1. Purpose and scope

This policy applies to live online tuition, assessments, email communication and any other contact connected with NI Biology Tutor. Its purpose is to protect children and young people, support parents and guardians, and set clear professional boundaries.

A child or young person means anyone under 18. Parents or guardians are the primary customers and contacts for tuition involving a child.

2. Consent and communication

• Parent or guardian consent is required before a child begins tuition.
• Arrangements, progress updates, payments and concerns will normally be communicated directly to the parent or guardian.
• Private contact through a child's personal social-media account will not be used.
• Any necessary direct message to a student will relate only to tuition and will, where practical, include or be visible to the parent or guardian.

3. Safe online lessons

• Lessons use secure online meeting links and appropriate access controls.
• Students should join from a suitable location. A shared or visible household area is encouraged where practical.
• Students should use an appropriate display name and must not share meeting links with anyone outside their agreed tuition group.
• The tutor will maintain professional language, conduct, dress and surroundings during every lesson.
• Lessons are not routinely recorded. Any recording would require a clear purpose, advance notice and the consent of the parent or guardian and those taking part.

4. Professional boundaries

Teaching relationships will remain appropriate, transparent and focused on education. Favouritism, inappropriate jokes, personal secrecy, gifts of significant value and unnecessary one-to-one contact outside agreed tuition arrangements are not acceptable.

If a lesson cannot continue safely or appropriately, it may be ended and the parent or guardian will be contacted.

5. Responding to a concern or disclosure

Any indication that a child may be at risk of harm will be taken seriously. The tutor will listen calmly, avoid promising secrecy, ask only what is necessary to understand the immediate concern, and make an accurate written record as soon as possible.

Concerns will be shared only with people who need the information to protect the child. Depending on the circumstances, this may include the parent or guardian, the relevant HSC Trust Gateway Service, the PSNI or another appropriate safeguarding professional. A parent or guardian may not be contacted first if doing so could increase the risk to the child or interfere with statutory action.

6. Reporting a concern

Concerns about conduct connected with NI Biology Tutor should be sent to Dr Liam Halferty at info@nibiologytutor.co.uk. Include the child's name, what happened, when it happened and a safe way to contact you. Sensitive information should not be sent more widely than necessary.

You can report a concern directly to statutory services at any time. See the official NI Direct child safeguarding guidance for HSC Trust Gateway routes, or the PSNI child protection guidance. Call PSNI on 101 for a non-emergency or 999 in an emergency.

7. Records, privacy and review

Safeguarding records will be factual, dated, stored securely and retained only as long as necessary for safeguarding, legal and regulatory purposes. Information may be shared without consent where this is necessary to protect a child or comply with the law.

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner if services, safeguarding guidance or relevant legal requirements change. The current version will be published on this website.