Policies - Inspired to Accomplish

Maintaining your Privacy

As a responsible tutor, I have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and a comprehensive safeguarding policy. Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. I undergo annual child protection training with the NSPCC.

I also have a Code of Conduct Policy which lays out how you can expect me to conduct myself while working with your child, and your commitments to tutoring, as well as a booking policy.

Furthermore, I am fully insured with Markel for Public Liability and professional indemnity.

Who we are

Our website address is: https://privatetutoringdevon.co.uk.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site, you may opt in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Who we share your data with

If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

What rights you have over your data

If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote children’s welfare and protect them from harm. Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children who might be at risk of harm.

The purpose of this policy statement is:

To protect children and young people who receive tutoring and / or enabling through Inspired to Accomplish Tutoring from harm. This includes all the children of adults who employ Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s services, so could include siblings not directly receiving tutoring and / or enabling.
To provide the tutor and any support staff and volunteers, as well as children and young people and their families, with the overarching principles that guide Inspired to Accomplish Tutoring’s approach to child protection.

This policy applies to the owner of, and anyone working or volunteering on behalf of Inspired to accomplish tutoring.

Legal framework.

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 nspcc.org.uk/childprotection.

Supporting documents.

This policy statement should be read alongside all Inspired to Accomplish Tutoring’s organisational policies, procedures, guidance, and other related documents. These include:

Code of conduct.
Online safety.
One to one working.
Complaint and whistleblowing procedure.

Inspired to Accomplish Tutoring believe that:

Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind.
That as a business that has direct contact with children, Inspired to accomplish tutoring have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them.

Inspired to Accomplish Tutoring, recognise that:

The welfare of children is paramount in all the work Inspired to Accomplish Tutoring do, and in all the decisions any the owner and any staff and volunteers take.
Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers, and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.
Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences (including trauma), their level of dependency, communication and learning needs or other issues, and extra safeguards may be needed to keep children who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse.

Inspired to Accomplish Tutoring will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

Valuing, listening to and respecting them.
Adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through policies, procedures and a code of conduct for the owner and any staff and volunteers.
Developing and implementing an effective online safety policy and related procedures.
Committing to annual child safeguarding training.
Committing to quality assurance measures so that any staff and volunteers know about, and follow Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently.
Recruiting and selecting any staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made.
Recording and storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance. More information about this is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office: org.uk/fororganisations.
Sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their families via my website and one-to-one discussions making sure that children, young people, and their families know where to go for help if they have a concern.
Using the safeguarding and child protection procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families, and carers appropriately.
Ensuring that effective complaints and whistleblowing measures are in place.
Ensuring that Inspired to Accomplish Tutoring (alongside parents and carers) provide a safe physical environment for children, young people, as well as any staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance.
Building a safeguarding culture where, Inspired to Accomplish Tutoring, as well as any staff and volunteers, children, young people, and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring committed to reviewing this policy and good practice annually.

This policy was last reviewed on: 30/08/2023

More information can be found at Safeguarding and child protection for tutors | NSPCC Learning

NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000

Online Safety

Online safety (including photography and filming)

Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, facilitated through technology like computers, tablets, mobile phones and other internet-enabled devices (Department for Education, 2018.) All organisations that work with children should have written policies and procedures that set out how they intend to promote online safety. This document outlines the policies and procedures that Inspired to accomplish tutoring will uphold to maintain online safety.

The purpose of this policy statement is to:

Ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people is paramount when adults, young people or children are using the internet, social media, or mobile devices.
Provide staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to online safety.
Ensure that, as an organisation, we operate in line with our values and within the law in terms of how we use online devices.

Legal framework.

Supporting documents.

This policy statement should be read alongside all Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s organisational policies, procedures, guidance, and other related documents. These include:

Safeguarding policy.
Code of conduct.
One to one working.
Complaint and whistle blowing procedure.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring believe that:

Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind.
Children should be able to use the internet for education and personal development, but safeguards need to be in place to ensure they are always kept safe.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring recognise that:

The online world provides everyone with many opportunities; however, it can also present risks and challenges.
Inspired to accomplish tutoring have a duty to ensure that all children, young people, and adults involved in our organisation are protected from potential harm online.
Inspired to accomplish tutoring have a responsibility to help keep children and young people safe online, whether or not they are using Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s network and devices.
Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers, and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare and in helping young people to be responsible in their approach to online safety.
All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring will seek to keep children safe by:

