Contacts

Designated Safeguarding Lead:

Mr James Kelly | jameskelly@yellowbirdeducation.co.uk | 07782 645694

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead:

Mrs Janie Richardson | janie@yellowbirdeducation.co.uk | 07912 610366

Other safeguarding-trained staff:

Mr Viv Richardson, Miss Annabel Richardson 

Introduction

This policy is written for Yellowbird Education as an out-of-school tuition and holiday-course provider operating primarily on hired school premises. Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 (KCSIE) is statutory guidance for schools and colleges; Yellowbird Education is not itself a school. Nevertheless, Yellowbird adopts the relevant KCSIE principles as good safeguarding practice alongside the Department for Education guidance After-school clubs, community activities, and tuition: safeguarding guidance for providers and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026.

1. Purpose, scope and status

Yellowbird Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child who attends its workshops, term time and holiday programmes. A child is anyone under the age of 18.

This policy applies to all directors, employees, workers, agency staff, contractors, volunteers, work-experience students and any other adult acting on behalf of Yellowbird Education. It applies during face-to-face and online activity, on hired premises, during educational visits, and whenever staff are responsible for or in contact with children through their Yellowbird role.

Safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare means:

• providing help and support as soon as problems emerge;

• protecting children from maltreatment, whether within or outside the home, including online;

• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;

• ensuring children grow up in circumstances consistent with safe and effective care; and

• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Where this policy uses “must”, it denotes a legal requirement or a mandatory Yellowbird procedure. “Should” denotes an expectation that must be followed unless there is a clear, recorded reason not to do so.

1.1 Relevant guidance and legislation

• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026, effective 1 September 2026;

• After-school clubs, community activities, and tuition: safeguarding guidance for providers, updated February 2026;

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026;

• Children Acts 1989 and 2004;

• Education Act 2002, where relevant to host schools;

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and Protection of Freedoms Act 2012;

• Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 and Prevent guidance;

• Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR;

• Equality Act 2010;

• Human Rights Act 1998;

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; and

• local safeguarding partnership procedures and threshold documents for every area in which Yellowbird operates.

2. Safeguarding principles and statement of intent

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Yellowbird maintains an “it could happen here” culture and places the child’s best interests at the centre of decisions. Staff must be professionally curious, listen to children, act promptly and never assume that someone else will take action.

Yellowbird will:

• provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment in which children are listened to and treated with respect;

• appoint a suitably trained DSL and deputy and ensure safeguarding cover during all activities;

• ensure staff understand the signs of abuse, neglect and exploitation and the action they must take;

• operate robust safer-recruitment, induction, supervision and ongoing-suitability procedures;

• maintain clear procedures for disclosures, referrals, child-on-child abuse, allegations against adults and low-level concerns;

• work appropriately with parents, host schools, local authorities, police and other agencies;

• maintain secure, accurate and timely safeguarding records;

• make reasonable adjustments for children with SEND and recognise that some children face additional barriers to disclosure;

• protect children from online harm and inappropriate staff or pupil use of technology; and

• review this policy annually and after significant incidents, changes in guidance or identified weaknesses.

3. Roles and responsibilities

3.1 All staff and adults working for Yellowbird

All staff must:

• read and understand this policy, the Staff Code of Conduct and Part one of KCSIE 2026 before working with children;

• complete induction and safeguarding training appropriate to their role and refresh it at least annually through formal training and regular updates;

• know the identity and contact details of the DSL and DDSL;

• recognise that children may not feel ready or know how to disclose abuse and that behaviour may be a form of communication;

• report every safeguarding concern immediately, including concerns about adults, poor practice and low-level concerns;

• make a direct referral to children’s social care or the police where necessary if the DSL or deputy is unavailable, informing the DSL as soon as possible;

• record concerns factually, promptly and securely;

• never investigate, promise confidentiality, confront an alleged perpetrator or delay action while seeking proof; and

• follow site-specific arrangements for attendance, collection, visitors, toilets, first aid, fire and emergencies.

3.2 Designated Safeguarding Lead

The DSL is Mr James Kelly. The DDSL is Mrs Janie Richardson. The DDSL may carry out any DSL function but ultimate lead responsibility remains with the DSL.

