In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Jo Bryant, founder and owner of Jo Bryant Etiquette. 

The following policies apply for tuition given to a child under the age of 18.

All children have an absolute right to a childhood free from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Jo Bryant Etiquette works with children and families in conducting the following:

  • One-to-one tutoring, in-person and online;
  • Small group tutoring ;
  • Holiday clubs;
  • Workshops in schools and in the community.

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this policy and the procedures contained in it is to ensure, as far as possible,  that people who may abuse children do not get the opportunity to do so:

  • To protect children and young people who access services with us from harm; and
  • To provide parents/guardians, staff and tutors with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.
  • To respond to any allegations and/or any concerns relating to the welfare of a child or young adult for whom we provides services to;

This policy applies to those working on behalf of Jo Bryant Etiquette. This policy will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis or earlier if there is a change in safeguarding protocols.

We recognise that we have a duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children they come into contact with through their services.

There is a duty placed upon us to ensure that all adults who work with children are competent, confident and safe to do so.

Anyone working or volunteering for Jo Bryant Etiquette in any capacity is responsible for their own actions and behaviour. They should avoid any conduct that would lead a reasonable person to question my motivation or intention.

When involved in our activities, they must follow our Code of Conduct.

This policy has been drawn up based on legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England. A summary of the key legislation and guidance is available from  https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-protection-system/england/.

Responsibilities

Jo Bryant Etiquette believes that:

  • Children should never experience abuse of any kind; and
  • We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and children, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.

Jo Bryant Etiquette recognises that:

  • The welfare of the child is paramount
  • All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse
  • Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
  • Working in partnership with children, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting children’s welfare

We will seek to keep children safe by:

  • Valuing, listening to and respecting them;
  • Developing child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures which reflect best practice
  • Using safeguarding procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, parents, families and carers appropriately
  • Creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise
  • Developing and implementing an effective online safety policy and related procedures;
  • Sharing information about child protection and safeguarding best practice with children, their families, and anyone involved with our activities
  • Using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff, self-employed tutors and volunteers appropriately
  • Ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place;
  • Ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for children, staff, self-employed tutors and volunteers by applying health and safety measures following the law and regulatory guidance
  • Recording and storing information professionally and securely
  • Undertake appropriate safeguarding training at least once every two years
  • Endeavour to keep up-to-date with any new information about safeguarding and child protection and update this policy accordingly to include any changes
  • Report safeguarding concerns correctly to the relevant bodies, following the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures

Photographs & Filming

Children, and their parents/carers, have the right to decide whether their images are taken and how they are used, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation and have the choice to opt out.

Children, and their parents/carers, will be asked to provide written consent before images are taken and will be specifically informed for what purpose the images will be used prior to giving their consent and how the images will be stored.

We understand the risks of sharing images, particularly online, so will reduce these risks by only using images that positively reflect the child’s involvement in the activity they are participating in for the photos or filming.

Code of Conduct

All work for Jo Bryant Etiquette must comply with this Child Protection and Safeguarding Children Policy and this Code of Conduct at all times when working with children and young adults.

When working for us, the tutor must:

  • Treat all children with respect.
  • Work in an open and transparent way.
  • Avoid being alone with a child or cause someone else to be alone with a child because of your actions e.g. being late. If alone in a room with children, keep the door open at all times. Sit on another side of the table. Inform another person you are with the child.
  • Remember that someone else might misinterpret your actions, no matter how well-intentioned so always be transparent in every action and behaviour done with children.
  • Be aware that physical contact with a child can be misinterpreted and should always be avoided. Shaking hands in a public setting is considered acceptable.
  • Recognise that special caution is required when discussing sensitive issues with children.
  • Operate within our procedures in the event of any disclosure/concern raised by any child.
  • Be aware of their own safety and security. Always have a mobile phone charged and available to them but not out and visible during tutoring sessions.

They must not:

  • Enter the house alone to tutor a child without a parent/carer of the child being present.
  • Promise confidentiality to children in any situation.
  • Seek out or add children on any personal or professional social networking site.
  • Respond to any online communication from a child, for example, on a social networking site.
  • Share any personal contact details (including email addresses, telephone numbers, addresses or any other contact information) with children, or, seek out their personal contact details.
  • Arrange to meet a child outside (offline & online) of the allocated tutoring time, unless on the school premises and with the prior knowledge of a staff member.
  • Act in a manner that excludes the children you are working with.
  • Make suggestive or derogatory remarks in front of children.
  • Have inappropriate physical contact or verbal contact with children.
  • Show favouritism to any individual.
  • Be under the influence of alcohol or other substances when working on activities involving children.
  • Take photographs of children.

