer relationships, educational environments, and digital spaces. As an organisation that facilitates one-to-one and small-group tutoring, Edustep accepts its duty to act responsibly and decisively where concerns arise.

All individuals working with or on behalf of Edustep — including owners, administrators, and freelance tutors — share responsibility for safeguarding. Everyone is expected to understand their role, act professionally, and take appropriate action if they become aware of a safeguarding concern.

While Edustep respects privacy and confidentiality, these considerations will never take precedence over a child’s safety. Where there is reason to believe that a child may be at risk of harm, Edustep will act in accordance with safeguarding principles and legal obligations.

2. Purpose, Scope, and Status of This Policy

This safeguarding policy sets out how Edustep meets its responsibilities to safeguard children and young people who receive tutoring arranged through the organisation. It provides a framework for preventing harm, identifying concerns, and responding appropriately when safeguarding issues arise.

The policy applies to:

  1. All children and young people under the age of 18 who receive tutoring arranged by Edustep

  2. Adults receiving tutoring in rare cases (insofar as professional conduct and wellbeing considerations apply)

  3. Freelance tutors engaged by Edustep

  4. Edustep administrators, owners, and anyone acting on behalf of the organisation

  5. Parents and carers involved in the tutoring process

Edustep primarily works with families in the United Kingdom, but may arrange tutoring for students based internationally. Regardless of location, Edustep applies consistent safeguarding expectations and standards.

Edustep is not a school, college, or education institution. It is an independent tutoring organisation that arranges and oversees private tuition delivered online by freelance tutors. However, Edustep recognises that safeguarding responsibilities apply regardless of organisational structure and therefore aligns its practices with recognised safeguarding principles and guidance.

This policy should be read alongside:

  • Edustep’s Terms of Conditions

  • Edustep’s Privacy Notice

  • Any additional guidance issued by Edustep in relation to safeguarding, online conduct, or communication

Failure to follow this policy may result in removal from Edustep’s tutor pool or other appropriate action.

3. Safeguarding Principles and Organisational Approach

Edustep’s safeguarding approach is guided by the following principles:

  1. The welfare of the child is paramount.
     All decisions relating to safeguarding are made with the child’s best interests as the primary consideration.

  2. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
     Tutors and staff are expected to remain alert to safeguarding risks and to take action rather than assuming someone else will intervene.

  3. Early action is essential.
     Concerns should be reported as soon as they arise. Delayed reporting can increase risk and reduce the effectiveness of safeguarding responses.

  4. Transparency reduces risk.
     Edustep designs its communication and delivery model to reduce secrecy and promote oversight, including the use of group communication channels and administrator involvement.

  5. Professional boundaries protect everyone.
     Clear boundaries between tutors and students help protect children from harm and tutors from allegations or misunderstandings.

  6. Online environments require specific safeguards.
     Edustep recognises that online tutoring presents unique risks, including unmonitored communication, inappropriate messaging, and blurred boundaries. Safeguarding controls are therefore built into how online tutoring is organised and supported.

Edustep understands that safeguarding concerns may sometimes be unclear or ambiguous. Tutors and staff are not expected to make judgements about whether abuse has occurred. Their responsibility is to recognise concerns, record them accurately, and report them promptly.

4. Safeguarding Risks, Abuse, and Harm

A child may experience harm as a result of actions or omissions by adults or by other children. Harm can occur in person or online and may involve a single incident or a pattern of behaviour over time.

Edustep recognises the following broad categories of abuse:

Physical abuse, which may involve causing physical harm to a child.

Emotional abuse, which may involve persistent behaviours that damage a child’s emotional development, self-worth, or sense of safety.

Sexual abuse, including both contact and non-contact activities, and abuse facilitated through digital technologies.

Neglect, involving the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or emotional needs.

Exploitation, including child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation, where children are manipulated or coerced for another person’s gain.

