Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

This policy applies to tutors, contractors and anyone acting on behalf of Academiq Maestro when interacting with children. For this policy, a child means a person under 18. It should be read with the Privacy Notice, tutor agreement, platform terms and operational incident procedures.

1. Purpose and principles

• Protect children from abuse, exploitation, grooming, inappropriate conduct and avoidable online risks.
• Create clear professional boundaries between tutors and students.
• Make reporting routes simple, prompt and proportionate.
• Handle safeguarding information confidentially and share it only where there is a legitimate safeguarding or legal reason.
• Take allegations seriously without presuming guilt or conducting amateur investigations.

2. Scope

• This policy applies to tutoring sessions, platform messaging, introductory/profile content, uploaded work, screen sharing, whiteboards, recordings, complaints and any other interaction facilitated by Academiq Maestro.
• Tutors must not move a child to private or unapproved communication channels for tutoring or social contact.

3. Safeguarding responsibility and designated contact

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Jennifer Ellis, Founder & Designated Safeguarding Lead. Deputy Safeguarding Contact: Matthew Calvert. Safeguarding contact: admin@academiqmaestro.com.

The DSL receives concerns, decides appropriate next safeguarding steps, keeps appropriate records, liaises with statutory agencies where necessary and ensures this policy is reviewed. Matthew Calvert acts as the alternative internal safeguarding contact where the DSL is unavailable or where a concern relates to the DSL. The deputy does not investigate concerns and must escalate externally where appropriate.

4. Safer recruitment and background checks

Academiq Maestro verifies tutor identity, right to work and relevant qualifications/experience and applies the appropriate background-check requirements for the jurisdiction and role. For England, Wales and Northern Ireland this may include an Enhanced DBS check with Children’s Barred List information where the role is eligible and constitutes regulated activity. For Scotland, PVG Scheme requirements or other applicable Scottish safeguarding checks must be applied as appropriate.

From 1 September 2026, the supervision exemption from regulated activity with children was removed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Roles must therefore be assessed against the actual tutoring activity and frequency, and eligibility must be revisited if the role changes. A DBS/PVG certificate is one part of safer recruitment and does not replace identity checks, references, safeguarding expectations or ongoing vigilance.

Where Academiq Maestro has legal duties as a regulated activity provider or equivalent, it must prevent barred individuals from carrying out prohibited work and make statutory referrals where the relevant legal conditions are met.

5. Tutor code of conduct

• Use professional, age-appropriate language and behaviour.
• Maintain appropriate dress, background and environment during video sessions.
• Use only approved Academiq Maestro systems for tutoring-related contact with children unless an authorised safeguarding exception applies.
• Do not exchange personal social-media accounts, private phone numbers or unnecessary personal contact details with a child.
• Do not flirt, sexualise conversation, make sexual jokes, request intimate information or create a relationship that could reasonably be perceived as grooming or exploitative.
• Do not give or request personal gifts, money or favours outside approved platform arrangements.
• Do not arrange to meet a child in person through an Academiq Maestro relationship unless Academiq Maestro has expressly approved a specific service model and safeguarding arrangements.
• Do not shame, threaten, humiliate, discriminate against or deliberately intimidate a student.
• Do not share inappropriate, extremist, sexual, violent or otherwise age-inappropriate material.
• Do not photograph, screenshot or independently record children or their work unless expressly authorised and lawful.

6. Online lesson safety

• Tutors should teach from a suitable, reasonably private environment.
• Personal documents, private messages and unrelated browser tabs should not be visible during screen sharing.
• A tutor should stop or redirect inappropriate conversation and report a safeguarding concern where necessary.
• If an unauthorised person disrupts or gains access to a session, the tutor should protect the student, end or secure the session if needed, and report the incident.
• Tutors should not ask a child to reveal their home address, precise location, passwords, financial details or other information unnecessary for tutoring.

7. Session recording

Academiq Maestro records tutoring sessions for monitoring, safeguarding, safety and quality assurance. The policy retention period is 90 days after the session, subject to longer documented retention where a safeguarding concern, complaint, dispute or legal requirement requires it. Access must be restricted to authorised purposes and users must be informed about recording before participating.

