Safeguarding policy.

Our commitment

Every child has the right to learn safely. TutorKiwi follows the principles of the UK government's statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children, and Keeping Children Safe in Education. Safeguarding comes before every commercial decision we make.

If a child is in immediate danger

Who is responsible

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is George Odiana, contactable at safeguarding@tutorkiwi.com. The DSL is responsible for this policy, staff and tutor training, handling concerns and referrals, and reviewing this policy at least once a year.

How we vet tutors

• Identity check against official photo ID.
• UK-based tutors: an Enhanced DBS certificate (or registration on the DBS Update Service), checked by us.
• Tutors outside the UK: a police certificate from their home country (for example, a Nigeria Police Force character certificate), dated within the last 12 months. Their profile says "Police-checked in their home country", never "DBS checked".
• Right-to-work declaration, qualifications and experience check, two references and an interview.
• Safeguarding training before the first lesson, then a refresher every year.
• Checks are repeated every 3 years, and immediately if we have any concern.

No tutor can be matched with a child until vetting is complete and recorded.

How we keep lessons safe

• All lessons happen in the TutorKiwi classroom. Lessons are not recorded.
• Tutors and children can only chat and share files while a booked, paid lesson is open. There is no private messaging outside lessons.
• Parents can see all lesson chat and files, live and afterwards.
• Our systems scan chat for warning signs, such as requests for personal contact details, meeting up, or harmful language. Every flag is reviewed by a person.
• Children have a private "Something not right? Tell TutorKiwi" button in every lesson, which goes straight to our safeguarding team.
• Children's profiles are never public, and tutors only see what they need to teach.

Tutor code of conduct

Tutors must:

• teach only through TutorKiwi and never ask for or share personal contact details, social media or meetings outside the platform;
• teach from a quiet, appropriate space, dressed appropriately, with the camera on;
• never record, photograph or screenshot a child;
• never give gifts, ask for secrets or single a child out for special attention;
• use language that is professional, kind and suitable for the child's age;
• report any concern about a child to our DSL the same day, even if it seems small.

Breaking the code leads to suspension and investigation, and where appropriate, referral to the authorities and removal from TutorKiwi.

How to raise a concern

• Children: press "Something not right? Tell TutorKiwi" in the lesson, or tell a trusted adult.
• Parents: email safeguarding@tutorkiwi.com with what happened and when. You don't need proof.
• Tutors: report to the DSL immediately through the tutor portal or by email.

What we do when a concern is raised

1. We acknowledge every concern within 24 hours, and urgent ones straight away.
2. If a child may be at risk, we suspend the tutor's access to lessons while we look into it.
3. We keep a confidential written record of what was reported, what we did and why.
4. Where the law or good practice requires it, we refer to the police, local authority children's services or the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). For tutors outside the UK, we report to the relevant local authorities and to the family's local authorities in the UK.
5. If we remove a UK tutor because they harmed or posed a risk to a child, we make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service, as the law requires.
6. We tell the parent what we can, without putting the child or an investigation at risk.

Reviewing this policy

We review this policy at least once a year, after any serious incident, and when the law or guidance changes.