Child Safeguarding Notice

Child Safeguarding Notice

Effective from: 1st July 2026
Last Updated: 1st July 2026

This Safeguarding Notice is written in accordance with current legislative rules and maintained by members of the ‘York Medic Tutors’ team. This Policy applies to all students interacting with all services under ‘York Medic Tutors’.

Every student participating in sessions run by ‘York Medic Tutors’ should be able to do so in a safe and comfortable environment. ‘York Medic Tutors’ is committed to providing the best possible level of safeguarding and the wellbeing and safety of each student is vital.

York Medic Tutors has a duty to ensure appropriate safeguarding measures are in place.

York Medic Tutors has a duty to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all tutors and staff. 

Appropriate measures are put in place to safeguard communications between York Medic Tutors staff, tutors and students.

1. Legislative Framework

This Safeguarding Policy is to ensure all students under York Medic Tutors are able to benefit from our services within the remits of the child safeguarding standards of the United Kingdom Law. This Policy is derived from a variety of legislative provisions and statutory guidance. In particular, it is based on good practice found in:

  • Children Act 1989
  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1991
  • Sexual Offences Act 2003
  • Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
  • Children Act 2004
  • Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
  • The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007
  • The Equality Act 2010
  • Children and Families Act 2014
  • Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015
  • Children and Social Work Act 2017
  • Data Protection Act 2018
  • Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019
  • Domestic Abuse Act 2021
  • Children’s Code (issued under S125 DPA 2018, effective Oct 2021)

Our safeguarding policy and procedures comply with the guidance.

2. Definitions of Abuse

Abuse is a violation of a person’s human and civil rights by any other person.  It is where someone does something to another person, or to themselves, which puts them at risk of harm and impacts on their health and wellbeing.

Abuse comes in many forms and can often have a damaging effect on the health and wellbeing of an individual, the effects may be short term, or may last a long time.  The signs of abuse aren’t always obvious, and the victim may not tell anyone what is happening to them – sometimes they may not even be aware they are being abused.

Adults and children are potential victims and perpetrators, so Study Mind has an obligation to monitor and safeguard all interactions to ensure safety across all services.

Abuse can be (but not limited to):

  • Emotional abuse
  • Psychological abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Financial abuse
  • Domestic abuse
  • Organisational abuse
  • Self-harm
  • Neglect

3. Responsibilities

York Medic Tutors recognises that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their parents or carers has a role to play in safeguarding children.

York Medic Tutors management are responsible for:

  • Safer Recruitment. The measures include (but is not limited to):
    • Requiring video interviews of all employees prior to recruitment.
    • Requiring DBS checks and suitability checks on all employees prior to recruitment.
  • Communications monitoring. The measures include (but is not limited to):
    • All initial communications are handled by email and forwarded to the management team.
    • York Medic Tutors reserves the right to view all communications made between tutors and students.
  • Allegations monitoring. 
    • York Medic Tutors keeps detailed records of all and any allegations made against, to or by York Medic Tutors to ensure that these are follow up correctly and monitored. Where needed, these records are incorporated into training. All records are anonymised if made accessible to staff other than senior management team.
  • Safeguarding training for all staff.
    • York Medic Tutors provides training to all employees on general safeguarding, reporting procedures and following the Tutor Engagement Agreement.
  • All York Medic Tutors are required to:
    • Observe and comply with the York Medic Tutors Tutor Agreement.
    • If a student discloses to a tutor that they are being abused, the tutor should report this to the York Medic Tutors management team as soon as possible. A team member will be assigned to the student’s case and is responsible for ensuring that children are identified and the appropriate agency involved.
    • Know how to deal with a disclosure of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, overdosing or eating disorders. The York Medic Tutors management should be informed.
    • Report instances of actual or suspected child abuse or neglect to the York Medic Tutors management in line with the Child Protection Procedures and legal duty for reporting FGM as set out in this policy.
    • Know what to do in the event of an allegation made against someone working with children. If such a disclosure is made, the tutor should report this to the York Medic Tutors management.
    • Be alert to the signs of harm and abuse, including issues that can manifest themselves due to peer on peer abuse. This is most likely to include, but not limited to: bullying (including cyber bullying), gender-based violence/sexual assaults and sexting.
    • Tutors should follow the Child Protection Procedures with regards to peer on peer abuse as outlined in this policy.
    • Know the York Medic Tutors management contact details including telephone numbers and email.

York Medic Tutors will:

  • Assess the impact of this policy in keeping children safe.
  • Contribute any local, contextual information that may support children’s safety and welfare.
  • Receive and consider regular reports from tutors about the effectiveness of safeguarding and child protection at the company
  • Keep abreast of training to ensure that tutors have the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to keep all children safe.

York Medic Tutors has a duty of care to tutors, who are often young people themselves. York Medic Tutors will:

  • Educate and engage tutors on working rights in the UK, ensuring that tutors have clear information around work, fair and prompt payment and policies that ensure that no tutor is disadvantaged through their work at York Medic Tutors.
  • Provide safe and open spaces for communication on grievances, so tutors are able to provide feedback on their experience at York Medic Tutors. 
  • Ensure that York Medic Tutors can access direct communication between tutors, students or guardians. In the event of a concern, management will review communication, escalating potential incidents appropriately.
  • Operate a zero tolerance policy on any abuse towards any one associated with York Medic Tutors. Abuse from York Medic Tutors employees or clients will be investigated thoroughly by the York Medic Tutors management and, where necessary, may lead to an immediate termination of contracts, suspension of lessons and referral to local authorities.

