Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy

The Learning Lodge will operate this policy as its core safeguarding framework. It is aligned with current safeguarding expectations in England, including Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026, Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 where relevant, and current information-sharing guidance. The precise statutory duties that apply to The Learning Lodge will depend on its registration, activities and delivery model; this policy does not replace any legal or regulatory advice or local safeguarding procedures.

1. Purpose and commitment

The Learning Lodge is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child and young person who attends, receives tutoring from, or otherwise comes into contact with the organisation. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Our approach is child-centred. We will listen to children, take concerns seriously, act promptly and work with parents/carers and other professionals when this is in the child's best interests. We recognise that children may experience more than one form of harm and that children with additional needs, disabilities or communication differences may face increased barriers to being heard.

The Learning Lodge will maintain a culture in which children feel safe, respected and able to speak about worries. We will never assume that someone else will report a concern.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• Jaclyn Kay, the DSL, and all directors/owners of The Learning Lodge.
• All tutors, employees, sessional workers, volunteers, students on placement and contractors.
• Visitors or other adults who may have contact with children while working on behalf of The Learning Lodge.
• Children attending individual or small-group tutoring, including children accessing alternative or flexible educational support.
• Safeguarding concerns arising online, outside the setting, at home or in the community where they affect a child's safety or welfare.

3. Safeguarding principles

• The welfare of the child is paramount.
• Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.
• A child-centred approach will be maintained: the child's voice, wishes, feelings and lived experience matter.
• Concerns will be acted on without delay and recorded accurately.
• Information will be shared lawfully and proportionately when this is necessary to safeguard a child.
• The Learning Lodge will work constructively with schools, social care, health services, police and other agencies.
• We will use professional curiosity and will not dismiss concerns because an explanation appears plausible.
• Children will be treated fairly and without discrimination. Additional vulnerabilities and barriers to communication will be considered.

4. Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Designated Safeguarding Lead for The Learning Lodge is:

Jaclyn Kay - Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The DSL has overall responsibility for safeguarding arrangements, including receiving and responding to concerns, maintaining safeguarding records, making referrals, liaising with external agencies, ensuring staff training and keeping this policy under review.

A Deputy DSL will be formally appointed before the service begins operating with children. The deputy will be trained to the same appropriate level and will be able to act whenever the DSL is unavailable.

If a child is at immediate risk of harm, staff must not wait for the DSL before taking appropriate emergency action.

5. Safeguarding contacts

Local safeguarding arrangements will be checked regularly against the current Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership arrangements. The DSL will keep a current contact sheet accessible to staff.

6. Recognising abuse, neglect and exploitation

Staff must be alert to signs of:

• Physical abuse.
• Emotional or psychological abuse.
• Sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.
• Neglect.
• Domestic abuse and the impact of domestic abuse on children.
• Child-on-child abuse, including bullying, sexual harassment, sexual violence, harmful sexual behaviour and abuse in intimate relationships.
• Online abuse, grooming, exploitation, cyberbullying and harmful online content.
• Criminal exploitation, county lines and other forms of exploitation.
• Modern slavery or trafficking.
• Female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and so-called honour-based abuse.
• Radicalisation and risks associated with extremism.
• Serious violence and risks associated with weapons.
• Self-harm or other behaviours indicating that a child may be at risk, while recognising that safeguarding responses should focus on the underlying risk and welfare.

No single indicator proves abuse. Staff should consider patterns, changes, context and the child's own account. A concern should be reported even where the member of staff is uncertain.

7. Responding to a concern or disclosure

If a child tells an adult about abuse, neglect or another safeguarding concern, the adult should:

• Listen calmly and allow the child to speak.
• Take the child seriously and acknowledge what they have said.
• Reassure the child that they have done the right thing by telling someone.
• Explain that you cannot promise confidentiality and that information may need to be shared to keep them safe.
• Use open, non-leading prompts only where necessary to clarify what the child means.
• Avoid investigating, interrogating, confronting an alleged perpetrator or asking the child to repeat their account unnecessarily.
• Record the child's words as accurately as possible, including date, time, context and any visible injuries or other relevant observations.
• Report the concern to the DSL immediately.

If the DSL cannot be contacted promptly, or if the concern is urgent, the adult must take appropriate action themselves, including contacting children's social care or the police.

8. Safeguarding records and information sharing

Safeguarding records will be factual, dated and stored securely. Records should distinguish clearly between fact, observation, the child's words, professional judgement and information received from another person.

• Record concerns as soon as possible and normally on the same day.
• Include what happened, who was involved, what the child said, actions taken, advice received, decisions made and the reasons for decisions.
• Do not record assumptions or opinions as fact.

