Our commitment

your_ (trading name of Your Success, sole trader: Miranda Spencer-Hope) is committed to the safety and wellbeing of every student we work with. Most of our students are aged 14–16. We recognise our responsibility to safeguard their welfare and to provide a safe, professional learning environment, online and in any other context we interact with students.

This policy applies to all Live Sessions, 1:1 Tuition, and any other direct contact with students.

Our safeguarding principles

We recognise that:

• The welfare of the student is paramount.

• All students have an equal right to protection from harm, regardless of background, ability, or circumstances.

• Working in partnership with parents and guardians is essential to a student's welfare.

• Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, including the student's own.

We seek to safeguard students by:

• Listening to and respecting them;

• Keeping this policy up to date;

• Following safe practices in how sessions are run and recorded;

• Ensuring an up-to-date DBS check is maintained via the DBS Update Service, through membership of The Tutors' Association;

• Making it clear that any concern will always be taken seriously.

How we keep students safe online

• All sessions take place via our approved platform (Google Meet). Communication with students does not move to personal messaging, social media, or any other unapproved channel.

• Group Live Sessions are recorded, so they can be revisited for learning or safeguarding purposes if needed.

• 1:1 sessions are not recorded; an AI note-taking tool is used instead to keep a written record of session content.

• Students keep their cameras off during group sessions. This is a deliberate, privacy-protective choice — it avoids capturing unnecessary footage of a student's home environment while Miranda's own conduct remains visible and accountable throughout.

Expectations for conduct

Miranda will:

• Treat all students with respect and dignity, appropriate to their age;

• Maintain a professional approach at all times, including:

  • Not sharing personal contact details with students;

  • Not engaging with students on personal social media;

  • Avoiding inappropriate familiarity;

  • Avoiding discussion of matters unrelated to the lesson content;

  • Being sensitive to how interactions could be perceived or misconstrued.

Under no circumstances will Miranda:

• Fail to act on or record a concern raised by a student;

• Contact a student directly outside of approved channels;

• Arrange to meet a student in person outside of agreed, parent-aware arrangements;

• Ask a student to share images, videos, or personal information not necessary for the lesson.

Recognising a safeguarding concern

Concerns can take many forms, including but not limited to:

• Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse;

• Neglect;

• Bullying, harassment, or discrimination (including between students in group sessions);

• Online abuse or exposure to harmful content;

• Eating disorders, self-harm, or suicidal ideation;

• Signs of significant distress not explained by ordinary factors like exam stress.

A concern may be raised directly by a student, or may come through changes in behaviour, comments, or things said indirectly. When in doubt, it should be treated with caution rather than dismissed.

What Miranda will do if worried about a student

If a student discloses something concerning, or a concern arises another way, Miranda will:

• Listen calmly and take what is said seriously;

• Reassure the student that they were right to speak up, and that it is not their fault;

• Avoid asking leading questions or investigating the concern personally;

• Not promise confidentiality — the student will be told, where age-appropriate, that the information may need to be shared with someone who can help;

• Record what was said, using the student's own words where possible, along with the date, time, and any action taken;

• Act without delay.

Reporting a concern

As a sole practitioner, Miranda does not have an internal safeguarding team. Where a genuine concern arises:

• If a student is in immediate danger, Miranda will contact the emergency services (999) and, where appropriate, the police.

• For other concerns, Miranda will contact the relevant local authority children's services for the student's area, and/or seek guidance from the NSPCC Helpline.

• Where appropriate and safe to do so, the student's parent or guardian will also be informed.

Reporting a concern about Miranda

If a parent, student, or any other person has a concern about Miranda's own conduct, they should contact:

• The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for Westminster

  • Phone: 020 7641 7668

  • Email: LADO@westminster.gov.uk

• NSPCC Whistleblowing Helpline

  • Phone: 0808 800 5000

Key contacts and resources

• NSPCC Helpline — 0808 800 5000

• Childline — 0800 1111

• Samaritans — 116 123

• Stop It Now! UK and Ireland — 0808 1000 900

Record keeping

Any safeguarding record will be:

• Factual, accurate, and dated;

• Stored securely and separately from general business records;

• Shared only with those who genuinely need the information to help keep a student safe.

Guidance underpinning this policy

• Children Act 1989 and 2004

• Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR

• Sexual Offences Act 2003

• Working Together to Safeguard Children (statutory guidance)

• UK Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code)