The DSL will:

• act as the central point of safeguarding advice and support;

• ensure the child’s wishes and feelings are considered when determining action;

• manage referrals to children’s social care, police, Channel/Prevent and other agencies;

• liaise with the relevant host-school DSL, while retaining Yellowbird’s independent safeguarding responsibility;

• manage allegations and low-level concerns in accordance with section 12;

• maintain secure, separate safeguarding records and ensure records show decisions, actions, outcomes and rationale;

• ensure information is shared lawfully and proportionately to protect children;

• maintain local authority contacts, including children’s social care/MASH and LADO details for every venue;

• ensure staff training, induction and updates are completed and recorded;

• review safeguarding arrangements for each site and activity;

• make or oversee DBS referrals where the legal referral duty is met; and

• report safeguarding effectiveness, patterns and actions to the directors without identifying children unnecessarily.

3.3 Directors and senior safeguarding accountability

The directors retain overall accountability for safeguarding governance. They will ensure adequate resources, suitable policies, safer recruitment, appropriate insurance, effective complaints and whistleblowing arrangements, annual policy review and prompt action where weaknesses are identified. A director must be identified to act where an allegation concerns the DSL.

3.4 Host schools and hired premises

Yellowbird does not rely on a host school to discharge Yellowbird’s safeguarding duties. Before using a site, Yellowbird will agree and record:

• the contact details and availability of the host-school DSL or emergency contact;

• who will contact children’s social care, the LADO or police in different scenarios;

• site access, keys, visitors and shared-use arrangements;

• fire, lockdown, evacuation, first aid, emergency medication and accident procedures;

• toilet, changing, arrival, collection, missing-child and late-collection arrangements;

• the secure transfer of safeguarding information where required; and

• any restrictions, hazards or areas that must not be accessed.

Yellowbird’s DSL will remain responsible for concerns arising from Yellowbird activity unless statutory agencies direct otherwise.

4. Recognising abuse, neglect and exploitation

Abuse, neglect and exploitation may occur in a family, institutional or community setting, online or offline, and may be caused by adults or other children. Staff must remain alert to physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect, including indicators that overlap.

Safeguarding issues include, but are not limited to:

• child-on-child abuse, bullying and cyberbullying;

• sexual violence, sexual harassment and harmful sexual behaviour;

• child criminal exploitation, county lines and child sexual exploitation;

• domestic abuse, including children as victims in their own right;

• mental health concerns that may indicate abuse, neglect or exploitation;

• children absent from education or repeatedly missing from activities;

• online abuse, grooming, cybercrime, coercion and image-based abuse;

• radicalisation and extremism;

• serious violence and youth violence;

• female genital mutilation, forced marriage and other honour- or faith-based abuse;

• modern slavery, trafficking and exploitation;

• homelessness, child abduction and community safety risks; and

• abuse linked to disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or other protected characteristics.

Staff must not dismiss harmful behaviour as “banter”, “part of growing up” or normal friendship difficulties. The absence of a disclosure does not mean that abuse is not occurring.

4.1 Children who may be particularly vulnerable

Some children may face additional barriers to recognition or disclosure, including children with SEND, communication needs, young carers, children known to social care, children experiencing bereavement or family imprisonment, children who are frequently absent, and children who are perceived to be different. Staff must avoid attributing possible signs of abuse solely to disability or behaviour and must consider whether extra communication support is required.

5. Responding to concerns about a child

5.1 Immediate action

Where a child is in immediate danger or at risk of serious harm, staff must call 999 and make an immediate referral to local authority children’s social care. They must then inform the DSL as soon as possible. Consent is not required to share information where doing so is necessary to protect a child.

5.2 Receiving a disclosure

Staff must:

• listen carefully and calmly;

• take the child seriously and reassure them that they have done the right thing by speaking;

• use open prompts only, such as “tell me”, “explain” or “describe”;

• not ask leading or repeated questions or attempt to investigate;

• not promise secrecy or absolute confidentiality;

• explain that information will be shared only with people who need to help keep them safe;

• avoid expressing shock, disbelief or judgement;

• record the child’s words as accurately as possible; and

• report immediately to the DSL or DDSL.

5.3 Referral and early support

The DSL will consider the concern against local thresholds and decide whether to provide support, seek advice, initiate a community-based Early Help assessment, refer to children’s social care, contact the police or take another safeguarding action. Where the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, a referral must be made immediately.