Safeguarding records will be kept separately from general tutoring notes where appropriate and access will be restricted to those who need the information. Information will be shared on a need-to-know basis and in accordance with current data protection and safeguarding information-sharing requirements. Data protection will not be treated as a reason to withhold information where sharing is necessary and lawful to protect a child. Where a child is already known to children's social care, their allocated social worker or relevant professional will be contacted where appropriate.

9. Referral and escalation

The DSL will consider whether a concern requires early help, a safeguarding referral, police involvement, or another specialist response. The Learning Lodge will follow the local threshold arrangements in the child's area.

• Immediate danger: call 999.
• Concern that a child may be suffering or at risk of significant harm: contact children's social care promptly and share relevant information.
• Where a referral is made, the DSL will record the referral, advice received, actions taken and any follow-up required.

If concerns are not addressed or the response appears insufficient, the DSL will escalate through the appropriate local safeguarding arrangements. The Learning Lodge will continue to share relevant information with the child's school or other professionals where this is lawful, necessary and in the child's best interests.

10. Allegations or concerns about an adult working with children

Any allegation or concern about a member of staff, tutor, volunteer, contractor or other adult working with children will be taken seriously. This includes concerns that an adult:

• has behaved in a way that has harmed a child or may have harmed a child;
• may have committed a criminal offence against or related to a child;
• has behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm; or
• may otherwise be unsuitable to work with children.

The concern must be reported immediately to the DSL or, where the concern is about the DSL, to the appropriate local authority safeguarding/allegations management route. The DSL will seek advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) where the allegation meets the relevant threshold and will follow local procedures. The person subject to an allegation will not lead the investigation into the allegation.

For Kent, the DSL will use the current Kent LADO arrangements and contact details rather than relying on a personal contact list that may become out of date.

11. Low-level concerns and professional boundaries

The Learning Lodge will promote a culture in which staff can report behaviour that may appear inconsistent with the organisation's professional standards, even where it does not meet the threshold for an allegation.

• Examples may include inappropriate language, over-familiarity, unnecessary physical contact, inappropriate online communication, favouritism or boundary crossing.
• Low-level concerns will be recorded and reviewed by the DSL.
• Patterns will be considered, as repeated low-level concerns may indicate a wider safeguarding issue.
• A concern about the DSL should be reported to an appropriate alternative safeguarding contact.

12. Safer recruitment and suitability

The Learning Lodge will use safer recruitment practices appropriate to the role and the nature of the work. Checks will be completed before an individual starts work where required.

• Identity and right-to-work checks where applicable.
• References and employment history checks appropriate to the role.
• Appropriate DBS checks and barred-list checks where legally required and eligible.
• Consideration of safeguarding and suitability information throughout recruitment.
• A written record of required checks and their completion.
• Appropriate induction, including safeguarding, professional boundaries, behaviour, online safety, whistleblowing and reporting procedures.

The DSL will keep under review whether the activities delivered by The Learning Lodge require additional registration, regulatory approval or specific staffing checks.

13. Training and induction

All adults working with children will receive safeguarding induction before working independently with children. Training will be refreshed at appropriate intervals and whenever there is a significant change in guidance, law or local safeguarding arrangements.

• Recognising abuse, neglect and exploitation.
• How to respond to disclosures and record concerns.
• Local referral and escalation procedures.
• Online safety and digital safeguarding.
• Child-on-child abuse and harmful sexual behaviour.
• Preventing radicalisation and recognising extremist or exploitation risks.
• Professional boundaries and safer working practices.
• Whistleblowing and allegations against adults.
• Safeguarding children with SEND and children who may communicate differently.

The DSL will maintain a safeguarding training record for all relevant adults.

14. Safeguarding children with SEND or additional needs

The Learning Lodge recognises that children with SEND, communication needs, disabilities or other additional vulnerabilities may be at increased risk of abuse or may experience barriers to disclosure.

• Staff will adapt communication to the child's needs.
• A child should never be assumed not to understand or be unable to communicate a concern.
• The DSL will consider whether behaviour or presentation represents a change from the child's usual pattern.
• Staff will work with parents/carers and other professionals where appropriate, while recognising that information may need to be shared without parental consent where safeguarding requires it.
• Where a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan or other support plan, relevant safeguarding information will be considered alongside it.

15. Safer working practices at The Learning Lodge

Tutoring sessions will take place in a professional environment designed to support visibility, safety and appropriate boundaries.

