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Staying Safe

Safety

​We take safety seriously. ​
We're committed to ensuring the highest possible standard of safeguarding.
Our child protection policies and procedures aim to provide a safe educational environment.
These include the following provisions:
  • All communications between tutors and students are managed via Educoast. This means that personal contact details about the student and parents (including email addresses and telephone number) remain private and confidential and are not visible to the tutor.
  • Our terms and conditions do not allow any contact between tutors and students outside of the provision of sessions.
  • All sessions are tracked to ensure there is a record of the agreed time, date and meeting location.
  • We only accept tutors who declare their DBS/CRB status and this information is provided to the student and parents upon request. Parents are entitled to ask the tutor to verify this during the first session.

Safeguarding Policy

​1. Introduction
1.1 Educoast is committed to ensuring the highest possible standard of safeguarding. The personal safety and wellbeing of each student and tutor using Educoast is paramount.

2. Legislative Framework/Related Policies
2.1 These policies and procedures aim to ensure that all persons using Educoast's services can do so safely within child safeguarding standards and UK law.

3. Aims
3.1 The aim of this policy is to safeguard all students and other persons using Educoast to participate in a session.
3.2 This policy document contains the responsibilities of all persons using Educoast, including tutors, students, parents (responsible adults).
3.3 It is important that all persons using or working on behalf of Educoast are aware of this policy and have familiarised themselves with the detailed safeguarding procedures.
3.4 This policy should be read and understood before engaging in any activity arranged through Educoast and the responsibilities and procedures therein adhered to. Contravention of the policy document could lead to suspension and/or barring from the services.

4. General Information
Registration of Tutors
4.1 The tutor’s e-mail address is their user name and all communications to the tutors will go via the email address.
4.2 Educoast conducts interviews with all tutors as part of the selection process and will request photo identification documents (such as a student card, passport or driving licence). Educoast will only transfer payment to tutors holding a personal bank account in the United Kingdom.
4.3 Educoast only accepts tutors who have CRB/DBS certificates. Parents or responsible adults are entitled to ask for verification of these. 
4.4 Educoast welcomes tutor feedback from students and parents.

5. Privacy
5.1 The contents of all email communications between tutors, parents and students will go via the site in order to preserve anonymity of the student to the tutor.
5.2 The tutor will not be aware of the email address of the student or parent/responsible adult and will not be able to communicate with them directly. The tutor will not be able to initiate first email contact with parents or students.
5.3 All email communication between tutor and student will be copied to the parent/responsible adult (or school/school representative where appropriate).
5.4 All data held by Educoast is in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 

Roles and Responsibilities of persons using Educoast
6. The Tutor
6.1 The tutor shall:
  • Treat students fairly and without prejudice or discrimination; students who have a disability or come from a minority ethnic or cultural group can easily become victims of discrimination and prejudice which may be harmful to the student’s wellbeing.
  • Always ensure language is appropriate and not offensive or discriminatory.
  • Ensure any contact with the student is appropriate to their role as a tutor and confined to the relevant session.
  • Not make any improper suggestions to a student.
  • Not send unsolicited communications to the student or parent/responsible adult.
  • Value and take students’ contributions seriously.
  • Report any dispute with a student or parent/responsible adult to Educoast, in accordance with the Safeguarding procedures.
  •  Report any inappropriate behaviour or illegal activity identified within a session by the student or third party, in accordance with procedures set out in the Safeguarding procedures.
  • Ensure that if no parent/responsible adult is present during a session that the student is comfortable to continue the session; if not, they can terminate the session.

7. The Student
7.1 The student shall:
  • Treat the tutor with respect and fairness, and not subject them to abusive behaviour or language.
  • Not make any improper suggestions to the tutor.
  • Have no inappropriate communication with the tutor outside the session (also see Section 9 below).
  • Report any dispute with a tutor to a parent/responsible adult in accordance with Section 3 of Safeguarding procedures.
  • Report any inappropriate behaviour or illegal activity by a tutor within a session in accordance with the Section 3 of Safeguarding procedures.
 
