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Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Policy

 

Person Responsible for this Policy: Ana Martin

Policy last updated: 04/09/26

Next update: 04/09/27

 

This policy applies to all tuition provided by Ana Martin trading as Latin Tutor Online, whether delivered one to one or in a group. All tuition is delivered online. References in this policy to "the setting" mean the online tuition provision, including live lessons, group programmes and any associated online learning platform.

 

For the purpose of this policy:

  • "Children" refers to any student under the age of 18 receiving tuition.

  • "Adult learners" refers to any student aged 18 or over receiving tuition in their own right.

  • "Parents" refers to the parent or guardian of a student under 18.

 

1. Introduction, Government Guidance and Aims

 

Ana Martin is committed to the wellbeing and safeguarding of all children and adults who attend tuition with her. This policy’s main aim is to provide all students and parents with a comprehensive, secure and clear commitment to safeguarding, and a framework to ensure all children attending are protected from harm.

 

Ana Martin will at all times maintain professional boundaries with students and will never use degrading, humiliating or threatening treatment of any kind. Under no circumstances will physical punishment of any form be used.

 

This Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is written with consideration of the following Department for Education statutory guidance:

  • Keeping Children Safe in Education (2026)

  • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2026)

 

and the following guidance from HM Government:

  • Prevent Duty Guidance (2023)

  • Information Sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services (2024)

 

and the following Department for Education non-statutory guidance:

  • After-school clubs, community activities and tuition: safeguarding guidance for providers (2023)

  • What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (2015)

 

In addition, this setting operates in partnership with the local authority to keep children safe. Details of the local authority:

 

Richmond Upon Thames

Civic Centre, 44 York Street, Twickenham, TW1 3BZ

 

In cases where a criminal offence has been committed or is suspected, the matter must be reported immediately to the local police force using the 101 service. In an emergency, the 999 service must be used.

 

Definitions of ‘significant harm’ are taken from Section 47 of The Children Act (1989).

 

The aims of this policy are:

  • To ensure that all coming into contact with the setting understand the importance of safeguarding and that it is everyone’s responsibility

  • To support any child who makes a disclosure of abuse

  • To ensure everyone at the setting knows who to inform in the event of a disclosure, concern or safeguarding issue and to ensure they are alert to the signs of possible child abuse

  • To aid everyone at the setting in understanding and recognising specific safeguarding concerns

  • To set out clearly how children are kept safe in an online learning environment

  • To ensure, in accordance with The Children Act 1989, "that the welfare of the child is paramount at all times"

 

2. Designated Safeguarding Lead

 

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is:

 

The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is to:

  • Be a point of advice on safeguarding and pastoral issues

  • Have overall responsibility for safeguarding (this cannot be delegated)

  • Raise awareness of safeguarding amongst those attending the setting

  • Manage referrals to the local authority

  • Manage the record-keeping of safeguarding concerns and ensure records are kept up to date

  • Update their own Level 3 safeguarding training at least once every two years using an external provider, including Online Safety training and Prevent training

  • Make referrals to the local authority Prevent Officer under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015

 

Ana Martin holds a current Enhanced DBS certificate with a check of the children’s barred list. 

Level 3 safeguarding training, including Online Safety and Prevent, was last completed on 28 June 2025. The next refresher is due by 28 June 2027. This policy is reviewed annually, and additionally whenever statutory guidance is updated or the way tuition is delivered changes.

 

3. Online Delivery and Online Safety

 

All tuition is delivered online. This section sets out how children are kept safe in that environment.

 

a. How lessons are delivered

 

  • Lessons take place by live video call using Zoom, Canva, Bitpaper. Access is by invitation only; joining links are issued directly to the student and, for students under 18, to the parent as well.

  • The Tutor is present for the whole of every Zoom session. Students are never left in a session together without the Tutor present, and sessions are not opened before the Tutor joins or left open after she leaves.

  • Parents of students under 18 are welcome to be present, to sit in on any session, and to see the learning environment at any time. No request to observe will be refused, but they should stay off-camera.