Supporting and encouraging the young people using our services to use the internet, social media and mobile phones in a way that keeps them safe and shows respect for others.
Supporting and encouraging parents and carers to do what they can to keep their children safe online.
Reviewing and updating the security of our information systems regularly.
Ensuring that ALL usernames, logins, email accounts and passwords are used effectively.
Ensuring personal information about the children (and adults) who use our services is held securely and shared only as appropriate.
Ensuring that ANY images of children, young people and work are used only after written permission has been obtained, and then only for the purpose for which consent has been given. (Inspired to accomplish tutoring understand that sharing photographs and films of our activities can help celebrate the successes and achievements of children and young people, provide a record of our activities, and raise awareness of our business. Nonetheless, the welfare of the children and young people taking part in any activities is paramount and children, their parents and carers have a right to decide whether their images are taken and how these may be used, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Inspired to accomplish tutoring accept that consent to take images of children is only meaningful when children, their parents and carers understand how the images will be used and stored and are fully aware of the potential risks associated with the use and distribution of these images and that there are potential risks associated with sharing images of children online.)
Taking steps to mitigate the risk of unauthorised access to and inappropriate use of images of children, including storing images in a secure location, encrypting electronic images before they are stored and only using devices belonging to Inspired to accomplish tutoring to take and store photos and recordings of children.

Maintaining annual training about online safety.
Examining and risk assessing any social media platforms and new technologies before they are used within the organisation or sessions.

If online abuse occurs, Inspired to accomplish tutoring will respond to it by:

Having clear and robust safeguarding procedures in place for responding to abuse (including online abuse).
Providing support and training for any staff and volunteers on dealing with all forms of abuse, including bullying or cyberbullying, emotional abuse, sexting, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation.
Making sure our response takes the needs of the person experiencing abuse, any bystanders, and our organisation as a whole into account.
Reviewing the plan developed to address online abuse at regular intervals, in order to ensure that any problems have been resolved in the long term.

More information can be found at Protecting children from online abuse | NSPCC Learning.

NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000

One to One working

One to one working

It is generally considered best practice to have at least two adults present when working with children and young people. However, with one-to-one tutoring this is not always possible. Nevertheless, it is vital to make sure children and young people, as well as the tutor and any staff and volunteers, are safe during a tutoring session. All parties need to be clear about professional boundaries and appropriate behaviour, to avoid any potential misunderstandings or allegations. This includes making sure all feasible steps are taken to mitigate any risks to children and Inspired to accomplish tutoring during sessions. This guidance lays out those steps.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring, and any staff or volunteers are responsible for:

Agreeing any expectations with parents and carers before the tutoring begins.
Ensuring all registration paperwork has been completed prior to sessions commencing.
Explaining what activities will take place during sessions and what the tutoring will cover.
Agreeing where sessions will take place.

Establishing where parents or carers will be during the session.
Establishing whether there is any extra support the child needs, for example if they have a special educational need or disability (SEND) or additional needs.

Explaining safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures (and providing a copy of Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s safeguarding policy).

Explaining who Inspired to accomplish tutoring will share information with, and when it may not be possible to keep information confidential.
Letting the child, and parent or carer know what they can do if they have any concerns about the sessions.

If delivering sessions online, that there is a neutral background with no offensive material visible.
Ensuring that if a computer is used during sessions, only relevant and appropriate material is visible to the child at any time.

Maintaining a professional relationship and presentation (for example, by dressing appropriately for work).
Updating parents and carers on how the session went.
Inviting parents and carers to sit in on the session.

Parents and carers are responsible for:

Ensuring all registration paperwork has been completed prior to sessions commencing.
Ensuring that an adult is at home during sessions, i.e., not leaving the child with Inspired to accomplish while they go out.
Agreeing where sessions will take place.
Providing a room (where possible not a bedroom) to work in that has windows, and ensure curtains are open, so other people can see in.
Leaving the door to the room open.
Considering if there is a desk or table to work at, if so, is it big enough so that tutor and child don’t need to sit too close together.
Considering if there is any confidential information in the room that should be removed (such as bank statements).
Disclosing whether or not there is any extra support the child needs, for example if they have a special educational need or disability (SEND) or additional needs

Complaints and whistleblowing

Complaints procedure

Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s intention is always to deal with people fairly and properly. If you feel that standard has not been met, please let us know. Where there is reason to believe Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s service or conduct has fallen short, we want to be able to resolve any issues and learn from what has happened to enable continuous improvement.