8. Parent/Responsible adult
8.1 The parent/responsible adult shall:
  • 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 student’s CRB/DBS certification documentation).
  • Ensure the student is fully aware of the Educoast Safeguarding Policy.
  • Always be responsible for the welfare of the student during the session.
  • Always be responsible for the physical environment of the pupil during the session ensuring it is safe and appropriate.
  • If they consider it appropriate, be present or 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.
  • Ensure that tutors will be treated with respect and fairness by the student and will not be subjected to abusive behaviour or language.
  • Ensure that no improper suggestions are made by either the tutor or student.
  • Ensure the student has no inappropriate communication with the tutor outside the session.
  • Report any unsolicited communications between the tutor and student if appropriate.
  • Report any dispute with a tutor to Educoast in accordance with the Safeguarding procedures.
  • Report any inappropriate behaviour or illegal activity by a tutor in accordance with procedures set out in this document. 

9. Director/Management of Educoast Services
9.1 The Director/Management of Educoast shall:
  • Conduct an interview with tutors before they are permitted to join the Educoast community.
  • Ensure that any dispute between persons using the Educoast services is handled efficiently and fairly without discrimination in accordance with the Safeguarding procedures.
  • Deal with reports of possible illegal activity promptly, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the student and/or tutor in accordance with the Safeguarding procedures.
  • If appropriate, employ the services of an independent Child Protection consultant to review a report concerning the welfare of a student ensuring an appropriate course of action is taken.
  • Regularly review the policy and procedures to ensure they are relevant and adequate to safeguard all persons using the Educoast services.

10. Compliance
10.1 All persons using the Educoast services have a responsibility to familiarise themselves with the Safeguarding Policy.
10.2 Any tutor reported for a breach of the Safeguarding Policy will be suspended from the site until the incident has been investigated by the appropriate authority. The reporter may be informed of the resolution if appropriate.
10.3 The final decision on action taken for minor breaches of the Safeguarding Policy will be the responsibility of Educoast.
10.4 Any person reported for illegal activity whilst using the Educoast services will be reported to police and will be barred from the service.
10.5 Any person reported for causing harm to a student or subjecting the student to sexual abuse will be reported to police and barred from the service.

11. Review
11.1 The Safeguarding Policy and procedures will be reviewed by Educoast on a regular basis to ensure it is adequate and relevant to safeguarding standards.

Safeguarding Procedures

1. Introduction
1.1  Educoast is committed to ensuring the highest possible standard of safeguarding. The personal safety and wellbeing of each student and tutor using Educoast is paramount.
1.2  Our site was developed with the aim of ensuring that sessions take place in a safe environment. This is reflected in the defined set of policies and procedures for the students, parents/responsible adults and tutors who use this service.
1.3 The following sections set out the procedures that should be followed if an incident occurs.
1.4 The safety and wellbeing of any student or other person using Educoast is paramount. These procedures aim to ensure a prompt response to any incident and to minimise any further harm to a student or other person.
1.5 There are differing severities of behaviour which could be witnessed during a session. Some behaviour would warrant only a report to Educoast; other behaviour maybe of a more serious nature where a direct report to the police may be necessary.
1.6 Each section below sets out the recommended procedure which should be followed. It is always the responsibility of the person alerted to the incident to take some action to protect the student or other person. Educoast will not be responsible for any non-compliance with the recommended procedure.
1.7 The procedures are not an exhaustive list; therefore if an incident occurs that is not covered in this document you are advised to contact Educoast, or the police if you believe that it may be a criminal matter.