  • Lessons take place in an appropriate working environment, with appropriate dress and language on both sides. Students are asked to attend from a suitable room in the home wherever this is practicable.

  • If a person unknown to the Tutor joins or appears in a session, the Tutor will end the session and contact the parent.

 

b. Group lessons

 

Group lessons carry a risk of child on child abuse, including bullying and harmful online behaviour. The following measures apply:

  • Private participant-to-participant chat is disabled. Any chat function in use is visible to the Tutor. 

  • Students do not exchange personal contact details, social media handles or private messaging details through the programme, and the Tutor will not pass them on.

  • Group membership is limited to enrolled students, their parents and the Tutor. Access is managed through the learning platform and joining details must not be shared.

  • The Tutor sets and maintains expectations of respectful conduct, and will remove a student from a group where behaviour puts others at risk.

  • Any concern arising between students in a group is dealt with under section 5 (Reporting Concerns about a child) in the same way as any other safeguarding concern.

 

c. Groups that include students aged 18 or over

 

Groups are formed by course and qualification level, so students within a group are ordinarily of a similar age and stage. GCSE groups consist of students under 18. A Level groups are open to students in Years 12 and 13 and to those retaking after leaving school, and may therefore include students aged 18 or over alongside students under 18.

 

Where this is the case:

  • The measures at section 3(b) apply in full, and are the principal safeguard: no student, of any age, has unsupervised contact with another student through the programme.

  • The Tutor remains alert to any difference in age or maturity within a group and to any behaviour that takes advantage of it.

  • Adult learners are subject to the same conduct expectations as all other students, and the Tutor will act on any concern about an adult learner’s conduct towards a child in the same way as any other safeguarding concern, including referral to the local authority where appropriate.

  • Adult learners are not in a position of responsibility over other students and hold no role within the setting.

 

d. Recordings

 

Group sessions may be recorded so that students who miss a session can catch up. Where a recording is made, participants’ faces and names may be visible to other students in the group. Recordings are made available only to students enrolled in the relevant group, through the learning platform, and are retained for no longer than 8 weeks from the date of the session before being deleted. Recordings must not be downloaded for redistribution, shared, or shown to anyone not enrolled in the group. One-to-one lessons are not recorded without the prior agreement of the student and, for students under 18, the parent.

 

e. Communication outside lessons

 

  • Communication about a student under 18 is with the parent. Where it is necessary to communicate directly with a student under 18, the parent is copied in.

  • The Tutor does not communicate with students under 18 through personal social media accounts or private messaging services except with parental supervision, and will not accept friend or follower requests from them.

  • WhatsApp and text message are not secure channels; sensitive information relating to a student should be sent by email.

 

4. Safeguarding Issues

 

a. Types of abuse

 

The setting is aware of and vigilant to the following types of abuse and safeguarding issues:

  • Physical abuse

  • Emotional abuse

  • Sexual abuse

  • Neglect

  • Child on child abuse

  • Extremism and radicalisation

  • Sexual harassment

  • Bullying

  • Substance abuse

  • Online exploitation and abuse

  • Domestic abuse

 

b. Contextual safeguarding

 

The setting is also aware that "safeguarding incidents and behaviours can occur outside the home environment" and remains vigilant to reports of these. These contextual safeguarding issues include:

  • Child Sexual Exploitation

  • Child Criminal Exploitation

  • Female Genital Mutilation

  • Honour Based Abuse

  • Knife Crime

  • Children Absent from Education

 

c. Child on child abuse

 

The setting maintains vigilance regarding child on child abuse. The supervision arrangements set out at section 3 are designed to mitigate this risk, with the approach that ‘it could happen here’.

 

Such abuse can include:

  • abuse in intimate personal relationships between children

  • harmful sexual behaviour including but not limited to the use of inappropriate sexual language, sharing of nude or semi-nude images or videos, upskirting, sexual violence

  • bullying, including cyberbullying

  • physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling or otherwise causing physical harm

 

In the event of suspected child on child abuse involving one or more students attending the setting against another student who attends the setting, and where there is reasonable cause to suspect significant harm, the case must be referred to the local authority.