Any member of staff may refer directly if they believe action is required. Staff must challenge inaction or delay and may use escalation procedures if they remain concerned after a referral.

6. Recording, confidentiality and information sharing

Safeguarding records are confidential and must be kept separately from general pupil records, with access limited to those who need it. Records must be clear, factual, contemporaneous and signed or attributable.

A safeguarding record should include:

• the child’s name, date of birth and relevant identifying details;

• date, time and place of the event, concern or conversation;

• the exact words used by the child where possible;

• a clear summary of observations and facts, distinguishing fact from opinion;

• any immediate action taken and by whom;

• consultation, referrals, decisions and reasons;

• the child’s wishes and feelings and how they were considered;

• outcome, follow-up and review; and

• the name, role and date of the person making the record.

Data protection law is not a barrier to sharing information where this is necessary and proportionate to safeguard a child. Staff should share only what is relevant, accurate, timely and secure, record what was shared and why, and seek advice from the DSL where uncertain. Fear of breaching data protection must never prevent appropriate safeguarding action.

Where appropriate and lawful, safeguarding information will be transferred securely to a child’s school or other provider without delay. Parents will ordinarily be informed unless doing so may increase risk, prejudice an investigation or conflict with advice from statutory agencies.

7. Child-on-child abuse

Yellowbird recognises that children can abuse other children and that this can occur inside or outside the setting and online. It may include bullying, physical abuse, initiation or hazing, sexual violence, sexual harassment, upskirting, consensual or non-consensual sharing of nude or semi-nude images, coercive behaviour and abuse within intimate relationships.

All child-on-child concerns must be reported to the DSL. Yellowbird will:

• take the report seriously and avoid victim-blaming;

• consider the immediate safety and support needs of the child who has experienced harm and any other children;

• consider the needs and risks presented by the child alleged to have caused harm;

• make referrals to children’s social care or police where thresholds are met;

• separate children or adjust groups where necessary without creating punitive isolation for the child reporting harm;

• involve parents where appropriate and safe;

• record decisions and risk assessments; and

• work with host schools and external agencies while preserving confidentiality.

Reports of sexual violence or sexual harassment will be managed in line with KCSIE principles. Staff must not mediate serious sexual incidents or ask children to reconcile as an alternative to safeguarding action.

8. Online safety, mobile phones and photography

Online safety is integral to safeguarding. Yellowbird will consider the four broad areas of risk: content, contact, conduct and commerce.

• Children are not permitted to use mobile phones during workshops. Where a phone must be brought, it must be switched off and handed to the course leader for secure storage, unless an agreed medical or accessibility adjustment applies.

• A child using a personal device as an access arrangement must use it only for the agreed purpose. Internet access will be restricted or disabled unless specifically required, risk assessed and supervised.

• Staff must not use personal devices to photograph, film or record children.

• Staff should avoid personal phone use in front of children except in an emergency or for an authorised operational purpose.

• Staff must not communicate with children through personal social-media accounts, personal messaging services or personal email.

• Images may be taken only on authorised company equipment, for a defined purpose and with valid parental consent. Parents must be told how images will be used, stored and deleted.

• Children must not be identified by full name alongside an image, and consent may be withdrawn.

• Any online safeguarding concern must be reported immediately and relevant evidence preserved without forwarding illegal content.

9. Attendance, arrival, collection and missing children

9.1 Registers and parental information

Yellowbird will maintain an accurate, live attendance register and obtain parental consent, medical information, allergies, relevant SEND information, authorised collectors and, wherever reasonably practicable, at least two emergency contacts for every child.

9.2 Arrival and collection

• Children must be signed in and out using the agreed process.

• A child may be released only to an authorised adult or in accordance with written parental permission suitable for the child’s age and circumstances.

• Changes to collection arrangements must be verified using known contact details and recorded.

• Unknown collectors must provide identification and any agreed password/show the YBE image on the app.

• Staff must not transport a child in a private vehicle except under a separately approved and risk-assessed arrangement or genuine emergency.

9.3 Missing child

If a child cannot be located, staff must immediately alert the course leader, check the register and known locations, secure exits and organise a coordinated search without leaving other children unsupervised. The DSL, parents, host-site contact and police must be contacted without delay according to the level of risk. The incident and response must be fully recorded and reviewed.

