Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

1.2 We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every student, and we expect everyone involved in Econora to share this commitment.

1.3 We recognise that teaching online carries specific risks that differ from in-person teaching, and this policy is written for that setting.

1.4 A note on our size. Econora is a small company currently run by two founders. We are not a school and are not required by law to have this policy, but we choose to hold ourselves to a high standard because we teach children. Where this policy commits us to something we have not yet put fully in place, we say so and give a date.

2.1 This policy applies to both founders, any future tutors, contractors or staff, and anyone acting on Econora's behalf. It covers all contact with students, whether in live classes, 1-to-1 check-ins, recordings, WhatsApp support, or any other channel.

3.1 The DSL (Rohan) has lead responsibility for safeguarding. The DSL sits outside teaching delivery, so that a concern about a session is received by someone other than the person who ran it.

3.2 The Deputy DSL (Nikhil) acts where the DSL is unavailable. Because Nikhil delivers the teaching, any concern or allegation that relates to Nikhil must go to the DSL or to the external routes in [section 10](/safeguarding#section-10) – not to Nikhil. See section 10 for allegations against a founder.

3.3 Keeping our safeguarding knowledge current. The DSL and Deputy DSL keep themselves familiar with current safeguarding guidance and best practice, including the Department for Education's *Keeping Children Safe in Education* and *Working Together to Safeguard Children*, and NSPCC guidance. The DSL reviews this policy at least annually and after any incident or relevant change in guidance or law.

4.1 Safeguarding means protecting children from harm, ensuring they grow up safely, and taking action where there is a concern.

4.2 Abuse can take several forms, and a child may experience more than one:

• Physical abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual abuse, including online sexual abuse
• Neglect

4.3 Because we work online, we are particularly alert to:

• Grooming – an adult building a relationship with a child to exploit or abuse them;
• Online sexual harassment or exploitation;
• Sharing of nude or sexual images ("sexting"), including a child sharing images of themselves;
• Bullying, including online;
• Radicalisation and exposure to extremist content;
• Signs of abuse or neglect happening in the child's own home or environment, which may become visible during an online session;
• mental health difficulties, self-harm, or a child in crisis.

5.1 We will never see a child in person day-to-day. We cannot see a bruise or watch a child in a corridor. Recognising concerns online is harder and requires attention to different signs.

5.2 Signs that may cause concern include:

• a student who suddenly stops turning their camera on, or whose engagement drops sharply;
• something visible or audible in the background of a video call that raises concern;
• something a student says – in a class, a check-in, the chat, or a WhatsApp message;
• a disclosure – a student telling us directly that something is wrong;
• messages sent at unusual times, or content suggesting distress, self-harm, or that a child is unsafe;
• a change in a student's mood, appearance or behaviour over time;
• concerns about how an adult (including a parent) interacts with the student.

5.3 A single sign rarely confirms anything. We record concerns, look at patterns, and act on our professional judgment. If in doubt, we treat it as a safeguarding concern and consult the DSL. It is not our job to decide whether abuse has occurred – it is our job to recognise, record and refer.

These rules are non-negotiable. They protect students, and they protect tutors from misunderstanding or false allegations.

6.1 Accounts and channels. Tutors use only Econora work accounts – work email (@econora.co.uk), the Econora Zoom account, and WhatsApp Business. Personal accounts, personal phone numbers and personal social media are never used to contact students.

6.2 No private contact. Tutors do not privately message students. WhatsApp support happens in group chats that include a parent/guardian. There is no one-to-one messaging with a student on any platform, no personal social media contact, no friend or follow requests, no contact on gaming or chat platforms.

6.3 No contact outside scheduled sessions. Tutors do not arrange or hold 1-to-1 sessions with a student outside the scheduled check-in every two weeks.

6.4 Sessions happen in published hours. No late-night sessions. All teaching and check-ins take place within Econora's published working hours.

6.5 Environment. Tutors teach from a quiet, neutral space, appropriately dressed, with no other adult in shot or within earshot of a 1-to-1.

6.6 Class settings. Waiting rooms are enabled. Session links are unique and are never posted publicly. Students may keep their cameras off.

6.7 Recording of 1-to-1 check-ins. All 1-to-1 check-ins are recorded as a safeguarding measure. The recording captures the tutor's camera, the tutor's screen, and the audio of the tutor, student, and parent – never the student's or parent's camera. These recordings:

• are made for safeguarding and quality purposes only;
• are stored securely with access restricted to the DSL, and every access is logged;
• are automatically deleted after 30 days, unless a concern has been raised, in which case the relevant recording is placed on hold and retained under section 12;
• are never published on the Portal, shared with the account holder, or shown to other students.