Edustep also recognises child-on-child abuse, acknowledging that children can harm other children. This may include bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, sexual violence, or coercive behaviour, and may occur both inside and outside formal learning contexts.

In addition to these categories, Edustep is aware of wider safeguarding risks that may affect students, including:

  • Online grooming and manipulation

  • Exposure to inappropriate or sexualised content

  • Radicalisation and extremist influences

  • Domestic abuse within the home environment

  • Honour-based abuse, including forced marriage and female genital mutilation

  • Serious violence or criminal exploitation

  • Mental health difficulties that may be linked to trauma, abuse, or neglect

Edustep recognises that tutors are often well-placed to notice changes in behaviour, mood, engagement, or communication that may indicate a safeguarding concern. Any such observations must be taken seriously and reported in line with this policy.

5. Safeguarding Roles, Accountability, and Oversight

Edustep recognises that safeguarding is most effective when roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and understood. While safeguarding is a shared responsibility, Edustep has established a clear structure to ensure that concerns are managed consistently, appropriately, and without delay.

Edustep operates a role-based safeguarding leadership model, reflecting the size and structure of the organisation. Safeguarding responsibility sits with designated members of the Edustep administrative team, rather than with a single permanently named individual. This approach ensures continuity of safeguarding oversight and allows responsibilities to be reassigned where necessary without weakening safeguarding arrangements.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) role is held by a nominated Edustep administrator. A Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) role is also maintained to ensure safeguarding cover at all times. Internally, Edustep maintains a clear and current record of which administrators are acting in these roles.

All safeguarding concerns must be directed to admin@edustep.co.uk, which serves as Edustep’s central safeguarding contact point. This ensures that concerns are received, logged, and reviewed by appropriate personnel and are not overlooked or managed informally.

The DSL is responsible for:

  • Receiving and reviewing safeguarding concerns

  • Assessing risk and determining appropriate next steps

  • Ensuring safeguarding records are created and stored securely

  • Liaising with parents, carers, or external agencies where appropriate

  • Managing concerns or allegations involving tutors or Edustep staff

Ultimate accountability for safeguarding sits with Edustep’s ownership/management, who ensure that safeguarding systems are in place, reviewed regularly, and updated as required.

6. Safer Recruitment, Vetting, and Tutor Suitability

Edustep recognises that robust recruitment and vetting practices are an essential part of safeguarding. While Edustep is not an educational institution, it acknowledges that tutors working one-to-one with children are in positions of trust and must be suitable to do so.

Edustep engages tutors on a freelance basis and assigns tutors to students rather than operating an open marketplace. This allows Edustep to exercise oversight and discretion when matching tutors with families.

For all tutors who work with students under the age of 18, Edustep requires:

  • An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

  • Confirmation of the tutor’s right to work

  • Up to two references, where available

  • Tutors to present evidence of any qualifications they claim to hold

Edustep reviews this information as part of its onboarding process. While Edustep does not independently verify awarding bodies or conduct barred list checks at this time, it reserves the right to revise its recruitment practices if safeguarding risks or legal requirements change.

Edustep does not operate a formal probation period. However, Edustep monitors tutor performance and suitability through ongoing feedback from parents and students, as well as regular communication with tutors regarding student progress. Where concerns arise about a tutor’s conduct, boundaries, or professionalism, Edustep will take appropriate action.

Safeguarding considerations remain ongoing. A tutor’s initial suitability does not override the need for continuous professional conduct and adherence to safeguarding expectations.

7. Expectations, Conduct, and Professional Boundaries for Tutors

Tutors working with Edustep are expected to maintain high standards of professional behaviour at all times. Professional boundaries are essential for safeguarding children and for protecting tutors from allegations, misunderstandings, or inappropriate situations.

