Safeguarding Policy

Click here to view a PDF of our Safeguarding Policy.

Introduction:
m2r Education are a multi award winning provider of international education services and corporate members of The Tutors’ Association. These services include the recruitment of full-time teachers to work in overseas schools and also the supply of short term and long term tutors who carry out assignments, face to face, or online. These assignments can take place in the home of a young person, or at school.

m2r Education is committed to the protection of all children. All children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or gender identity, have a right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.

Our Safeguarding Policy is in line with statutory guidance including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2023). Keeping children safe in education defines safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Definitions:
The Children Act 1989 definition of a child is: anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday, even if they are living independently, are a member of the armed forces or is in hospital.

Child Abuse: Children may be vulnerable to neglect and abuse or exploitation from within their family and from individuals they come across in their daily lives. There are 4 main categories of abuse, which are: sexual, physical, emotional abuse, and neglect. It is important to be aware of more specific types of abuse that fall within these categories, they are:

• Bullying and cyberbullying - Bullying is behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally. Bullying can take many forms (for instance, cyber-bullying via text messages, social media or gaming, which can include the use of images and video) and is often motivated by prejudice against particular groups, for example on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, special educational needs or disabilities, or because a child is adopted, in care or has caring responsibilities. It might be motivated by actual differences between children, or perceived differences.
• Child sexual exploitation - Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator.
• Child Criminal exploitation - Occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child Criminal Exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.
• Child trafficking - Trafficking does not necessarily involve travel to another county or even long distance nationally, a child can be trafficked within their own area, especially in relation to child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation. Exploitation can also include forced labour, domestic servitude or the removal of organs.
• County Lines - County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of “deal line”. This activity can happen locally as well as across the UK - no specified distance of travel is required. Children and vulnerable adults are exploited to move, store and sell drugs and money. Offenders will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons to ensure compliance of victims. Children can be targeted and recruited into county lines in a number of locations including any type of schools (including special schools), further and higher educational institutions, pupil referral units, children’s homes and care homes.
• Domestic abuse - Domestic abuse affects all parts of society, regardless of perceived social status, type of relationships (e.g. same sex or heterosexual), gender identity, cultural or religious background. Where there is domestic abuse in the family the children suffer.
• Female genital mutilation - FGM comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. It is illegal in the UK and a form of child abuse with long-lasting harmful consequences.
• Grooming - When someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them.
• Historical abuse - Non-recent child abuse, sometimes called historical abuse, is when an adult was abused as a child or young person under the age of 18.
• Online abuse - Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet. It can happen across any device that’s connected to the web, like computers, tablets and mobile phones
• Child on child abuse - This form of abuse is when there is any kind of physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse or coercive control exercised between children/young people both on and offline. Downplaying certain behaviours, for example dismissing sexual harassment as “just banter”, “just having a laugh”, “part of growing up” or “boys being boys”; or not recognising that emotional bullying can sometimes be more damaging than physical harm and should be taken equally seriously, can lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviours, an unsafe environment for children and in worst case scenarios, a culture that normalises abuse leading to children/young people accepting it as normal and not coming forward to report it.
• Mental Health - Negative experiences such as abuse and neglect can adversely impact a child's mental health. Mental health issues can also sometimes lead to safeguarding and child protection issues, for example if a child's mental health begins to put them or other people at risk of harm.
• Serious Violence - Indicators, which may signal children are at risk from, or are involved with, serious violent crime may include increased absence from school or college, a change in friendships or relationships with older individuals or groups, a significant decline in educational performance, signs of self-harm or a significant change in wellbeing, or signs of assault or unexplained injuries. Unexplained gifts or new possessions could also indicate that children have been approached by, or are involved with, individuals associated with criminal networks or gangs and may be at risk of criminal exploitation.

Children who are absent from education:
Children being absent from school or college, particularly repeatedly and/or for prolonged periods, and children missing education can act as a vital warning sign of a range of safeguarding possibilities. This may include abuse and neglect such as sexual abuse or exploitation and can also be a sign of child criminal exploitation including involvement in county lines. It may indicate mental health problems, risk of substance abuse, risk of travelling to conflict zones, risk of female genital mutilation, so called ‘honour’-based abuse or risk of forced marriage. Since February 2023 it has also been a crime to carry out any conduct whose purpose is to cause a child to marry before their eighteenth birthday, even if violence, threats or another form of coercion are not used. As with the existing forced marriage law, this applies to non-binding, unofficial ‘marriages’ as well as legal marriages. Early intervention is essential to identify the existence of any underlying safeguarding risk and to help prevent the risks of a child going missing in future. It is important that all tutors are aware of the school’s or college’s unauthorised absence procedures and children missing education procedures.

Safeguarding children: Safeguarding children is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 as:

• protecting children from maltreatment.
• preventing impairment of children’s health or development.
• ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Legal Framework:
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England. A summary of the key legislation is available from nspcc.org.uk/learning.

m2r Education have in place arrangements that reflect the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people as well as vulnerable adults.

