1. Our commitment
Avero Learning connects children with adult tutors over live video. We take the safety of every child who uses our Service seriously, and this policy sets out how we work to protect them, in line with the spirit of UK statutory safeguarding guidance such as Working Together to Safeguard Children, even though Avero Learning is a private tutoring platform rather than a school.
2. Designated Safeguarding Lead
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is responsible for handling any safeguarding concern raised about the platform.
Joshua John
Email: Joshua@averolearning.co.uk
Phone: +44 7865 803007
3. Vetting tutors
Before a tutor can be booked by a student, we require:
- An enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certificate reference, which an administrator manually verifies before approving the tutor's profile;
- [Add: identity verification, references, an interview or trial session, and any other checks actually performed];
- Agreement to this Safeguarding Policy and our tutor code of conduct (section 4).
A tutor's DBS-verified status is shown on their public profile. We re-check DBS status periodically. [Confirm and state the actual re-check interval — DBS certificates don't expire automatically, so a policy on refresh frequency is needed.] We reserve the right to remove any tutor from the platform immediately if a safeguarding concern is raised about them, pending investigation.
4. Code of conduct for tutors
Tutors using Avero Learning agree to:
- Conduct all sessions through the platform's video and whiteboard tools only — never move a session to a personal messaging app, phone number, or other platform;
- Maintain a professional relationship with students at all times;
- Never request personal contact details from a student, or share their own outside of what the platform provides;
- Dress, speak, and behave appropriately for a session with a child, and ensure their session background/environment is appropriate;
- End a session immediately and report to the DSL if anything makes them concerned for a child's welfare; and
- Never be alone with a child outside of the recorded/monitored platform session (see section 5).
5. Session monitoring
[State the actual policy here and make sure the product matches it. For example: are live sessions recorded? If so, for how long are recordings kept, who can access them, and are parents told recordings exist? If sessions are not recorded, what alternative monitoring exists — e.g. can a parent or admin join a session, or is there a post-session flagging mechanism? This is one of the most important sections of this policy and should not be left as a placeholder before launch.]
6. Parental involvement
We encourage a parent or guardian to be nearby during a child's first few sessions with a new tutor, and to review AI tutor chat history and session activity from their dashboard. Parents/guardians create or approve their child's account and can contact us to review, pause, or close it at any time.
7. Recognising a concern
A safeguarding concern might include (but isn't limited to): a tutor asking a child for personal contact details or to move communication off-platform, inappropriate language or behaviour during a session, a child disclosing something concerning during a session, or a tutor repeatedly behaving unprofessionally.
8. Reporting a concern
Anyone — a student, parent, tutor, or member of the public — can report a safeguarding concern to our Designated Safeguarding Lead using the contact details in section 2, or via our Contact page. If a child is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services (999 in the UK) first. You can also contact the NSPCC (0808 800 5000) for advice on reporting a concern about a child.
9. How we respond
Every report is reviewed by the DSL. Depending on severity, this may include suspending a tutor's account pending investigation, contacting the family involved, and — where a child may be at risk of harm — contacting the relevant local authority children's services or the police. We keep a confidential record of concerns raised and how they were handled.
10. Data handling for safeguarding records
Safeguarding records are kept confidential, accessible only to the DSL/deputy DSL and relevant administrators, and retained in line with our Privacy Policy and applicable legal requirements — typically longer than standard account data, given the sensitivity of safeguarding records. [Confirm the specific retention period with a solicitor.]
11. Reviewing this policy
This policy is reviewed at least annually, and after any safeguarding incident, by the Designated Safeguarding Lead.