Tutors must:

  • Treat all students with respect and dignity

  • Maintain a professional tutor–student relationship at all times

  • Avoid behaviour that could be misinterpreted or cause discomfort

  • Follow Edustep’s communication and safeguarding requirements

  • Report safeguarding concerns immediately

Tutors must not:

  • Seek or encourage secrecy from students

  • Engage in personal or social relationships with students

  • Use inappropriate language, humour, or content

  • Attempt to manage safeguarding concerns independently

Edustep recognises that tutoring relationships can be friendly and supportive, but they must never become personal or emotionally dependent. Tutors should be mindful of the inherent power imbalance between adults and children and must act accordingly.

Tutors are not expected to diagnose abuse, mental health conditions, or family circumstances. Their responsibility is to observe, record, and report concerns that may indicate a safeguarding risk.

Failure to follow Edustep’s safeguarding expectations may result in suspension or removal from tutoring duties, regardless of intent.

8. Online Tutoring Delivery and Safeguarding Controls

Edustep arranges online tutoring sessions using third-party video conferencing platforms, primarily Zoom and Google Meet. While these platforms offer flexibility and accessibility, Edustep recognises that online delivery introduces specific safeguarding risks that require careful management.

All tutoring arranged by Edustep is conducted remotely. Tutors are expected to maintain professional standards equivalent to those required in face-to-face tutoring, including appropriate behaviour, language, appearance, and lesson environment.

Tutors must conduct lessons from a suitable, private, and professional setting. Lessons must not take place in environments where inappropriate content, conversations, or individuals could be visible or audible to students.

Tutors are required to keep their camera switched on throughout lessons. This requirement exists to promote transparency, accountability, and safeguarding. Students are not required to keep their camera switched on, recognising differences in comfort, privacy, and home circumstances.

Edustep does not permit tutors or Edustep staff to record lessons. This restriction is intended to reduce the risk of unauthorised storage, misuse, or distribution of recorded material. Parents or students may choose to record lessons for educational purposes; however, such recordings remain the responsibility of the family. Where a safeguarding concern arises and a recording exists, Edustep may request access for safeguarding review.

Edustep acknowledges that safeguarding responsibilities extend beyond the live lesson itself. Communication before and after lessons is therefore subject to strict boundaries and oversight, as set out in the following section.

9. Communication, Messaging, and Safeguarding Boundaries

Edustep recognises that effective communication between tutors, parents, and students is essential for arranging lessons, sharing educational materials, and supporting learning. However, Edustep also recognises that digital communication — particularly instant messaging — can present safeguarding risks if not properly structured and monitored.

To reduce these risks, Edustep has established clear expectations regarding how communication takes place and the boundaries that must be maintained.

For every student, Edustep requires that communication takes place within a WhatsApp group chat that includes:

  • The tutor

  • The parent or carer

  • The student (where appropriate)

  • An Edustep administrator

The presence of an Edustep administrator within the group chat is a safeguarding control. It provides oversight, transparency, and an audit trail of communications, helping to prevent inappropriate contact and enabling concerns to be identified and addressed promptly.

WhatsApp group chats are intended for legitimate educational and administrative purposes only. These include lesson scheduling, sharing homework or revision materials, and communicating updates related to tuition. Communication must remain professional, respectful, and appropriate at all times.

Edustep does not permit routine one-to-one messaging between tutors and students. An exception may only be made where a parent or carer has provided explicit consent and Edustep has been informed in advance. Even where consent has been given, tutors are expected to keep communication limited in scope, relevant to learning, and professional in tone.

Tutors must never:

  • Request or encourage secrecy from students

  • Discourage parental involvement

  • Attempt to move communication to alternative platforms without approval

  • Engage in personal or social conversations unrelated to tutoring

Email may also be used to share educational materials or administrative information, subject to the same expectations around professionalism and safeguarding.

Any concerns about messaging content, tone, frequency, or boundaries must be reported immediately to Edustep.

10. Recognising Safeguarding Concerns and Early Indicators

Edustep recognises that safeguarding concerns are not always obvious. Harm may occur gradually or present through changes in behaviour, engagement, or communication rather than through a single incident.