• Where possible, adults should avoid situations where they are unnecessarily isolated from a child. The physical environment will be arranged to support safe practice.
• Parents/carers will be given clear arrangements for arrival, collection and contact.
• Children will not normally be transported by staff in private vehicles unless there is a separately agreed and risk-assessed arrangement.
• Personal phone numbers and social media accounts will not be used to communicate with children unless specifically authorised and appropriately managed.
• Physical contact will be limited to what is appropriate, necessary and safe, taking account of the child's needs and consent.
• Any physical intervention must be lawful, necessary, proportionate and recorded.
• Visitors will be appropriately managed and supervised.
• Accidents, injuries and health or safety concerns will be recorded and managed under the relevant procedures.

16. Attendance, absence and missing children

Because The Learning Lodge may provide tutoring outside normal school arrangements, attendance and collection procedures will be clearly agreed with parents/carers.

• Unexpected absence will be followed up according to the agreed arrangements.
• If a child is expected but does not arrive, staff will check the agreed emergency/contact arrangements and escalate concerns where appropriate.
• A child must not be allowed to leave with an unauthorised person.
• If a child goes missing from the setting, staff will immediately follow the emergency/missing child procedure, prioritising the child's safety and contacting the police where appropriate.
• Any safeguarding concern arising from unexplained absence, repeated non-attendance or changes in attendance will be considered by the DSL.

17. Online safety

Online safety is part of safeguarding. The Learning Lodge will consider risks arising from children's use of devices, the internet, social media, gaming, messaging and AI-enabled services.

• Children will be supported to understand online risks in an age-appropriate way.
• Staff will not communicate privately with children through personal social media accounts.
• Any online safeguarding concern will be reported to the DSL in the same way as an offline concern.
• Evidence of online abuse will not be forwarded unnecessarily; staff should preserve relevant information and seek DSL advice.
• The Learning Lodge will consider filtering, monitoring, device use and privacy arrangements appropriate to the technology it provides.

18. Confidentiality, consent and information sharing

Safeguarding information is sensitive, but confidentiality must never prevent appropriate action to protect a child. Staff must not promise a child that information will remain secret.

Where possible and appropriate, the DSL will explain to parents/carers what information will be shared and why. However, consent is not a prerequisite where information must be shared to protect a child and delaying action could increase risk.

19. Whistleblowing

All adults working for The Learning Lodge have a responsibility to raise concerns about unsafe practice. Concerns should normally be raised with the DSL or business leadership.

If a concern involves the DSL or cannot safely be raised internally, the individual should use an appropriate external safeguarding route, such as the local authority safeguarding service, LADO where relevant, police, or the NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line.

20. Child voice and complaints

Children will be encouraged to share their views about their experience at The Learning Lodge and to identify trusted adults. Children will be given information, in an age-appropriate format, about who they can talk to if they are worried.

Complaints will be taken seriously and considered separately from safeguarding where appropriate. A complaint that raises a safeguarding concern will be managed under this policy.

21. Equality, inclusion and anti-discrimination

The Learning Lodge is committed to an inclusive environment. Safeguarding practice will challenge discriminatory behaviour and consider how racism, disability discrimination, sexism, homophobia, transphobia or other forms of prejudice may affect children's safety and wellbeing.

22. Monitoring, review and quality assurance

• The DSL will review safeguarding arrangements regularly and at least annually.
• The policy will be updated when statutory guidance, local procedures or the organisation's activities change.
• Safeguarding concerns, training, recruitment checks and incidents will be reviewed to identify patterns and improvements.
• Learning from incidents, complaints, safeguarding reviews and professional advice will be used to strengthen practice.
• The DSL will ensure staff know how to access the latest version of this policy.

23. Related policies and procedures

• Safer Recruitment and Suitability Procedure
• Staff Code of Conduct / Professional Boundaries
• Health and Safety Policy
• Behaviour and Positive Relationships Policy
• Online Safety / Acceptable Use Policy
• Attendance and Missing Child Procedure
• Complaints Procedure
• Data Protection and Privacy Policy
• Whistleblowing Procedure
• First Aid / Medical Needs Procedure
• Prevent / Radicalisation Risk Assessment
• Risk assessments for the premises and tutoring activities

24. Statutory guidance and key references

• Department for Education, Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 (updated 1 September 2026).
• Department for Education, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 (updated 18 March 2026).
• Department for Education, Information Sharing to Safeguard Children and Young People (current statutory guidance, updated 10 September 2026).
• Kent County Council / Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership - current local safeguarding procedures and referral arrangements.
• Relevant legislation and guidance concerning child protection, safer recruitment, data protection, equality, Prevent, FGM and other safeguarding matters.