Legal Policies

Effective: 27/07/2026 · Version 3.0 · Reviewed annually

1. Our commitment

Global Tutors works with children every day. Their safety comes before commercial, operational or convenience considerations.

We are a tutoring agency, and lessons are delivered by independent tutors. Safeguarding responsibility is not delegated with them. We vet every tutor, we record every session, we set the rules, and we act on every concern. This policy binds every tutor, staff member, contractor, practitioner, student, parent and guardian.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is the Global Tutors staff member responsible for safeguarding. The DSL is reached via the tutor portal incident report and hr@globaltutors.co. This address is monitored separately from general enquiries.

2. Tutor vetting

Before a tutor teaches a single session, we require:

• Identity - government-issued ID or passport, verified.
• Qualifications - certificates or transcripts verified.
• Police clearance - criminal record check obtained and cleared, repeated every 12 months.
• References - two references, contacted and completed by us.
• Safeguarding - this policy and the Tutor Policy & Agreement read and signed.
• Platform - Lessonspace account set up and tested.

No tutor teaches while any check is outstanding. There are no provisional starts.

Practitioners must additionally hold current registration with the relevant professional body, verified before any referral and re-verified annually.

3. How lessons are delivered

• Online only. Tutors must not meet students in person, at any time, for any reason.
• On our platform only. All teaching happens through Lessonspace.
• All sessions are recorded, retained 90 days, reviewable by safeguarding staff at any time. Recording is controlled by us and cannot be disabled by a tutor.
• Tutors teach from a neutral, private, appropriately lit space with no other adults or inappropriate content visible.
• Camera on for the full session.
• Tutors dress and speak professionally at all times.

4. Communication rules

This section replaces the previous blanket prohibition on WhatsApp, which did not reflect how we operate.

Permitted:

• Global Tutors staff contacting clients from official published company numbers, on WhatsApp, email or phone.
• A client group on WhatsApp containing the parent or guardian, the tutor, and a Global Tutors team member - for scheduling, materials and admin.
• Tutors messaging within that group, where the guardian is present.

Prohibited, without exception:

• Any tutor using a personal phone number, email address or social media account to contact a student or parent.
• Any one-to-one message thread between a tutor and a student under 18, on any platform.
• Any communication with a student under 18 where a parent or guardian is not a participant.
• Requesting or accepting a student's personal social media contact.
• Contact outside reasonable hours, or on topics unrelated to tutoring.
• Arranging lessons or payment outside Global Tutors.

Guardian presence is the rule that matters. If a guardian isn't in the conversation, the conversation shouldn't be happening.

Group visibility. Everyone in a WhatsApp group can see the other participants' phone numbers and profile photos. Groups are created per client - we do not place multiple unrelated families in one group. We follow WhatsApp's current minimum age as set by the platform; where a student is below it, the guardian's device is the participant.

Records. Group and message records are retained per the Privacy Policy and may be reviewed if a safeguarding concern arises.

5. Supervision

For students under 16, a parent or guardian must be at home and reachable during sessions. For students under 12, a guardian should be in the room or within sight of the screen.

6. Recognising and reporting concerns

Tutors, practitioners and staff must report immediately - same day, no exceptions - any of:

• Disclosure of abuse, neglect or harm
• Signs of physical, emotional or sexual abuse
• A student appearing frightened, withdrawn or distressed
• Disclosure of self-harm or suicidal thoughts
• Any request from a student or parent to communicate off-platform
• Any behaviour by another tutor, practitioner or staff member that breaches this policy

How to report: file an incident report in the tutor portal, and/or email hr@globaltutors.co. Both routes reach the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Use the portal as the primary route; email is the backup if the portal is unavailable.

Do not investigate yourself. Do not promise a child confidentiality. Record what was said in the child's own words, as soon as possible.

Being an independent contractor does not reduce this obligation. It is a condition of working with us.

A report should include: your name and role, the student's name, what happened with dates and times, what you did, and any supporting material.

7. What happens after a report

• Acknowledged and logged by the Designated Safeguarding Lead within 24 hours.
• Immediate risk assessed. Where the concern involves a tutor or practitioner, they are suspended pending outcome.
• The relevant recording is preserved beyond the 90-day window.
• Escalated where appropriate to police, child protection authorities, or the practitioner's professional body - in South Africa or the student's country.
• Outcome recorded and, where appropriate, communicated to the guardian.
• Reports are treated confidentially and shared only on a need-to-know basis.

Where a child is at immediate risk, contact emergency services first, then us. South Africa: SAPS 10111 · Childline SA 116.

8. No retaliation

Nobody who raises a safeguarding concern in good faith will face any negative consequence for doing so - no loss of work, no reduced hours, no penalty of any kind. This applies to tutors, staff, clients and students alike, and it applies even if the concern turns out to be unfounded.

9. Consequences of breach

Immediate suspension, termination of engagement, permanent removal from the platform, and referral to police or professional bodies. Abuse of tutors by clients is treated the same way.

10. Data protection

Personal information about children is processed only with guardian consent, in line with our Privacy Policy. Safeguarding records are kept securely for 5 years and shared only with those who need them.

11. Review

Reviewed annually, and after any significant incident. Last reviewed 27/07/2026.