The purpose of this policy statement
My Favourite Tutor works with children and families as part of its activities. These include: 1:1 tuition, group tuition and remote access courses.
The purpose of this policy statement is to:
- ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people is paramount when adults, young people or children are using the internet, social media or mobile devices
- provide staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to online safety
- ensure that, as an organisation, we operate in line with our values and within the law in terms of how we use online devices.
We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:
- appointing an online safety coordinator [this will be the Designated Safeguarding Lead]
- providing clear and specific directions to staff and volunteers on how to behave online through our behaviour code for adults
- supporting and encouraging the young people using our service to use the internet, social media and mobile phones in a way that keeps them safe and shows respect for others
- supporting and encouraging parents and carers to do what they can to keep their children safe online
- developing an online safety agreement for use with young people and their parents or carers
- developing clear and robust procedures to enable us to respond appropriately to any incidents of inappropriate online behaviour, whether by an adult or a child or young person
- reviewing and updating the security of our information systems regularly
- ensuring that user names, logins, email accounts and passwords are used effectively
- ensuring personal information about the adults and children who are involved in our organisation is held securely and shared only as appropriate
- ensuring that images of children, young people and families are used only after their written permission has been obtained, and only for the purpose for which consent has been given
- providing supervision, support and training for staff and volunteers about online safety
- examining and risk assessing any social media platforms and new technologies before they are used within the organisation.
If online abuse occurs, we will respond to it by:
- having clear and robust safeguarding procedures in place for responding to abuse (including online abuse)
- providing support and training for all staff and volunteers on dealing with all forms of abuse, including bullying or cyberbullying, emotional abuse, sexting, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation
- making sure our response takes the needs of the person experiencing abuse, any bystanders and our organisation as a whole into account
- reviewing the plan developed to address online abuse at regular intervals, in order to ensure that any problems have been resolved in the long term.
Related policies and procedures
This policy statement should be read alongside our organisational policies and procedures (which can be found in our handbook), including:
- child protection
- procedures for responding to concerns about a child or young person’s wellbeing
- dealing with allegations of abuse made against a child or young person
- managing allegations against staff and volunteers
- code of conduct for staff and volunteers
- anti-bullying policy and procedures
- photography and image sharing guidance.
Contact details
Online safety co-ordinator, Senior lead for safeguarding and child protection and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Name: Ms South
Phone/email: admin@myfavouritetutor.co.uk
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
We are committed to reviewing our policy and good practice annually.
This policy was last reviewed on: 1st July, 2024