Any member of Study Mind staff disclosing, investigating or dealing with abuse allegations are given additional support and encouragement for leave if needed and urged to seek out mental health support.

York Medic Tutors creates an environment in which there is no such thing as ‘low level concerns’. All allegations are treated seriously and by taking a zero tolerance approach, York Medic Tutors seeks to create an environment in which abuse is spotted early and does not have any chance to embed itself or for toxic practices to go uninvestigated. As such, York Medic Tutors will investigate all allegations in good faith.

4. Online Safety and Communication

York Medic Tutors communication is undertaken directly between members of management, students and guardians. York Medic Tutors reserves the right to view all direct communications. These procedures are made clear in the tutor agreement. Online information is stored according to York Medic Tutors Privacy Policy.

Social media safety is an integral part of this policy. Social media is defined as all methods of direct online communication, including (but not limited to) Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube. 

All social media coming from Study Mind must be approved by the management team and must not:

  • Include anything amounting to bullying or discrimination
  • Include any identifying information of Study Mind staff or students
  • Include any images without permission
  • Include anything amounting to abuse of any kind
  • Divulge any Study Mind intellectual property, policies not public or speak in a disparaging way about interactions
  • Misrepresent Study Mind, its services or staff members.

Photography policy – York Medic Tutors recognises that it is vital to protect images of children and young people from misuse. Any images or recordings used for promotional purposes must be approved by students and guardians and not have any identifying information about anyone involved.

5. Safeguarding Procedures

Tutors and staff will follow the necessary child protection procedures if an incident occurs. They will be made aware that:

  • Where a child is in immediate danger or at risk of harm, a referral should be made to the York Medic Tutors management immediately. Tutors can contact the direct numbers of individual York Medic Tutors management to report the incident. York Medic Tutors staff will then be able to contact relevant authorities and, if needed, 999 in order to disclose the situation with access to the students’ personal information.
  • Anyone can make a referral.
  • Tutors should not assume that somebody else will take action/share information that might be critical in keeping children safe. All allegations are treated as serious and confidential. 
  • The reporting of concerns relating to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is mandatory.
  • A member of management of York Medic Tutors will always be available to discuss safeguarding concerns.

When a tutor  suspects that any student may have been subject to abuse, or a student has suggested that abuse has taken place either to themselves or another student, the allegation must be reported immediately to York Medic Tutors management. An individual team member will be assigned and their contact details made available to all those involved, and will ensure the allegation is acted on within the same day. It is best practice to ensure that all colleagues who are involved in the allegation are informed of the outcome, so there is closure or continual vigilance as necessary.

Reporting – All Safeguarding concerns will be investigated within 24 hours of receiving the report. It is vital that incidences are reported as soon as possible to allow prompt investigation. 

To help the Safeguarding team respond and refer appropriately you should follow the guidance below.

  • Remember that concern forms are used in court cases and inquests as evidence.
  • Reports should be objective and detailed.
  • Please alert the team as soon as possible. It can take several hours to deal with even urgent concerns and the earlier we start the better.

6. Allegations Procedures

  • All allegations of abuse made against tutors must be brought to the attention of the York Medic Tutors immediately. All investigations will be investigated thoroughly and may involve disclose to third party associations where necessary.
  • York Medic Tutors is committed to holding any staff member to account and all incidences of abuse allegations, whether confirmed or not, must be accompanied by a full company investigation into the culture and situation that led to it, to ensure that lessons are learned and that policies and procedures are improved.
  • York Medic Tutors has clear expectations outlined in the Tutor Engagment Agreement documents and disciplinary measures in place.

7. Compliance

All tutors and students using York Medic Tutors services have a responsibility to familiarise themselves with the Safeguarding Policy.

Any tutor who is reported for a breach of the Safeguarding Policy will be suspended from York Medic Tutors tutoring effective immediately. The final decision for a minor breach will be the responsibility of York Medic Tutors.

Any tutor reported for illegal activity whilst employed by York Medic Tutors will be reported to policy and appropriate authorities including the General Medical Council and General Dental Council if necessary.

Staff found to be not following this policy will be subject to disciplinary measures and may also be reported if they fail to undertake the duties to the best of their ability. There may also be penalties in place for responsible staff members who are found to have not disclosed information that was vital to an investigation or to withholding information.

8. Safeguarding Governance

Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone in York Medic Tutors. The senior management team are however responsible for ensuring that procedures are followed, clear and that records are kept up to date.

York Medic Tutors is committed to quality assurance of the Safeguarding procedures and policy. All disclosures are reviewed as part of regular updates to this policy. The policy is reviewed and updates are added to ensure that this policy is fit for purpose. The senior management team at large are responsible for this oversight to ensure that it is kept to a high standard.

9. Contact information (York Medic Tutors Management)

  • Email: admin.yorkmedictutors@gmail.com