The Prevent duty
Some organisations in England, Scotland and Wales have a duty, as a specified authority under section 26 of the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015, to identify vulnerable children and young people and prevent them from being drawn into terrorism. This is known as the Prevent duty. These organisations include:

• Schools
• Registered childcare provider
• Local authorities
• Police
• Prisons and probation services
• NHS trusts and foundations.
• Other organisations may also have Prevent duties if they perform delegated local authority functions.

Children can be exposed to different views and receive information from various sources. Some of these views may be considered radical or extreme.

Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support or be involved in extremist ideologies. It can result in a person becoming drawn into terrorism and is in itself a form of harm.

Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

Suspicions of Abuse:
Allegations against a tutor who may have behaved in a way that has or may have harmed a child, or committed a criminal office either against or related to a child, or behaved towards a child in a way that suggests he or she is unsuitable to work with children, should be reported immediately to the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) or DCPO (Designated Child Protection Officer) in the local authority where the incident is alleged to have taken place.

m2r Education will:

• Follow local inter-agency procedures when required.
• Ensure that we practise safer recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and tutors to work with children and young people. See our separate Safer Recruitment Policy;
• Be alert to signs of abuse and protect each child from any form of abuse, whether from an adult or another pupil;
• Deal appropriately with every suspicion or complaint of abuse and support children who have been abused in accordance with his / her agreed child protection plan;
• Design and operate procedures which, so far as possible, ensure that tutors and others who are innocent are not prejudiced by false allegations;
• Be alert to the needs of children with physical and mental health conditions;
• Operate robust and sensible health and safety procedures.
• Assess the risk of children being drawn into terrorism, including support for extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology, based on an understanding of the potential risk in the local area;
• Consider and develop procedures to deal with any other safeguarding issues which may be specific to individual children in the local areas.

Child Protection Incidents:
A Child Protection incident usually includes some of the following scenarios but this list is not intended to be a formal and all-inclusive definition. A typical CP incident is when: –

• a tutor receives some information about a child or young person either from the child.
• directly or from another source, which could potentially cause serious harm to the child, either physically or psychologically.
• directly or from another source, which could potentially cause serious harm to the child, either physically or psychologically.
• a tutor observes a situation (e.g. risk in a child’s environment which could potentially cause serious physical or psychological harm).
• a company/agency and/or parent receives information about a tutor either from the child directly or from another source, that could potentially cause serious harm to the child, either physically or psychologically.

Recording a Child Protection Incident:
All Child Protection incidents must be reported to the DSL as soon as possible. It is essential to:

• Speak individually with all parties concerned
• Write a record of all conversations
• Write up all telephone conversations with a written report to send to LADO/Child Protection Unit (at the local authority where the incident took place) who will deal with the allegation.

All allegations should be dealt with expeditiously, thoroughly, fairly and with common sense and professional judgement. Any investigation should be carried out as quickly as possible and a decision reached as to whether the allegation is borne out or not supported. Dependent on this the outcome of the investigation could have one of three outcomes: a)unsubstantiated, b) substantiated in part or in whole but can be dealt with by disciplinary procedures. c) substantiated and requiring formal referral in the first instance to the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) or DCPO (Designated Child Protection Officer.)

If a child is in immediate danger or is at risk of harm, a referral should be made to children’s social care and / or the police immediately. If a crime is committed, this should be reported within one working day. Anyone can make a referral in these circumstances.

Tutors must report to the police known cases of Female Genital Mutilation in under 18s.

Making a Referral:
Confirmation of any referrals made to LADO/Child Protection Unit (at the local authority where the incident took place) and details of the decision as to what course of action will be taken should be received from the local authority within one working day. If this is not received, the DSL should contact children’s social care again.

If after a referral the child’s situation does not appear to be improving, the DSL (or the person that made the referral) should press for reconsideration to ensure their concerns are addressed and that the child’s situation improves.

Where relevant, m2r Education will co-operate with the Channel panel and the police in providing any relevant information so that each can effectively carry out its functions to determine whether an individual is vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. m2r Education will respond to requests for information from the police promptly and in any event within five to ten working days.

Tutors should also feel able to follow m2r Education’s whistleblowing policy to raise concerns about poor or unsafe safeguarding practices and that such concerns will be taken seriously. The NSPCC whistleblowing helpline is available for tutors who do not feel able to raise concerns about child protection failures internally.

Informing Parents and Schools:
Parents and schools where we work, will normally be kept informed as appropriate of any action to be taken under these procedures. However, there may be circumstances when the Designated Safeguarding Lead will need to consult the Designated Officer(s), children’s social care and / or the police before discussing details with parents.