This document explains how the Inspired to accomplish tutoring deals with complaints.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring will treat any expression of dissatisfaction about our conduct or service as a complaint. However, we ask you to contact us in writing as set out in the next section, so that Inspired to accomplish tutoring can consider the matter properly.

How to complain:

Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s contact details are available on our website www.privatetutoringdevon.co.uk.

A complaint may be emailed to inspiredtoaccomplishtutoring@gmail.com or sent by post to:

Homelea,

Ashmill,

South Molton,

Devon

EX36 4QD

It will help us to deal quickly and fully with your complaint if you can state that you are making a complaint, set out your concern in writing as clearly as possible, and provide your contact details.

What you can expect from us when handling a complaint:

Inspired to accomplish tutoring, (in partnership with Markel, our independent insurance company) aim to deal with complaints promptly and sensitively and be courteous and helpful at all times. We would hope, too, that you will be courteous and fair in your dealings with Inspired to accomplish tutoring at all times. All complaints received will be dealt with confidentially and in accordance with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring will keep full and accurate records of any complaints received so that we can monitor the types of problems reported, the best way to resolve them and how long it is taking to deal with complaints. This also helps Inspired to accomplish tutoring to take a closer look at how we can improve in the future.

If you make a complaint, we (in partnership with Markel, our independent insurance company) will investigate it thoroughly and impartially, without discrimination or prejudice. Inspired to accomplish tutoring aim to resolve matters as promptly as we can, but if a complaint gives rise to serious issues, we may need to take extra time to investigate it fully and properly so that, wherever we can, we resolve the issue first time and learn from it and make improvements.

If you have supplied your contact details, we will send an acknowledgment of your complaint within five working days. Inspired to accomplish tutoring (in partnership with Markel our independent insurance company) will aim to respond as soon as possible, and in any event within 20 working days. Inspired to accomplish tutoring or Markel may need to contact you to ask for more information or clarity before making a final response.

When Inspired to accomplish tutoring provide you with a final response, this will clearly set out the steps taken in investigating the complaint along with reasons for this response. Where mistakes in Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s approach are identified, Inspired to accomplish tutoring will acknowledge those mistakes, set out details of remedial steps or changes deemed appropriate in the circumstances, and explain what will be done to prevent the problem from reoccurring.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring expect most complaints to be resolved at stage one. However, if you consider the response you have received is not fair or appropriate, you may contact us to request a review of your complaint. You should do this within 20 working days of receiving a stage one response. We will acknowledge your request to review the complaint within five working days of receipt. Again, Inspired to accomplish tutoring may need to contact you to ask for more information or clarity before making a final decision. We will aim to respond within 20 working days of receipt.

It may be the case that Inspired to accomplish tutoring receive correspondence that in our view does not fall under our definition of a complaint or does not raise any issue that calls for in depth investigation. This would apply to objections to certain steps, recommendations, or decisions we have taken in compliance with a legal or safeguarding requirement.

Whistleblowing

Whistleblowing is the process of raising concerns about the malpractice, wrongdoing, or illegal proceedings carried by an employee of a service, that harms or creates a risk of harm to the people who use that service, or to the wider community. It is not the same as making a complaint or raising a grievance.

As a sole trader, Inspired to accomplish tutoring are not legally required to have a whistleblowing policy, however Inspired to accomplish tutoring have one in place as it can help anybody concerned about the welfare of children to take appropriate action.

This policy lays out the whistleblowing procedures within Inspired to accomplish tutoring.

How Inspired to accomplish tutoring will carry out whistleblowing:

If during professional contact (e.g., meetings or handovers), Inspired to accomplish tutoring suspect any professionals of malpractice, wrongdoing or illegal proceedings that create a risk of harm to children, Inspired to accomplish tutoring will report to that professional’s managing body within 24hrs via telephone call and email. This could include teachers, enablers, or medical professionals as well as other organizations having contact with the child / children. In the event that Inspired to accomplish tutoring are not able to contact the relevant governing body within the 24hr period, concerns will be reported to the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) and advice will be sought from the NSPCC whistleblowing advice line. In an emergency, concerns will be reported to the police.

How to carry out whistleblowing if you are concerned about Inspired to accomplish tutoring:

If you suspect Inspired to accomplish tutoring of malpractice, wrongdoing or illegal proceedings that create a risk of harm to children, these concerns can be reported to the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) by phone 0345 1551071 or email mashsecure@devon.gov.uk. Advice can also be sought from the NSPCC whistleblowing advice line 0800 0280285 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 6pm at weekends. Concerns can also be reported to the police on 101.

