SAFEGUARDING POLICY

1. Purpose

QUPLEX LTD is committed to providing a safe, professional and respectful environment for students, including students under 18 and vulnerable individuals.

This Safeguarding Policy sets out how the Company expects its directors, employees, mentors, tutors, consultants, academic leads, researchers, workshop instructors, subcontractors and other personnel to prevent, recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns.

2. Scope

This Policy applies to all services provided through the Company, whether online, in person, individual, group-based, B2C, B2B, school-facing or institutional.

This Policy applies to educational support, academic mentoring, tutoring, research supervision, diagnostics, workshops, consulting, admissions preparation, publication support and related services.

3. Key Principles

The Company’s safeguarding approach is based on the following principles:

1. the welfare and safety of the student are a primary consideration;
2. all students should be treated with dignity and respect;
3. professional boundaries must be maintained;
4. safeguarding concerns must be taken seriously;
5. concerns must be reported promptly;
6. mentors and other personnel must not investigate concerns themselves;
7. confidentiality must be maintained, but safeguarding concerns may need to be shared with appropriate people or authorities;
8. records should be accurate, factual and proportionate.

4. Safeguarding Contact

The Company’s safeguarding contact is:

Name: Darren Lee Runham

Role: Director

Email: safeguarding@quplex.co.uk

Phone: +44 75 7575 9710

If there is an immediate risk of serious harm, the mentor or relevant person should contact emergency services or the relevant local safeguarding authority where appropriate, and inform the Company as soon as reasonably possible.

5. Responsibilities of the Company

The Company is responsible for:

1. maintaining safeguarding procedures appropriate to its services;
2. giving mentors and personnel reasonable safeguarding instructions;
3. reviewing safeguarding concerns raised by mentors, students, parents, clients or others;
4. taking appropriate action where a student may be at risk;
5. requesting identity documents, references, DBS checks or equivalent checks where appropriate;
6. maintaining appropriate records of safeguarding concerns.

6. Responsibilities of Mentors and Personnel

Mentors and personnel are responsible for:

1. maintaining professional boundaries;
2. following this Policy;
3. reporting safeguarding concerns promptly;
4. cooperating with reasonable safeguarding instructions;
5. providing identity documents, references, DBS checks or equivalent checks where reasonably requested by the Company;
6. avoiding conduct that could place a student at risk or create a safeguarding concern.

7. Students Under 18

Where services involve students under 18, extra care must be taken to maintain appropriate boundaries and safe communication.

Mentors and personnel must not:

1. arrange private social meetings with under-18 students;
2. contact under-18 students through personal social media;
3. meet under-18 students in private settings without Company approval;
4. record sessions without proper consent;
5. discuss inappropriate personal, sexual, political, financial or unrelated matters;
6. ask for unnecessary personal information;
7. encourage secrecy from parents, guardians or the Company.

Where appropriate, parents, guardians or the Client should be aware of the session arrangements and communication channels.

8. Online Safeguarding

For online sessions, mentors and personnel must comply with the Company’s Online Sessions Policy.

Approved or agreed platforms and communication channels should be used.

Mentors and personnel should ensure that their own environment is appropriate for professional online delivery.

Mentors and personnel should not conduct sessions from inappropriate locations or in circumstances that may compromise professional boundaries.

9. In-Person Safeguarding

Where sessions take place in person, the location must be appropriate and agreed in advance.

Mentors and personnel must not arrange private in-person meetings with students outside the agreed service arrangements.

For students under 18, in-person arrangements should be transparent and, where appropriate, known to the parent, guardian, Client Organisation or Company.

10. Types of Safeguarding Concern

Safeguarding concerns may include, but are not limited to:

1. disclosure or signs of abuse;
2. neglect;
3. self-harm;
4. suicidal thoughts;
5. serious emotional distress;
6. exploitation;
7. coercion;
8. bullying or harassment;
9. inappropriate sexual behaviour or comments;
10. grooming or boundary violations;
11. unsafe home or online environment;
12. harmful behaviour by another student, adult, mentor, parent, guardian or professional.

11. What to Do if a Concern Arises

If a student discloses or indicates a safeguarding concern, the mentor or relevant person should:

1. remain calm;
2. listen carefully;
3. avoid promising absolute confidentiality;
4. avoid asking leading or investigative questions;
5. reassure the student that the concern will be taken seriously;
6. record factual details as soon as possible;
7. report the concern promptly to the Company’s safeguarding contact.

Mentors and personnel must not:

1. investigate the concern themselves;
2. contact alleged perpetrators;
3. confront parents, guardians or other people unless instructed by the Company or required because of immediate risk;
4. make promises that the information will not be shared;
5. delay reporting serious concerns.

12. Immediate Risk

If there is an immediate risk of serious harm, the mentor or relevant person should take appropriate urgent action, which may include contacting emergency services or relevant authorities.

The Company must be informed as soon as reasonably possible after urgent action is taken.

13. Recording Safeguarding Concerns

Safeguarding records should be:

1. factual;
2. dated;
3. clear;
4. limited to relevant information;
5. kept securely;
6. shared only with appropriate people.

The record should include:

1. student name;
2. date and time;
3. service or session;
4. what was said or observed;
5. action taken;
6. person to whom the concern was reported.

14. Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Safeguarding information must be treated confidentially.

However, confidentiality does not prevent the Company or its personnel from sharing information where necessary to protect a student or comply with legal or professional obligations.

Safeguarding information should be shared only with people who need to know.

15. Safer Recruitment and Mentor Checks

The Company may request identity documents, references, right-to-work evidence, qualifications, DBS checks or equivalent background checks where appropriate.

The level of checking may depend on the nature of the work, whether students are under 18, whether sessions are online or in person, and whether the mentor has unsupervised contact with students.

Where a role involves regulated activity with children, the Company may require an enhanced DBS check, and where legally eligible, a check of the children’s barred list, or an equivalent overseas/background check where relevant.

Mentors and personnel must provide accurate information and must not misrepresent their identity, qualifications, experience or background.

16. Allegations or Concerns About Mentors or Personnel

Any concern or allegation about a mentor’s or other person’s conduct must be taken seriously.

The Company may suspend the person from services while the concern is reviewed.

The Company may take appropriate action, including termination of the Mentor Services Agreement, reporting to relevant authorities, notifying clients or parents where appropriate, or taking other steps necessary to protect students.

17. Review

This Policy should be reviewed periodically and updated where necessary.