Safeguarding Policy
 
 
 
 
 
 
         SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY

         for

         JUST BETTER EDUCATION

         Introduction

        JUST BETTER EDUCATION (the Company) is a company run for the following purpose:

Providing extra-curricular tutoring online.

The Company is based at:
34 Hemingford Court
Gartlet Road
Watford
WD172AQ

Company Number: 12967066

The Company has adopted this safeguarding children policy and expects every adult working or helping at Company to support it and comply with it. Consequently, this policy shall apply to all staff, managers, trustees, directors, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of the Company.

Purpose of the Policy

This policy is intended to protect children who receive any service from us, including those who are the children of adults who may receive services from us. Under this policy, the term children shall mean any person who is under eighteen years of age. The Company believes that no child or young person should experience abuse or harm and is committed to the protection of children and young people. This policy is intended to provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff, to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.

The Risks to Children

Children can be vulnerable to different forms of abuse and harm. It is important to recognise that abuse and harm of children can cover a wide range of circumstances and behaviours. For example, children can be at risk of:
- physical or emotional abuse
- neglect
- sexual abuse
- female genital mutilation (FGM)
- grooming and exploitation
- trafficking and modern slavery
- exposure to or infliction of domestic abuse
- bullying or cyber bullying
- exposure to other inappropriate content or behaviour, such as violence or
criminal behaviour
- self-harm
- physical harm when engaging in activities without adequate supervision
 
The causal factors of any such harm and/or abuse can also be wide-ranging.  For example, children can be placed at risk by family members or by members of the community.

Safeguarding Principles

Safeguarding children from harm and abuse is an essential responsibility for our Company. We are committed to ensuring that any child who comes into contact with our services is properly safeguarded. Every person under this policy must ensure that they play an active role in ensuring that children are properly safeguarded. Every person under this policy holds responsibility for:

- remaining alert and aware of possible safeguarding risks to children
- guarding children against harmful environments with appropriate actions (for
example, adequate supervision or ensuring safe environments)
- taking positive steps to maintain the safety and well-being of children engaging
with us as a Company
- reporting concerns expeditiously and appropriately, in line with child protection
procedures
- understanding the duty to report specific concerns (and understanding how this
interplays with confidentiality)
- challenging any inappropriate or harmful behaviour of any other adult and
reporting this accordingly
- acting appropriately in the presence of children
- not taking any inappropriate risks
- not smoking, drinking or taking any form of illicit substances in the presence of
children

Safeguarding Officer

Any question, report or concern in relation to the safeguarding of children should be shared with our Safeguarding Officer:
Name: JESSICA BERGMAN
Email: justbettereducation@gmail.com
Telephone: FILL

Confidentiality and Data Protection
All personal information we may process relating to children, shall be processed and stored in accordance with our data protection privacy policy which can be located at: www.justbettereducation.co.uk

Responding to a Safeguarding Concern

Where a child is at immediate risk of serious harm, any adult present should call 999. Thereafter, the Safeguarding Officer should be contacted as soon as is reasonably practicable.
Where there is a safeguarding concern but no immediate risk of serious harm, the adult who has heard or witnessed this concern should consult with the Safeguarding Officer as soon as practicable and by no later than the end of that same day. Where any child makes a disclosure relating to harm or abuse to an adult, it is important to:
- listen calmly and carefully, showing that their views are taken seriously
- provide an appropriate and honest level of reassurance
- avoid interrogating children and asking probing, intrusive, and/or leading
questions
- avoid making false promises regarding secrets and confidentiality with the child
(because any concern of abuse/harm must be shared with the Safeguarding
Officer and any subsequent safeguarding referral)
- make a confidential written record of the discussion either during the discussion
or immediately afterwards. The record should include the key details of the
disclosure together with any relevant times, dates, places and people concerned.
Audio and video recordings of children making disclosures should be avoided
- refer all relevant information to the Safeguarding Officer as soon as practicable
afterwards, and by no later than the end of the day
Upon receipt of any safeguarding concern, the Safeguarding Officer shall consult
with any other relevant persons and will make any appropriate referrals to the
relevant authorities, such as the applicable Local Authority Children's Services
department.

Reporting concerns about other adults within the Company. Where any person has a concern regarding the conduct of an adult connected to the Company, which poses or may pose a safeguarding risk to children such as:
- harming a child either physically or emotionally
- exposing a child to behaviour which may cause physical or emotional harm
- engaging in criminal activity concerning a child
this must be raised in the first instance with the Safeguarding Officer (or where this is
not appropriate, a different senior member of the organisation) so that the next
appropriate steps may be agreed and actioned. We recognise that there could be
circumstances where a person may need to report a matter that has taken place in a
setting outside of the person's engagement with the Company.
Usually, any appropriate steps following a safeguarding referral in respect of an
individual connected to the Company will include either:
- further initial enquiries
- escalation to the applicable Local Authority Children's Services department for
assessment and/or the police for investigation
- instigation of any appropriate disciplinary, formal investigation processes and
suspension of any person concerned within the Company
- a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland or Access
Northern Ireland, or any other relevant regulatory bodies
Any person within the Company who has allegations made against them shall be
informed properly in a formal meeting of the particulars of the allegations and the
relevant next steps which shall be taken. Such a meeting should ordinarily be held by
the Safeguarding Officer. On certain occasions, such a meeting may not be
convened until this has been approved by any authorities involved (such as the
police or the relevant Local Authority).
Any person from within the Company who has allegations made against them shall
be treated fairly. All enquires, investigations and decisions taken shall be just and
fair, with the safety of any child concerned at the heart of the process.