Tutors and administrators are expected to remain alert to indicators that a student may be experiencing harm or distress. These may include, but are not limited to:

  • Sudden changes in behaviour, mood, or engagement

  • Withdrawal, anxiety, or distress during or after lessons

  • Inappropriate language or sexualised behaviour for the student’s age

  • Repeated boundary-testing or requests for secrecy

  • Disclosure of concerning information about home life or peer relationships

Edustep acknowledges that many safeguarding indicators can have multiple explanations. Tutors and staff are not expected to determine the cause or assess whether abuse has occurred. Their role is to recognise when something feels concerning or unusual and to report it appropriately.

Safeguarding concerns may also arise from:

  • Behaviour or communication between students (child-on-child abuse)

  • Messages or images shared via WhatsApp or email

  • Behaviour observed during online lessons

  • Information shared by parents or carers

Concerns should always be taken seriously, even where there is uncertainty. Reporting a concern does not require proof or certainty — it requires reasonable concern.

11. Responding to Disclosures and Safeguarding Concerns

A safeguarding concern may come to light through a direct disclosure from a student, an observation made during tutoring, or information shared by a parent or carer. How tutors and staff respond at the point of concern is critical.

If a student discloses information that raises a safeguarding concern, tutors and staff should:

  • Remain calm and listen carefully

  • Allow the student to speak freely, without interruption

  • Take the disclosure seriously

  • Reassure the student that they have done the right thing by speaking up

  • Explain clearly that information cannot be kept secret if it relates to safety

Tutors and staff must avoid asking leading questions or pressing the student for additional details. Their role is not to investigate but to listen and report.

As soon as possible after a disclosure or concern:

  • A factual record should be made, using the student’s own words where relevant

  • The concern must be reported immediately to Edustep via admin@edustep.co.uk

Tutors and staff must not:

  • Promise confidentiality

  • Attempt to resolve the situation themselves

  • Contact alleged perpetrators

  • Delay reporting due to uncertainty or discomfort

Edustep understands that responding to disclosures can be emotionally challenging. However, timely and appropriate action is essential to safeguarding.

12. Reporting, Escalation, and Immediate Risk

All safeguarding concerns must be reported to Edustep immediately once identified. Prompt reporting allows Edustep to assess risk, take appropriate action, and reduce the likelihood of further harm.

Concerns should be reported by emailing or messaging admin@edustep.co.uk, clearly identifying that the matter relates to safeguarding. Where possible, reports should include:

  • The student’s name and age

  • A factual description of the concern

  • When and where the concern arose

  • Any immediate actions taken

  • Any relevant evidence, such as screenshots or message logs

Edustep will review each concern, create a safeguarding record, and determine appropriate next steps. This may include:

  • Monitoring and recording the concern

  • Speaking with parents or carers

  • Restricting or suspending a tutor’s involvement

  • Seeking external advice or making referrals where necessary

In situations where a child is believed to be at immediate risk of serious harm, tutors or staff must contact emergency services (999 in the UK) without delay. Safeguarding concerns should not be managed solely through internal reporting where urgent action is required.

Once emergency action has been taken, Edustep must be informed as soon as possible so that appropriate follow-up and record keeping can occur.

Edustep recognises that safeguarding decisions can be complex. Where there is uncertainty, Edustep will prioritise the safety and welfare of the child and act cautiously.

13. Information Sharing, Confidentiality, and Data Protection

Edustep recognises that trust and confidentiality are important in building positive relationships with students and families. At the same time, Edustep acknowledges that confidentiality cannot be absolute where a child’s safety or welfare may be at risk.

Safeguarding information will always be handled sensitively, respectfully, and in line with data protection principles. However, where there is a safeguarding concern, information will be shared where it is necessary to protect a child from harm or to meet legal or safeguarding responsibilities.