2. Tutors
If a tutor sees/experiences:
2.1 Inappropriate language
The tutor will request, in a polite manner, that the student or other persons using inappropriate language refrains from doing so during the session. If the language continues the tutor will explain that they will terminate the session due to the language and will report the matter to Educoast who will decide on any further use of the service by the student or other person involved. The tutor will have no further contact with the student unless by mutual agreement with Educoast. Any unsolicited contact from the student or other persons following the termination of the session should be reported to Educoast.
2.2 Inappropriate behaviour
The tutor will request, in a polite manner, that the student or other persons involved in the inappropriate behaviour refrains from the behaviour during the session. If the behaviour continues the tutor will explain that they will terminate the session due to the behaviour and will report the matter to Educoast who will decide on any further use of the service by the student or other person involved. The tutor should have no further contact with the student unless by mutual agreement with Educoast. Any unsolicited contact from the student or other persons following the termination of the session should be reported to Educoast.
2.3 Inappropriate or abusive images
Any display of adult pornographic images whilst in the presence of a student may constitute an offence under UK law. Any tutor witnessing the display of adult pornographic images by or towards a student should explain that the images should not be displayed during a session, terminate the session and report the matter to Educoast.
2.3.1 Any display of child abuse images or indecent images of a child (for these purposes, a ‘child’ is defined as anyone under the age of 18 years) is an offence under UK law. Any tutor witnessing a display of indecent images of a child by or in the presence of a student should explain that due to the nature of the images they will terminate the session. The tutor should then inform the UK police. The tutor should also inform Educoast of the incident to ensure the session records can be preserved and made available for any police investigation. The tutor should have no further contact with the student or any other person involved in the incident. Any unsolicited contact from the student or other persons following the termination of the session should be reported to the police and Educoast immediately.
2.3.2 This action should be taken so that the correct authorities can be alerted and can deal appropriately with the incident.
2.3.3 The display of any other images perceived to be inappropriate, either due to the age of the student or the content of the image shall be reported to Educoast at the discretion of the parent/responsible adult.
2.4 Disclosure of/witness to abuse towards or in the presence of a student
Any physical or sexual abuse of a child is an offence under UK law. If a tutor receives information about such abuse from the student or other person present they should reassure the person that they can get assistance for them. It is the responsibility of the tutor to contact the UK police and report what has been witnessed.
2.4.1. If the tutor witnesses any such abuse at first-hand they should immediately contact the police and report the incident. The tutor should also inform Educoast of the incident to ensure any recordings can be preserved and made available for any police investigation. The tutor should have no further contact with the student or other person involved in the incident. Any unsolicited contact from the student or other persons following the termination of the session should be reported to the police and Educoast immediately.
2.5 Disclosure of inappropriate/sensitive information
During a session sensitive information may be offered by a student or other person present. If the information relates to any kind of abuse the tutor should refer to ‘Disclosure of/witness to abuse towards or in the presence of a student’, above. The student or other person present should be discouraged from disclosing sensitive information by the tutor. If the information continues to be shared the tutor will determine the impact of the information and decide whether to continue or terminate the session and report the incident to Educoast.
2.6 Any information disclosed regarding the safety of a child should always be reported immediately to the UK police.

3. Students
If a student sees/experiences:
3.1 Inappropriate language
The student will inform a parent/responsible adult of the tutor using inappropriate language. The parent/responsible adult should ask the tutor to refrain from using inappropriate language during the session. If the language continues the parent/responsible adult should explain that they will terminate the session and will report the matter to Educoast, who will decide on any further use of the service by the tutor. The student and parent/responsible adult should have no further contact with the tutor unless by mutual agreement with Educoast. Any unsolicited contact from the tutor after termination of the session should be reported to Educoast.
3.1.1. If a parent/responsible adult are not present or readily available the student should report the language as soon as possible to a parent/responsible adult who will take the decision to report the incident.
3.2 Inappropriate behaviour
The student will inform a parent/responsible adult of the tutor using inappropriate behaviour. The parent/responsible adult should ask the tutor to refrain from using inappropriate behaviour during the session. If the behaviour continues the parent/responsible adult will explain that they will terminate the session due to the behaviour and will report the matter to Educoast who will decide on any further use of the service by tutor. The student, parent/responsible adult should have no further contact with the tutor unless by mutual agreement with Educoast. Any unsolicited contact from the tutor after termination of the session should be reported to Educoast.
3.2.1 If a parent/responsible adult are not present or readily available the student should report the behaviour as soon as possible to a parent/responsible adult who will take a decision to report the incident.
3.2.2 If the behaviour is of a sexual nature towards a student by a tutor, the student should immediately inform a parent/responsible adult and terminate the session. The parent/responsible adult should inform the UK police and Educoast immediately.
3.3 Inappropriate or Abusive images
Any display of adult pornographic images whilst in the presence of a student may constitute an offence under UK law. Any student witnessing the display of adult pornographic images by a tutor should immediately terminate the session and report this to a parent/responsible adult who should inform the UK police.
3.3.1 Any display of child abuse images or indecent images of a child (for these purposes, a ‘child’ is defined as anyone under the age of 18 years) is an offence under UK law. Any student witnessing a display of indecent images of a child should immediately terminate the session and report this to a parent/responsible adult, who should inform the UK police.
3.3.2 The parent/responsible adult should also inform Educoast of the incident to ensure that any recordings can be preserved and made available for any police investigation. The student, parent/responsible adult should have no further contact with the tutor involved in the incident. Any unsolicited contact from the tutor following the discontinuation of the session should be reported to the police and Educoast immediately.
3.3.3 This action should be taken so that the correct authorities can be alerted and can deal appropriately with the incident.
3.3.4 The display of any other images perceived to be inappropriate either due to age of the student or content of the image shall be reported to Educoast at the discretion of the parent/responsible adult.
3.4 Disclosure of/witness to abuse
Any physical or sexual abuse of a person is an offence under UK law. If a student receives information about such abuse from the tutor or other person present they should immediately inform a parent/responsible adult. It is the responsibility of the parent/responsible adult to contact the UK police and report what was witnessed.
3.4.1. If the student witnesses any such abuse at first-hand they should immediately contact a parent/responsible adult who should immediately inform the UK police. The parent/responsible adult should also inform Educoast of the incident to ensure that any recordings can be preserved and made available for any police investigation. The student, parent/responsible adult should have no further contact with the tutor involved in the incident. Any unsolicited contact from the tutor following the termination of the session should be reported to the parent/responsible adult immediately.
3.4.2 This action should be taken so the correct authorities can be alerted and can deal appropriately with the incident.
3.5. Disclosure of inappropriate/sensitive information
During a session sensitive information may be offered by a tutor (If the information relates to any kind of abuse the student should refer to ‘Disclosure of/Witness to abuse’). The tutor should be discouraged from disclosing sensitive information by the student, parent/responsible adult. The parent/responsible adult will determine the impact of the information and decide whether to continue or terminate the session and report the incident to Educoast.
Any information disclosed regarding the safety of a child should always be immediately reported to the UK police .
3.5.1 Any tutor reported by a parent/responsible adult will be suspended from the site until the incident has been investigated by the appropriate authority. The parent/responsible adult may be informed of the resolution if appropriate.