9.4 Uncollected child

A child who is not collected must remain supervised by at least two suitable adults where practicable. Staff will attempt all approved contacts and follow local safeguarding advice. A child must never be taken to a staff member’s home or left alone. If no responsible adult can be contacted or there are welfare concerns, children’s social care or police will be contacted.

10. Health, safety, first aid and medical needs

Yellowbird will complete suitable and sufficient risk assessments for each venue and activity and will maintain written health and safety arrangements appropriate to its workforce and provision.

• A site-specific briefing will cover fire, evacuation, lockdown, assembly points, first aid, emergency contacts, restricted areas, toilets and shared-site risks.

• An appropriately stocked first aid kit and suitably trained first aider will be available. Where provision includes children aged five or under, paediatric first-aid requirements will be considered and met where applicable.

• Medical and allergy information will be available securely to staff who need it.

• Medication will be administered only in accordance with written parental instructions and the relevant medication procedure, except in an emergency.

• Accidents, injuries, illnesses and medication will be recorded and parents informed.

• Infectious disease risks will be managed in line with current public-health advice.

• Reasonable adjustments will be planned to enable children with SEND or medical needs to participate safely.

Refer to the Yellowbird Education Health and Safety for further information. 

11. Safer recruitment and ongoing suitability

Yellowbird will not rely on a DBS check alone. Recruitment decisions will consider all available information and will be documented.

11.1 Pre-appointment checks

Depending on the role and legal eligibility, checks will include:

• identity, including previous names and date of birth;

• right to work in the UK using the prescribed Home Office process, with repeat checks for time-limited permission;

• a complete employment and education history, with gaps and inconsistencies explored;

• at least two satisfactory references obtained directly from verified referees, including the current or most recent employer and, where possible, an employer involving work with children;

• verification of relevant qualifications, professional status and Qualified Teacher Status where claimed;

• an appropriate Enhanced DBS check for the Child Workforce and Children’s Barred List information only where the role is legally eligible;

• teacher-prohibition checks for teaching roles;

• Section 128 or other prohibition checks only where relevant and legally permitted;

• overseas criminal-record, professional-regulator or certificate-of-good-conduct checks where the person has lived or worked overseas, with a documented risk assessment where evidence is unavailable; and

• a safer-recruitment interview assessing motivation, boundaries, safeguarding understanding and suitability to work with children.

No person will undertake unsupervised regulated activity until required checks are satisfactorily completed, unless a lawful, exceptional and documented risk-assessed arrangement is approved by a director and DSL.

11.2 References

References must be requested directly and scrutinised. Open testimonials or references supplied only by the candidate will not be accepted without independent verification. Discrepancies, vague answers, safeguarding concerns, disciplinary issues and reasons for leaving must be followed up before appointment.

11.3 DBS and barred-list eligibility

Yellowbird will assess each role for DBS and regulated-activity eligibility. Barred-list information will never be requested for an ineligible role. Where the DBS Update Service is used, the original certificate must first be inspected and matched to the individual, consent obtained, and periodic status checks recorded.

11.4 Ongoing suitability

Suitability will be reviewed throughout engagement through supervision, performance review, safeguarding updates, observed practice, annual declarations and repeat or Update Service checks where relevant. Staff must immediately disclose matters that may affect suitability, including criminal charges, police involvement, safeguarding allegations, professional-regulator action, changes to right-to-work status or relevant overseas residence.

11.5 Induction

Before first deployment, every member of staff must receive and confirm understanding of this policy, the Staff Code of Conduct, whistleblowing, allegations and low-level concerns procedures, disclosure and referral routes, online safety, attendance and collection, missing children, medical information and the site-specific safety briefing.

12. Concerns and allegations about adults

12.1 Reporting route

Any concern about a member of staff, volunteer, contractor or other adult must be reported immediately to the DSL. A concern about the DSL must be reported to a director who is not implicated. A concern about a director must be reported to another director and the relevant LADO. Staff must not investigate or inform the person who is the subject of the concern unless authorised.

12.2 Harm threshold

An allegation may meet the harm threshold where an adult has:

• behaved in a way that has harmed a child or may have harmed a child;

• possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child;

• behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm; or

• behaved, or may have behaved, in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children, including conduct outside work that creates a transferable risk.

The DSL/director will contact the relevant LADO without delay and before commencing an internal investigation, and will involve the police where a criminal offence may have been committed. Appropriate interim measures and support will be considered for all parties.