In relation to Channel referrals, the DSL will consider seeking the consent of the pupil (or their parent / guardian) when determining what information can be shared. Whether or not consent is sought will be dependent on the circumstances of the case but may relate to issues such as the health of the individual, law enforcement or protection of the public.

Safety
The safety of the people we work with is paramount and we are committed to providing a safe environment within which to work. Those working with children should ensure all appropriate risk assessments and security checks have been carried out prior to any assignment.

Any equipment used must be safe and only used for the purpose for which it is intended. Users should be adequately trained. Appropriate insurance should be up-to-date and adequate to cover such assignments.

Confidentiality:
All personal information regarding children is highly confidential and should only be shared with appropriate people on a need to know basis. Information is stored by the m2r Education on a secure online file hosting service.

Anyone who is likely to have access to confidential material regarding children, or any of the bodies on behalf of whom m2r Education is working, will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The requirement for confidentiality is emphasised.

The DSL will open a child protection file following a report to her of a child protection concern about a child. The DSL will record all discussions with both staff/tutors and external agencies, decisions made and the reasons for them and detail of the action taken.

Training and Awareness:
m2r Education will ensure an appropriate level of safeguarding training is available to its Trustees, Employees, Volunteers and any relevant persons linked to the organisation who requires it (e.g. contractors).

For all employees who are working or volunteering with children, this requires them as a minimum to have awareness training that enables them to:

Understand what safeguarding is and their role in safeguarding children.

• Recognise a child potentially in need of safeguarding and take action.
• Understand how to report a safeguarding Alert.
• Understand dignity and respect when working with children.
• Have knowledge of the Safeguarding Children Policy.

Confidentiality and Information Sharing:
m2r Education expect all employees, tutors and volunteers to maintain confidentiality. Information will only be shared in line with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Data Protection.

However, information should be shared with the Local Authority if a child is deemed to be at risk of harm or contact the police if they are in immediate danger, or a crime has been committed.

Safer Recruitment & Selection:
m2r Education is committed to safe employment and safe recruitment practices, that reduce the risk of harm to children from people unsuitable to work with them or have contact with them.

m2r Education has policies and procedures that that cover the recruitment of all Trustees, employees and volunteers.

Our Tutors:
All m2r Education tutors are qualified teachers with enhanced DBS checks or similar if they live and work outside of the UK. Our Safer Recruitment policy is very robust and every prospective tutor must meet the following guidelines:

In line with safer recruitment practices, tutors must provide a current enhanced DBS / police clearance certificate (if worked overseas), documentary evidence of educational and teaching qualifications, relevant ID and 2 professional references prior to being offered any tutoring work by m2r Education.

Tutors must disclose any criminal convictions or cautions they may have to m2r Education, including any criminal convictions or cautions received at any time after having registered as a tutor and for as long as the tutor remains active with m2r Education.

If a tutor is in any doubt of who to contact then the details for our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) are below.

Related Policies:
Tutor Agreement

Conduct of our Tutors:
All m2r Education Tutors have received safeguarding and child protection training, plus Prevent Duty (updated 2021) training, either independently, via us or through their school and this will be renewed in accordance with current guidance in KSCiE2023.

Tutors must ensure all reasonable steps are taken to protect children from harm, discrimination and demeaning treatment and to respect their rights.

• Tutors are responsible for their own online security in conjunction with our services, both online and face to face
• Should a tutor need to directly contact the student then this must only be done via email and with m2r Education / a parent / guardian / teacher in cc.
• A tutor must not contact the student by any other means or attempt to engage via social media. If a student attempts to contact a tutor outside of a tutoring session then m2r Education must be informed immediately.
• If tutoring online, no lessons must be recorded without prior approval of m2r Education and the parent / guardian / teacher of the student
• Tutors understand that it is unlawful to photograph children and young people without the explicit consent of the person with parental responsibilities.
• No gifts must be offered or accepted from a student without prior consent of m2r Education, the parent / guardian / teacher etc
• There must be no physical contact with a student unless to prevent an accident or administer first aid if no one else is present, however a tutor must always seek prior consent by the student. If an incident occurs in a school setting, then the tutor must always look to seek assistance from a Teacher or other member of staff.
• If the student becomes distressed, the tutor must always inform a member of staff / parent / guardian immediately.

It is illegal for a teacher/tutor to enter into a sexual relationship with a student, even if the student is over the age of consent (i.e., over 16). Tutors, like schoolteachers, are operating in a similar position of trust and thus must also abide by this law.

Breach of this policy:
Failure to follow the guidelines in this policy is considered a serious offence and will be investigated thoroughly. For further guidance on information sharing and safeguarding contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL):

• Name: Munir Mamujee (Director)
• Email: munir@m2reducation.com

Or our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead:

• Name: Victoria Gorst (Tutoring Manager)
• Email: victoria@m2reducation.com

Any queries or comments about this policy should be addressed to Munir Mamujee MBE, Managing Director, m2r Education.