Any person from within the Company who makes an allegation against another person from within the Company shall be listened to, taken seriously and shall be treated fairly and justly throughout the process of enquiries, investigations and decision making.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Access Northern Ireland, Disclosure Scotland Checks
Checks under the appropriate legislation should be undertaken wherever required. The groups of people we will usually undertake checks with the DBS, Access Northern Ireland, and Disclosure Scotland (whichever is applicable) in relation to are: All admin staff, all self-employed tutors who access the site and provide lessons and any and all members of staff who may be appointed to work for Just Better Education. Wherever we deem it is necessary and appropriate to remove any individual from a position of work in an activity which is regulated under the relevant legislation, we shall also be obliged to make a referral to the DBS, Access Northern Ireland and Disclosure Scotland.

Safeguarding Children at the Company
 
Responsibilities and planning Although the Safeguarding Officer will hold ultimate responsibility for overseeing the safety of children present at the Company, all individuals under this policy must also play an active role in ensuring the safety of children at all times. Where a certain type of event, activity or trip is taking place, we may issue an additional code of conduct, policy, or some specific other requirements which is specific to that occasion. Any such additional documentation will be made available to all those concerned (staff members, parents, guardians, etc.) in advance. They should be read carefully and adhered to. Appropriate background checking shall be undertaken wherever we are legally required to do so in respect of adults who are engaged by us (see the relevant section above).
 
Venues

We are typically based at: Online through www.justbettereducation.co.uk

We have carried out a health and safety risk assessment in relation to the premises, in reference to its safety and suitability for children. Where any events, activities or trips are to take place at other locations, we shall also carry out a further risk assessment.


The fire safety procedure in relation to the premises can be found in the following location: n/a
 
First Aid
 
We have the following first aid procedure within the Company: n/a
 
Any accident or injury concerning a child should be brought to the attention of the nearest first aider and should thereafter be formally reported to the Safeguarding Officer.
 
Wherever a child attends our premises alongside their parent or guardian, parents and guardians should ensure that children are properly supervised.

Managing Behaviour of Children Generally

Whenever any adult engaged by us is faced with challenging or inappropriate behaviour from a child or with conflict between children, they must:
- treat each child fairly and equally
- approach the situation in a calm and neutral manner
- only ever use physical restraint/intervention in order to protect the immediate
safety of a person, for example to prevent an injury or harm either to the child or
others
- wherever it is justified to physically restrain a child or to physically intervene, the
amount of force used should be kept to the absolute minimum taking into
account the risk posed
- make a written record of the incident and ensure this is reported appropriately
to the Safeguarding Officer

Managing Risks Posed by Other Children
 
It is important for all adults engaged by us to recognise that children can face harm from their peers. This can commonly take the form of bullying. Bullying can be defined as any behaviour which is:
- repeated; and
- has the intention of hurting somebody either physically or emotionally.
Bulling can sometimes be motivated by prejudices based on certain groups, for
example gender, race, religion or sexual orientation.
 
Bullying can often include:

- physical harm perpetrated against another child
- name calling and threats
- cyberbullying (threats and abusive comments made via technology)
Any instance of bullying or concern relating to possible bullying between children at
any event or activities arranged by us will usually be dealt with by us in the first
instance as follows:
Please see our terms and conditions for unacceptable behaviour.
Where any behaviour amounting to bullying continues following this, the following
steps will be taken:
Pupils will be removed from the site and will no longer have access to online
lessons.
All steps in relation to the prevention or management of bullying should be taken in
consultation with the Safeguarding Officer.

Photography
We operate a strict no photo policy. We will not take any photographs and ask that members of the public, parents or guardians and children do not take any photographs when attending our premises, activities and/or events.

Other Policies
We have referred within this document to the following other important policies which should be read in conjunction with this policy:
- Our data protection policy
- Our first aid policy
This policy should also be read in conjunction with:
Privacy policy, data and cookies policy, terms and conditions.

Legal Framework
This policy has been drawn up in accordance with all relevant and applicable legislation and guidance available to the Company in the jurisdictions it operates within.


This Policy is approved and robustly endorsed by JUST BETTER EDUCATION and is due for review every 365 DAYS.

Signed: JESSICA BERGMAN
(Safeguarding Officer)
Date: 1st September 2022