Cancellation Policy

As a parent myself, I appreciate that not all eventualities can be predicted, and some circumstances are unavoidable. However, as a business owner I do need to protect my income and have therefore introduced a cancellation policy.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring require a minimum of 48 hours’ notice from clients to cancel an appointment.

Cancellations made up to 48 hours before a scheduled appointment via email, text, phone call will be processed without a charge.

Cancellations made 48 hours or less before a session may be subject to a partial charge (50%) but could be up to the full cost of the appointment booked (Emergencies will be at Inspired to accomplish tutoring’s discretion).

This includes appointments where tutors are unable to access the property, are turned away, or the client is a ‘no-show’.

You will be sent a confirmation email at the time of booking, and a further reminder via SMS message or messenger the day prior to the session.

If Inspired to accomplish tutoring cancels an appointment with less than 48 hours’ notice, a new appointment will be scheduled without penalty to the client, subject to availability.

Code of Conduct

This behaviour code outlines the conduct that Inspired to accomplish tutoring will uphold. This includes anyone who is undertaking any duties for the organisation, whether paid or unpaid.

The purpose and scope of behaviour code:

The behaviour code is there to help to protect children and young people from abuse. It has been informed by the views of children and young people. Inspired to accomplish tutoring is responsible for making sure everyone taking part in tutoring or enabling has seen, understood, and agreed to follow the code of behaviour, and that they understand the consequences of inappropriate behaviour.

The role of staff and volunteers:

Inspired to accomplish tutoring, recognises that we are acting in a position of trust and authority and have a duty of care towards the children and young people we work with.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring recognise that tutors / enablers are likely to be seen as role models by young people and will always act appropriately. Inspired to accomplish tutoring expect any staff or volunteers who take part in tutoring / enabling services to always display appropriate behaviour. This includes behaviour that takes place outside of the organisation and behaviour that takes place online.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring, and any staff or volunteers are responsible for:

Prioritising the welfare of children and young people.
Providing a safe environment for children and young people, ensuring equipment is used safely and for its intended purpose.
Having good awareness of issues to do with safeguarding and child protection and acting when appropriate.
Following the principles, policies, and procedures, including the policies and procedures for safeguarding and child protection, whistleblowing, and online safety.
Staying within the law at all times.
Modelling good behaviour for children and young people to follow.
Challenging all inappropriate behaviour.
Reporting all concerns about abusive behaviour, following our safeguarding and child protection procedures. This includes inappropriate behaviour displayed by an adult or child and directed at anybody of any age.
Respecting children and young people.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring will:

Always listen to and respect children.
Value and take children’s contributions seriously, actively involving them in planning activities wherever possible.
Respect a young person’s right to personal privacy as far as possible, if it is necessary to break confidentiality to follow child protection procedures, this will be explained to the child or young person at the earliest opportunity.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring will:

Treat children and young people fairly and without prejudice or discrimination.
Understand that children and young people are individuals with individual needs.
Respect differences in gender, sexual orientation, culture, race, ethnicity, disability, and religious belief systems, and appreciate that all children and young people bring something valuable and different to each session.
Challenge discrimination and prejudice.
Encourage young people and adults to speak out about attitudes or behaviour that makes them uncomfortable.

Appropriate relationships.

Inspired to accomplish tutoring will:

Promote relationships that are based on openness, honesty, trust, and respect.
Avoid showing favouritism.
Be patient with others.
Exercise caution when discussing sensitive issues with children or young people.
Ensure any contact with children and young people is appropriate and relevant to the nature of the activity.
Only provide personal care in an emergency and make sure there is more than one adult present if possible.

Inappropriate behaviour.

When working with children and young people, Inspired to accomplish tutoring will not:

Allow concerns or allegations to go unreported.
Take unnecessary risks.
Smoke, consume alcohol or use illegal substances.
Develop inappropriate relationships with children and young people.
Make inappropriate promises to children and young people.
Engage in behaviour that is in any way abusive, including having any form of sexual contact with a child or young person.
Let children and young people have personal contact details (mobile number, email, or postal address) or have contact with them via a personal social media account.
Act in a way that could be perceived as threatening or intrusive.
Patronise or belittle children and young people.
Make sarcastic, insensitive, derogatory, or sexually suggestive comments or gestures to or in front of children and young people.

More information can be found at Behaviour management and codes of conduct | NSPCC Learning

NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000