Parent/responsible adult:

  • We request that a parent/guardian accompany the student for the duration of each in-person session, as well as safely escort their child to and from the venue. 
  • If the parent/guardian is unable or unwilling to stay in the training room, we will audio record the session on a mobile phone for safeguarding. The recording will not be shared beyond the parent/guardian, if requested.

Roles and Responsibilities for online tutoring

When working for online for us, the tutor must:

  • Ensure that my environment does not display any inappropriate images or documentation capable of being viewed by the student or parent/responsible adult when conducting a session.
  • 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 well-being.
  • Always ensure language is appropriate and not offensive or discriminatory.
  • Ensure any contact with the student is appropriate to the role as a tutor and confined to the relevant online session.
  • Not make any inappropriate suggestions to a student.
  • Not send unsolicited communications to the student or parent/responsible adult.
  • Value and take students’ contributions seriously and ensure that students value and respect each other’s contributions.
  • Report safeguarding concerns correctly to the relevant bodies, following the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures for the appropriate region in which the student resides.
  • For online students outside of the UK, in the event of a safeguarding concern, notify the Local Authority Safeguarding Lead for the appropriate county. 
  • Report any inappropriate behaviour or illegal activity identified within an online session by the student or third party, by procedures set out in safeguarding procedures.

The student must:

  • Treat their tutor with respect and fairness, and not subject me to abusive behaviour or language.
  • Value and respect the contributions of other students when working in groups.
  • Not make any improper suggestions to me.
  • Have no inappropriate communication with me outside the online session.
  • Report any dispute with their tutor to a parent/responsible adult.

The parent/responsible adult:

  • We request that that a parent/responsible adult is present/in the same room and able to hear the child and tutor clearly during an online session. 

The parent/responsible adult must:

  • Ensure the student is fully aware of our Safeguarding Policy and their right to be safe and report concerns they have to a  trusted adult immediately.
  • Always be responsible for the supervision, behaviour and 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.
  • Be present or in the same room 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 appropriately.
  • Ensure that the tutor 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 me or student.
  • Ensure the student has no inappropriate communication with the tutor outside the online session.
  • Report any unsolicited communications between the tutor and the student.
  • Report any dispute with the tutor.
  • Report any inappropriate behaviour or illegal activity by the tutor.

UK Government DBS checks

We have exceptional and extensive experience in tutoring children and young adults, and all have passed the UK government’s DBS checks.

We must either:

Have an existing enhanced DBS check not more than two years old verified by third party and checked on an annual basis, with the disclosure number and date of  issue recorded, along with photographic ID and original certificate.

When required, arrange with a third party to have a new enhanced DBS check processed. 

Reporting safeguarding concerns

Jo Bryant Etiquette shall:

  • Ensure that any dispute between persons using us is handled efficiently and fairly without discrimination in accordance with the procedures set out here.
  • Deal with reports of possible illegal activity promptly, ensuring the safety and well-being of the student and/or tutor in accordance with the procedures set out here.
  • 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 us.

If a student tells us that they or another child is being abused, we will: 

  • show that they have heard what they are saying, and that they take their allegations seriously;
  • encourage the child to talk, without prompting them or asking them leading questions;
  • not interrupt when a child is recalling significant events and will not make a child repeat their account
  • reassure the child that they can tell them anything that is worrying them, but that they cannot promise not to tell anybody because some things have to be passed on in order to keep them safe
  • explain what actions they must take, in a way that is appropriate to the age and understanding of the child
  • record what they have been told, as soon as they can, using exact words where possible
  • make a note of the date, time, place and people who were present during the disclosure
  • contact the Safeguarding Lead for the relevant Local Authority. If we are concerned that the child is in immediate danger, they will call the police. 

If we have suspicions of a safeguarding or welfare concern in relation to one of our students we will: 

  • contact the Safeguarding Lead for the relevant Local Authority. If we are concerned that the child is in immediate danger, we will call the police.