Physics Pathway Limited Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

Effective Date: 23/11/2024
Review Date: Annually or after significant changes
Applicable Law: England and Wales

1. Introduction

Physics Pathway Limited is committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and dignity of all students, tutors, and participants in our online tutoring environment. This policy establishes the principles, responsibilities, and procedures necessary to protect individuals from harm, reflecting statutory responsibilities and best practices.

Core Commitments:

  • Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
  • All individuals must act to protect students from harm, including maltreatment, neglect, and online risks.
  • Confidentiality is respected, but safeguarding concerns override data protection.

This policy applies to all stakeholders, including students (aged 16–18), university-aged assistants (aged 18–22), tutors, and guardians.

2. Legal Framework and Guidance

This policy aligns with the following statutory guidance and legislation:

  • Children Act 1989 and 2004
  • Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)
  • Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024)
  • Data Protection Act (2018) / UK GDPR
  • Prevent Duty under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
  • Equality Act (2010)
  • Sexual Offences Act (2003)

3. Roles and Responsibilities

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The DSL (David Buckley) has overall responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, including:

  • Responding to and managing safeguarding concerns.
  • Liaising with external authorities (e.g., Essex Local Authority Designated Officer).
  • Providing guidance, training, and oversight to tutors and assistants.

University Assistants (18–22)

  • Must adhere to the safeguarding policy and maintain professional boundaries.
  • Only provide support in recorded or supervised sessions.
  • Immediately report safeguarding concerns to the DSL.

Students and Guardians

  • Students must adhere to behaviour guidelines during sessions and in communications.
  • Guardians are encouraged to monitor and support their child’s participation in sessions.

4. Types of Abuse and Indicators

Staff, tutors, and assistants must be aware of the types and signs of abuse, including:

4.1 Types of Abuse

  1. Physical Abuse: Hitting, shaking, or inflicting harm.
  2. Emotional Abuse: Persistent maltreatment causing severe adverse effects on emotional development.
  3. Sexual Abuse: Involves forcing or enticing participation in sexual activities, whether contact or non-contact. Showing, sharing or possessing of indecent images.
  4. Neglect: Persistent failure to meet basic needs, including supervision and care.

4.2 Child-on-Child Abuse

  • Bullying (including cyberbullying).
  • Sexual violence and harassment, including unwanted comments or sharing explicit content.
  • Peer-to-peer exploitation or coercion.

5. Code of Conduct

Behavioural Expectations

  1. Prohibited Behaviours:
    • Sexual harassment, bullying, racism, homophobia, or discrimination of any kind.
    • Sharing inappropriate or harmful content, including indecent images.
    • Discussion of controversial topics. All topics of conversation should be related to the course or the specifics of support the course provides.
  2. Communication Standards:
    • Respectful and professional language in all interactions.
    • No private messaging between students and tutors/assistants outside of approved platforms.

Dress Code:

  • Students and tutors must wear appropriate, non-revealing clothing during sessions.

Backgrounds:

-          The background of the students lesson should either be blurred, virtual or ensure that there is nothing inappropriate showing.

-           

6. Online Safety

Physics Pathway Limited takes a proactive approach to ensure online safety:

Approved Platforms

  • Sessions will occur on secure platforms (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet).
  • All sessions are recorded for safeguarding purposes.

WhatsApp Groups

  • Group messaging is limited to course-related discussions.
  • Private messaging among group members is discouraged and must align with safeguarding expectations.

Circle.so Forum

  • Direct messaging has been disabled to ensure safeguarding.
  • Students should follow appropriate online conduct policy and agree to Circle.so expectations.

7. Reporting Concerns

All concerns, disclosures, or incidents must be reported immediately:

For Tutors and Assistants:

  1. Respond calmly and professionally.
  2. Notify the DSL without delay.
  3. If immediate danger is present, contact emergency services (999).

For Students:

  • Notify a guardian or the DSL if they witness or experience inappropriate behaviour.

Escalation Pathways

  • Contact external agencies, such as:some text

8. Handling Incidents

Inappropriate Language or Behaviour

  • Issue a verbal warning during the session.
  • Remove the individual from the lesson and inform  Parent/Guardian/DSL of incident
  • Terminate the session if the behaviour persists and report to the DSL.
  • Incident will be saved electronically and documented as well as the recording of the incident saved for up to 12 months.

Inappropriate or Abusive Imagery

  • Immediately end the session.
  • Report to the DSL, parent and, for child abuse images, contact the police.

Disclosure of Abuse

  • Reassure the student and listen carefully without judgment.
  • Notify the DSL, who will escalate to external authorities.
  • Document and store statement electronically.

9. Data Protection and Recording

Session Recordings

  • All sessions are recorded and securely stored on Google Drive servers for safeguarding, educational, and training purposes.
  • Recordings are accessible only to current students and authorised personnel.

Sales Call Recordings

  • Recorded with prior consent for quality assurance purposes.
  • Parents are notified of this prior to the call via email.
  • By attending the call parents have agreed to this being recorded.

10. Recruitment, Training, and Governance

Recruitment

  • Tutors and assistants undergo enhanced DBS checks.
  • Safer recruitment practices, including reference and qualifications verification, are mandatory.

Training

  • All staff, tutors, and assistants receive safeguarding training annually, covering Prevent Duty and online safety.

Governance

  • Policy reviewed annually by the DSL and directors, with updates reflecting legislative changes.

11. Whistleblowing

Staff and tutors must feel empowered to report safeguarding failures or poor practices.

  • Reports can be made anonymously via the NSPCC Helpline or directly to the DSL.

12. Complaints and Quality Assurance

Complaints

  • Safeguarding-related complaints will be addressed in line with this policy.

Quality Assurance

  • Regular audits of recorded sessions and compliance with safeguarding standards.

13. References to Key Legislation

  • Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024)
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)
  • Children Act (1989, 2004)
  • Sexual Offences Act (2003)
  • Data Protection Act (2018) / UK GDPR