Safeguarding Policy

Purpose and Scope

This policy outlines the measures taken by MyEdSpace to safeguard the children and young adults (ages 10-18) who participate in our live online sessions and mentorship service (“User”).

We treat safeguarding students who use the MES platform with the utmost importance. All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.

Legal Framework

This policy has been created with the latest legislation and policy created by the UK Government and related bodies regarding the safeguarding of children in the UK. A summary of the key legislation is available from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-and-remote-education.

We are committed to:

• Establishing a secure and confidential reporting system for children to raise any issues or problems. This mechanism will be continuously monitored.
• Ensuring that children, young people, and their families are aware of the proper channels to seek help and support when they have any concerns.
• Prioritising the welfare and dignity of children by valuing, respecting, and actively listening to them.
• Adhering to the best practices for child protection and safeguarding through our policies, procedures, and code of conduct for staff and volunteers.
• Developing and implementing a comprehensive online safety policy and related procedures.
• Providing effective management, supervision, support, training, and quality assurance measures for staff and volunteers too.
• Ensure that all personnel are confident and competent in following our policies, procedures, and behaviour codes.
• Ensuring safe recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers by conducting all necessary checks.
• Professionally and securely recording, storing, and using information in line with data protection legislation and guidance.
• Involving children, young people, parents, families, and caregivers as necessary.
• Handling allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately through our established procedures.
• Establishing an environment that fosters respect and promotes zero tolerance for bullying.
• Maintaining a policy and procedure that enables us to address any bullying instances that may occur effectively.
• Implementing effective complaints and whistleblowing measures.
• Establishing a safeguarding culture that values mutual respect, trust, and open communication among staff and volunteers, children, young people, and their families.

The steps we take to ensure our students’ safety:

Student Code of Conduct

• All participants in the online sessions and mentorship service must adhere to our strict Student Code of Conduct that prohibits behaviour that could put the children or other participants at risk, such as harassment, bullying, or discrimination.
• Student Code of Conduct also outlines the consequences of violating the policy, including the potential for disciplinary action or expulsion from the program.

Communication Guidelines

• All communication between the educator and the children, as well as the mentorship service, are conducted through official channels provided by MyEdSpace.
• Private messaging or exchanging contact information with the children is strictly prohibited to prevent any potential risks of inappropriate communication.
• Additionally, the educators do not engage in any personal discussions with the children outside the scope of the educational sessions or mentorship service.

Reporting Procedure

• All instances of inappropriate communication, Student Code of Conduct violations and any other safety concerns, should be immediately reported to [email protected]. In the report, you should include the names of all people involved, which medium the incident took place over (MES platform, Discord, livestream etc.) and your preferred contact information (your email, mobile phone number, home address)

Background Checks

• MyEdSpace conducts background checks on all staff members, including the educator, to ensure they do not have a history of abuse or misconduct, including an updated enhanced DBS check.
• The background checks include criminal record checks, reference checks, and verification of academic qualifications.

Parental Consent

• If the User is under the age of 18 the User must have obtained full consent from his/her parent or legal guardian and both Student and Parent warrant they are fully aware of the Terms upon which the MyEdSpace Course is made available to him/her as set out in Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and Student Code of Conduct.

Data Protection

• MyEdSpace is committed to protecting the personal information of the children and other participants involved in the online sessions and mentorship service.
• We comply with all relevant data protection laws and regulations and have strict measures in place to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal information.

Review and Update

• This safeguarding policy is reviewed and updated regularly to ensure it remains relevant and up-to-date with current safeguarding guidelines and best practices.