Tutors must not make their own recordings or screenshots unless Academiq Maestro has expressly authorised this and an appropriate lawful basis and notice are in place.

8. Recognising safeguarding concerns

A concern may arise from something a child says, something seen or heard during a lesson, a change in behaviour, inappropriate contact by an adult or peer, sexual or criminal exploitation, self-harm or suicide risk, neglect, physical or emotional abuse, online abuse, radicalisation, domestic abuse, or another situation suggesting a child may be at risk of harm. Tutors are not expected to diagnose abuse. If something causes reasonable safeguarding concern, it should be reported.

9. If a child makes a disclosure

• Stay calm and listen.
• Take the child seriously.
• Do not promise secrecy. Explain that information may need to be shared with people who can help keep them safe.
• Ask only minimal, open questions needed to understand what the child is telling you; do not interrogate or investigate.
• Do not contact or confront the alleged perpetrator.
• Make a factual record as soon as possible, using the child’s own words where important.
• Report promptly to the DSL using the approved route.
• If there is an immediate threat to life or safety, contact 999 or the appropriate emergency service and then notify the DSL.

10. Reporting and escalation

Reports should include the student’s identity, date/time, what was seen, heard or disclosed, relevant exact words, action already taken and the tutor’s name. The DSL should assess the concern and decide whether advice or referral is needed from children’s social care, police, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or equivalent safeguarding authority for the relevant UK nation, the DBS or PVG/Disclosure Scotland where applicable, or another appropriate body.

If a concern relates to the DSL, it must be escalated to the deputy or another senior person independent of the allegation. A tutor should not delay emergency or statutory safeguarding action merely because an internal contact is unavailable.

11. Allegations about tutors, staff or contractors

Any allegation that a tutor, contractor or staff member has harmed a child, may have harmed a child, committed a relevant offence, behaved in a way indicating they may pose a risk to children, or behaved in a way that raises suitability concerns must be escalated immediately. Academiq Maestro may suspend platform access as a neutral safeguarding measure while enquiries are made. Suspension is not, by itself, a finding of wrongdoing. Appropriate safeguarding advice and statutory notifications/referrals must be made where required.

12. Children with SEND or additional communication needs

Children with special educational needs, disabilities or communication differences may face increased vulnerability or additional barriers to recognising, disclosing or reporting harm. Tutors must not assume that concerning behaviour is simply related to SEND. Communication should be adapted where reasonably possible, the child should be listened to directly, and reasonable adjustments should be considered. Liaison with a parent/carer or other appropriate professional may be helpful, but information should not be shared in a way that could increase risk to the child.

13. Confidentiality and record keeping

Safeguarding information must be shared on a need-to-know basis. Records should be factual, dated, attributable, stored securely, access-controlled and retained in accordance with the Data Retention Schedule and legal/safeguarding requirements. Safeguarding records should be kept separately from routine tutoring notes where practicable.

14. Parents and carers

Academiq Maestro supports appropriate parent/carer involvement, particularly for younger students. However, information should not automatically be shared with a parent where doing so could increase risk to the child or prejudice a safeguarding response. The DSL should decide the appropriate approach, taking advice where necessary.

15. Training and review

Tutors should receive safeguarding information appropriate to their role before tutoring children and should confirm that they have read this policy. Academiq Maestro should review this policy at least annually and sooner after a serious incident, material platform change or relevant change in law or safeguarding guidance. Policy owner: Designated Safeguarding Lead. Next scheduled review: October 2027, or earlier if required.

16. Key external guidance

• GOV.UK — Out-of-school settings: safeguarding guidance for providers (updated February 2026; applies to England and includes private tuition).
• GOV.UK / Disclosure and Barring Service — Change to the definition of regulated activity with children from 1 September 2026.
• GOV.UK / DBS — Regulated activity with children: myth busting the September 2026 supervision-exemption changes.
• Relevant safeguarding and background-check guidance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must also be followed where the tutor/service relationship falls within those jurisdictions.

Policy approval

Approved by: Jennifer Ellis, Founder & Designated Safeguarding Lead

Approval date: 4 October 2026

Next scheduled review: October 2027, or earlier if required.