 

d. Children with Additional Educational Needs, Disabilities and other vulnerabilities

 

Ana Martin recognises that children with Additional Educational Needs, disabilities or health issues may face additional safeguarding challenges. The setting is vigilant to:

  • Any indicators of possible abuse not in keeping with the child’s additional needs or history

  • Any communication challenges the child faces in disclosing abuse (for example, if the child is non-verbal)

  • The fact that children with additional needs or other vulnerabilities are disproportionately impacted by abuse and behaviours such as bullying

  • That children who are (or are perceived to be) lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans are more likely to suffer child on child abuse and are more vulnerable to abuse

 

5. Reporting Concerns about a child

 

Ana Martin recognises that barriers to reporting abuse exist, and that some children may not be ready or know how to disclose abuse. The setting acknowledges that children with Additional Educational Needs or disabilities are more vulnerable to abuse and never assumes that an issue has been reported by another person.

 

If a child discloses abuse:

  • We will stop and listen straight away without delay

  • We will write notes as soon as possible after the conversation

  • We must not guarantee confidentiality

  • We use TED – Tell me, Explain to me, Describe to me. Children may be asked whether they have been harmed and the nature of that harm, without leading questions.

  • We will not conduct our own investigation but will refer immediately

  • We will maintain a calm and professional attitude and prioritise the wellbeing of the child at all times

 

Reports to the local authority children’s safeguarding board must be undertaken:

  • As soon as possible and within 2 hours of the concern being raised or suspected

  • For a child at risk or suspected to be at risk of significant harm, the concern must be raised immediately

  • In person or by telephone as required by local services

 

It is usually best practice to share concerns with parents/carers. However, for children at risk of significant harm (or where there is reasonable cause to suspect this), it may not be appropriate to do so. Decisions on whether to share information must be made in conjunction with the DSL.

 

The DSL will decide if a concern should be raised with the local authority. If a child is at risk of significant harm, in accordance with Section 47 of The Children Act (1989), statutory child protection agencies will conduct the investigation and the DSL must not investigate. At all times, decision-making must be documented, including:

  • Who raised the concern (include details of date, time, job title)

  • Who was the concern raised about (include details of child’s name, date of birth, address, school)

  • What decision was made and why – what were the reasons for making the referral

  • Who was consulted

  • What action was taken

  • Whether parents/carers were consulted and if not, why not

 

Safeguarding records are kept securely and separately from ordinary tuition records, and are retained and shared in accordance with the Privacy Policy at https://www.latintutoronline.com/privacypolicytandc.

 

6. Concerns or Allegations about the Tutor

 

Latin Tutor Online is run by a sole practitioner. Where a concern or allegation relates to Ana Martin herself, it should not be raised with her in the first instance. Parents, students and any other person may report it directly to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for Richmond upon Thames, whose details are given at section 7.

 

The LADO must be contacted where it is alleged that a person working with children has:

  • behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child

  • possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child

  • behaved towards a child in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children

  • behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children

 

Where a criminal offence is suspected, the police should be contacted on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Ana Martin will co-operate fully with any enquiry and will not investigate an allegation about herself.

 

7. Useful Contact Details

 

DSL Ana Martin

25 Kingsway SW147HL

07449973370

anamartin@latintutoronline.com

 

Local authority contacts

 

LADO: 020 8891 7370 or LADO@achievingforchildren.org.uk

Allegations against staff and volunteers (ASV) referral form available via Google Forms

 

Children’s Safeguarding Board

 

Telephone: 07834 386459

Email: lscb-support@kingrichlscb.org.uk

 

Or write to:

Kingston and Richmond Safeguarding Children Partnership

c/o London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

44 York Street (First Floor)

Twickenham

TW1 3BZ

 

Specialist helplines

 

  • Police – immediate threat: 999

  • Police – serious concerns: 101

  • Prevent (non-emergency advice): 0800 011 3764

  • NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000

  • Childline: 0800 1111

  • Ofsted: 0300 123 4666

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