Edustep may share safeguarding information with:

  • Parents or carers (where appropriate and safe to do so)

  • Relevant external agencies or professionals

  • Emergency services

  • Legal or regulatory bodies, where required

Information sharing will be proportionate and limited to what is necessary to address the safeguarding concern. Edustep will not delay sharing information where doing so could place a child at increased risk.

Edustep processes safeguarding-related personal data in accordance with its published privacy notice and applicable data protection legislation. Safeguarding information is treated as highly sensitive and is stored securely, with access restricted to those with a legitimate safeguarding role.

Where possible and appropriate, Edustep will be transparent with families about how information is shared. However, there may be circumstances where informing a parent or carer could increase risk to the child; in such cases, Edustep will act in the child’s best interests.

14. Managing Allegations or Concerns About Tutors or Staff

Edustep recognises its responsibility to act decisively where concerns or allegations are raised about the conduct of a tutor, administrator, or anyone acting on behalf of the organisation.

An allegation may arise where an individual:

  • Has harmed, or may have harmed, a child

  • Has behaved in a way that poses a risk to children

  • Has acted in a manner that is inappropriate or unprofessional

  • Has otherwise demonstrated behaviour that calls their suitability into question

Any concern or allegation relating to a tutor or staff member must be reported immediately to admin@edustep.co.uk.

Upon receiving an allegation, Edustep will:

  • Assess the nature and seriousness of the concern

  • Consider whether immediate action is required to protect children

  • Take proportionate steps, which may include suspending or restricting a tutor’s involvement while enquiries take place

Suspension or removal from tutoring duties is a neutral act and does not imply guilt. It is used where necessary to safeguard students and ensure that concerns can be reviewed fairly and appropriately.

Edustep will keep clear records of allegations, actions taken, and outcomes. Where external advice or referral is required, Edustep will seek appropriate guidance.

15. Child-on-Child Abuse

Edustep recognises that children and young people can harm other children, both online and offline. This behaviour may occur through tutoring sessions, digital communication, or peer interactions shared with tutors.

Child-on-child abuse may include:

  • Bullying or cyberbullying

  • Harassment or intimidation

  • Sexual harassment or sexualised language

  • Sharing of inappropriate images or content

  • Coercive or controlling behaviour

Edustep applies a zero-tolerance approach to child-on-child abuse. Such behaviour is never considered “part of growing up” or dismissed as harmless.

Tutors and staff must treat reports or observations of child-on-child abuse seriously and report concerns immediately. Responses should be proportionate, child-centred, and focused on safeguarding rather than blame.

Edustep will consider the needs and safety of all children involved, recognising that both those harmed and those displaying harmful behaviour may require support or intervention.

16. Complaints, Concerns, and Raising Issues

Edustep encourages open communication and aims to create an environment in which concerns can be raised without fear of being ignored or dismissed.

Safeguarding concerns or complaints should be directed to:
admin@edustep.co.uk

Any complaint that includes a safeguarding element will be treated as a safeguarding matter and handled in line with this policy.

Edustep does not operate a separate whistleblowing policy at this time. Tutors, staff, parents, and carers are expected to raise concerns directly with Edustep using the safeguarding contact provided. All concerns will be taken seriously and reviewed appropriately.

No individual will be treated unfairly for raising a genuine safeguarding concern.

17. Monitoring, Review, and Continuous Improvement

Edustep is committed to maintaining effective safeguarding arrangements and recognises that safeguarding practice must evolve in response to experience, feedback, and changes in risk.

Edustep supports continuous improvement by:

  • Reviewing safeguarding concerns and outcomes

  • Monitoring feedback from parents, students, and tutors

  • Reflecting on incidents to identify learning and improvements

  • Reviewing communication practices and delivery methods

  • Updating safeguarding procedures where necessary

This safeguarding policy is reviewed:

  • At least annually

  • Following any serious safeguarding incident

  • When there are significant changes to Edustep’s delivery model, staffing, or communication platforms

Any updates to this policy will be communicated to tutors and staff as appropriate.