4. Parents/Responsible Adults
4.1 As per the Safeguarding policy, the parent/responsible adult has primary responsibility for the welfare and safety of the student during a session and should be present or available to deal with any concerns or incidents reported by the student.
4.2 It is also the duty of the parent/responsible adult to ensure the wellbeing of the child if they have been affected by anything said or done by the tutor.
4.3 If a parent/responsible adult is alerted by the student to any inappropriate behaviour/language or information by the student or they witness any inappropriate behaviour/language or information by the tutor, they should immediately speak to the tutor, state their concern and inform them they are terminating the session. The incident should then be reported to Educoast to take appropriate action. As there is a recording of the session available, the parent/responsible adult may review the session before taking further action.
4.4 The parent/responsible adult should have no further contact with the tutor involved in the incident. Any unsolicited communication from the tutor should be reported to the police and Educoast as soon as possible.
4.5 If a parent/responsible adult is alerted by the student to any inappropriate or abusive images or they witness any inappropriate or abusive images displayed by the tutor, they should immediately speak to the tutor, state their concern and inform them they are terminating the session. The parent/responsible adult should inform the UK police (if appropriate) and (in all cases) Educoast of the incident to ensure that any records can be preserved and made available to any police investigation.
4.6 The parent/responsible adult should have no further contact with the tutor involved in the incident. Any unsolicited communication from the tutor should be reported to the police and Educoast as soon as possible.
4.7 Any tutor reported by a parent/responsible adult will be suspended from the site until the incident has been investigated by the appropriate authority. The parent/responsible adult will be informed of the resolution if appropriate.

5. Schools, teachers and schools representative
5.1 The teacher or school representative shall follow the procedures outlined for ‘Parent/Responsible adult’ in Section 4.
5.2 Additionally the teacher or school representative should inform the parent of the student about the incident and, as appropriate, the school’s Child Protection officer.
5.3 For the purpose of the Safeguarding policy a ‘responsible adult’ includes teachers and school representatives.

6. Director/Management Educoast Services
6.1 The Safeguarding Policy and procedures of the Educoast website and services are the responsibility of the Director and management.
6.2 Any report of a contravention of the Safeguarding Policy will be reviewed by Educoast, who may engage independent Child Protection consultants to ensure that an appropriate course of action is taken.
6.3 Any incident reported to Educoast shall be reviewed as soon as possible to ensure a timely resolution.
6.4 If a report concerns minor breach of the safeguarding policy, Educoast can make a decision as to appropriate action which may include barring the reported person from using the Educoast services (also see Safeguarding Policy Section 10).
6.5 If a report is received by Educoast which concerns the immediate safety of a student or any illegal activity during a session, they will be required to contact UK police and report the incident (also see Safeguarding Policy Section 10).
 



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