12.3 Low-level concerns

A low-level concern is any concern, however small, that an adult may have acted in a way inconsistent with the Staff Code of Conduct, including a sense of unease or “nagging doubt”, even where the harm threshold is not met.

Low-level concerns must be reported, recorded and reviewed for patterns. Records will include the concern, context, action and rationale. Where a pattern emerges or the concern is more serious than first thought, the LADO will be consulted. Self-referral is encouraged where a staff member believes their conduct could be misinterpreted or fell below expected standards.

12.4 Suspension, resignation and referrals

Suspension will not be automatic and will be considered only where necessary to protect children or the integrity of an investigation. Resignation or ceasing to use a person’s services will not prevent an investigation or any required referral. Yellowbird will make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service where the legal duty is met and will consider referral to the Teaching Regulation Agency or another professional body where appropriate.

13. Staff conduct and professional boundaries

All staff must comply with the Staff Code of Conduct. In particular, staff must:

• maintain professional, age-appropriate and transparent relationships;

• ensure one-to-one work is observable and interruptible wherever possible;

• avoid favouritism, gifts, secret communications and unnecessary physical contact;

• never use humiliating, sexualised, discriminatory or intimidating language;

• not share personal contact details or connect with children on social media;

• not take children to private homes or arrange unauthorised contact;

• use physical intervention only where lawful, necessary and proportionate to prevent harm, and record it immediately;

• report accidental boundary breaches or situations that could be misinterpreted; and

• challenge unsafe or inappropriate conduct by others.

14. Visitors, contractors and visiting speakers

Visitors must be authorised, identified, signed in, briefed on relevant safeguarding and emergency arrangements, and supervised according to risk. Unknown or unauthorised adults must be challenged safely and reported. Visiting speakers and external organisations will be subject to proportionate checks to ensure their content and conduct do not undermine safeguarding, equality or fundamental British values.

15. Preventing radicalisation and extremism

Staff will remain alert to signs that a child may be vulnerable to radicalisation or extremist influence. Concerns must be reported to the DSL, who may seek advice from the local authority Prevent lead or make a Channel/Prevent referral. Emergency threats or suspected terrorism must be reported to police. Legitimate debate, faith and political discussion must not be confused with extremism, and decisions must be evidence-based and proportionate.

16. Whistleblowing and complaints

16.1 Whistleblowing

Staff must raise concerns about unsafe practice, failures to follow this policy, concealment of safeguarding information or retaliation against those who report concerns. Concerns should normally be raised with the DSL or a director. Staff who feel unable to raise concerns internally, or believe they have not been addressed, may use the NSPCC whistleblowing advice line or contact the relevant local authority or regulator. No person will suffer detriment for raising a genuine concern in good faith.

16.2 Complaints

Parents, carers, children and members of the public may raise safeguarding complaints verbally or in writing. Complaints will be acknowledged, handled promptly and sensitively, and referred under the safeguarding or allegations procedure where appropriate. A complaint process will never delay a referral to statutory agencies.

17. Training, supervision and review

All staff will receive or will have already received safeguarding and child-protection training at induction and updates at least annually, with additional briefings during the year. DSL and deputy training will be refreshed at least every two years and supplemented by regular updates. Safer-recruitment training will be maintained by those leading recruitment.

Yellowbird will maintain training records and review the effectiveness of safeguarding through incident analysis, staff feedback, site audits, recruitment audits, policy review and lessons from local or national safeguarding practice reviews. This policy will be reviewed annually and sooner where required.

18. Local contacts and emergency escalation

A current local safeguarding contacts sheet must be available for every venue and must include: local authority children’s social care/MASH, out-of-hours emergency duty team, LADO, police, Prevent lead, host-school DSL or emergency contact and Yellowbird DSL/DDSL. Staff must use 999 where there is immediate danger.

Because Yellowbird operates in more than one local authority, contact details must be checked before each course rather than relying on a fixed list in this policy.

For reference:

Fulham Prep School is registered with Hammersmith and Fulham

All contacts available in the Fulham Prep Safeguarding Policy

Hurlingham School is registered with Wandsworth 

All contacts available in the Hurlingham School Safeguarding Policy

Date reviewed: Oct 2026

Date of next review: Oct 2026