6.8 Breaches of these rules by a tutor are treated as a serious matter and may themselves be a safeguarding concern under section 10.

7.1 A student may tell us something that raises a safeguarding concern. If they do, the person who receives it will:

• listen calmly and take it seriously;
• not promise confidentiality – explain gently that to keep them safe, we may need to tell someone who can help;
• not investigate, interview, or lead the student – ask only enough to understand the concern;
• not react with shock or judgment;
• record what was said, in the student's own words, as soon as possible afterwards;
• report to the DSL the same day (or to the deputy/external routes if the concern involves the DSL).

7.2 We never delay taking action on a concern that a child is at immediate risk.

8.1 Any concern is recorded on a safeguarding concern form held in a dedicated, access-restricted folder in Econora's Google Workspace, separate from the ordinary student record and accessible only to the DSL, noting what was seen or heard, when, who was involved, and what was done. Records are factual, dated, and kept secure (section 12).

8.2 Concerns are reported to the DSL without delay. The DSL decides the next step, which may be to monitor, to seek advice, or to refer to an external agency.

8.3 We keep a secure, restricted log of safeguarding concerns and actions, separate from the ordinary student record.

9.1 Where a child may be at risk of harm, the DSL will refer to the appropriate external agency without needing the account holder's consent, and without telling them first where doing so would increase the risk to the child.

9.2 Referral routes. Because our students are spread across the country, a referral about a student's safety goes to that student's local area. We capture each student's home local authority at onboarding so we can act quickly.

9.3 We may also contact the student's school where we believe a child is at risk. We recognise this is a judgment call, and we will make it in the child's best interests.

10.1 Econora is currently run by two founders, one of whom (Nikhil) delivers the teaching. We recognise this creates a specific risk: a concern or allegation may relate to a founder. Our structure must not allow a founder to handle an allegation about themselves.

10.2 An allegation against Nikhil (or any tutor) is handled by the DSL (Rohan), and is referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) – it is not investigated internally by Econora.

10.3 An allegation against the DSL (Rohan) is referred by the deputy (Nikhil) directly to the LADO, bypassing internal handling entirely.

10.4 In either case we will follow the LADO's guidance, cooperate fully, and not attempt to investigate the matter ourselves.

10.5 LADO contact: Slough Borough Council LADO, LADO@sloughchildrenfirst.co.uk, 07927 681858

10.6 Duty to refer to the DBS. If we ever remove a tutor from working with children because they have harmed or posed a risk to a child, we understand we may have a legal duty to refer them to the Disclosure and Barring Service, and we will do so.

11.1 Not every concern is a referral. A "low-level concern" is any behaviour by a tutor or someone connected to Econora that sits below the threshold of harm but doesn't feel right – for example, a blurred professional boundary.

11.2 We encourage these to be raised early with the DSL, without fear of overreacting. Recording and discussing low-level concerns is how problems are caught before they grow. Low-level concerns are recorded and reviewed.

12.1 Safeguarding records are factual, written promptly, stored securely, and shared only with those who need to know.

12.2 Safeguarding records are kept separate from the ordinary student record, encrypted, with access restricted to the DSL.

12.3 Retention. Because safeguarding records may be needed many years later, we retain safeguarding concerns and referral records until at least the student's 25th birthday, and in some cases longer. This is explained in our Privacy Policy.

12.4 The account holder does not have access to safeguarding records (see Privacy Policy).

13.1 Before anyone teaches or has contact with students, we carry out appropriate checks. This includes obtaining a DBS check at the appropriate level and confirming identity and references.

13.2 Nikhil holds an Enhanced DBS certificate with a check of the Children's Barred List, for the child workforce (certificate no. 001910862464, issued 23 January 2025), which showed no convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings, or barred list matches. This certificate is not currently registered with the DBS Update Service.

13.3 We maintain a recruitment and vetting procedure, which we will follow for any future tutor or staff member.

14.1 We involve parents and carers in a student's learning, and give account holders access to attendance, progress and recordings.

14.2 However, where involving a parent or carer would place a child at greater risk – for example where the concern relates to the home – we may act without informing them first, and safeguarding records are not visible to the account holder.

15.1 Anyone connected to Econora who has a concern about how a safeguarding matter is being handled, or about the conduct of a founder, should raise it with the DSL, or externally with:

• the NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line – 0800 028 0285;
• the relevant LADO or local authority;
• the police.

16.1 This policy sits alongside our Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and student code of conduct.

16.2 We review this policy at least annually, and after any safeguarding incident or relevant change in guidance or law. The DSL owns the review.