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Lanterna education ▸ Staying safe online

Lanterna Online Tutoring Safeguarding Policy

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1. General
2. Online Safety and Privacy
3. Roles and Responsibilities
4. Procedures

1. GENERAL

At Lanterna Education (Lanterna) we are committed to providing a safe environment for all tutees and tutors alike. This document outlines how Lanterna ensures the highest possible standard of safeguarding to promote the privacy and personal safety of every student using Lanterna and every tutor working with us. The policies outlined on this page ensures that tutors, tutees, and other involved parties act in regulation to UK law.


The Lanterna Online Private Tutoring (OPT) Safeguarding Policy should be thoroughly read by all parties involved in OPT before any Lanterna tutoring session takes place. Appropriate action will be taken if any parties display a failure to comply with the roles and responsibilities or procedures outlined on this page.

2. Online Safety and Privacy

  1. Lanterna Tutors
    1. Tutors go through a rigorous multi-step application process in order to become a tutor with Lanterna including written applications, 1-on-1 interviews, and tuition simulations.
    2. Tutors continuously get feedback from tutees after tuition sessions. This allows tutors to improve their teaching as well as allowing Lanterna to take appropriate actions if the tutoring is not performing to the established standards.
  2. Privacy
    1. Lanterna only communicates with tutees and their responsible adult through email or the phone number provided in the booking process.
    2. Tutors will be introduced to communicate with tutees and their responsible adult through email.
    3. Lanterna will never give out personal information such as last name and telephone number to the tutor. However, Lanterna will share personal information with the tutor if it could have an effect on the quality of the tutoring, e.g. information regarding, but not limited to learning disabilities.
  3. Recordings
    1. Sessions that are conducted on Lanterna’s recommended online whiteboard softwares may be recorded.
    2. Lanterna reserves the right to review the recordings at any time.
    3. Lanterna allows UK law enforcement to access recordings if any illegal behaviour has been reported by a party relating to a tutoring session.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

  1. The tutee shall:
    1. Treat tutors with respect and fairness without discrimination due to a tutees gender, ethnic background, sexual preferences, age, religion, or disabilities.
    2. Not display inappropriate images, videos, or audio during the session.
    3. Ensure the language between themselves and the tutee is appropriate.
    4. Alert Lanterna if there is any dispute between themselves and the tutor before, during, or after the session.
    5. Alert Lanterna if the tutor or a third party engages in inappropriate or illegal behaviour before, during, or after the session.
    6. Be aware that sessions conducted on our recommended online softwares may be recorded.
  2. Any Lanterna Tutor shall:
    1. Treat tutees with respect and fairness without discrimination due to a tutees gender, ethnic background, sexual preferences, age, religion, or disabilities.
    2. Create a safe space where the tutee feels comfortable with expressing their views and thoughts.
    3. Not display inappropriate images, videos, or audio during the session.
    4. Ensure the language between themselves and the tutee is professional and appropriate.
    5. Alert Lanterna if there is any dispute between themselves and the tutee before, during, or after the session.
    6. Alert Lanterna if the student or a third party engages in inappropriate or illegal behaviour before, during, or after the session.
    7. Be aware that sessions conducted on our recommended online softwares may be recorded.
    8. Not communicate or add the tutee on any social media, including but not limited to Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or Facebook.
  3. Lanterna Management shall:
    1. Ensure that the tutors are of the appropriate standard through conducting a rigorous hiring process before allowing them to host tuition sessions (in line with Section 1).
    2. Handle all claims/reports of illicit activity during, or outside, the session from the tutor or tutee relating to the tuition swiftly.
    3. Make recordings of tuition sessions available to the authorities if a party claims illegal activity may have been conducted during the session.
    4. Handle disputes between tutors and tutees/parents/guardians/schools swiftly in order to ensure the continued wellbeing of all parties involved.
    5. Frequently evaluate and update the Lanterna Online Tutoring Safeguarding Policy to maintain appropriate standards of safeguarding.
  4. The Responsible Adult (parent or other legal guardian) shall:
    1. Agree to hold the legal relationship if necessary between the tutee and Lanterna Education LTD before the start of the tuition if the tutee is under the age of 18.
    2. Review the safeguarding policy and ensure the tutee is fully aware of it.
    3. Always hold responsibility for the tutee’s welfare during lessons.
    4. Alert Lanterna if there is any dispute between themselves or the tutee and the tutor before, during, or after the session.
    5. Alert Lanterna if the tutor or a third party engages in inappropriate or illegal behaviour before, during, or after the session.
    6. Be aware that sessions conducted on our recommended online softwares may be recorded.
  5. Schools and Teachers. If the tuition is organized by the school, the session is within school, or takes place on school property, the school/teachers shall:
    1. Assume the role of the responsible adult (parent or other legal guardian) in alignment with the points outlined in 4.1-4.6 for the purpose of this policy.
    2. Ensure that they make a parent or legal guardian aware of the Safeguarding Policy as well as their roles & responsibilities if the session that the school has arranged is due to take place outside of school hours and not on school property.
  6. Agreement
    1. All parties (tutors, tutees, responsible adults, school/teachers, and Lanterna management) using Lanterna services have a duty to read and respect the Safeguarding Policy.
    2. Tutors reported to have violated the policy will be immediately suspended and investigated by the necessary authorities.
    3. Minor breaches of the Safeguarding Policy will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis in a manner that the Lanterna management deems appropriate.
    4. Major breaches of the Safeguarding Policy including, but not limited to, illegal activity or severe discrimination, will be reported to the police.

4. Procedures

  1. Purpose
    1. The sections below outline Lanterna’s Safeguarding Procedure. These are a set of actions that each party should take if they witness specific behaviours.
    2. The procedures aim to provide a swift and clear course of action for any party involved in the case of a breach of the Safeguarding Policy.
    3. Different actions are recommended depending on the severity of the infraction during lessons. Some will require reporting to Lanterna Education whilst others, more serious incidents, may require a direct report to the necessary authorities.
    4. Lanterna will not be held responsible for non-compliance with any actions listed in this recommended procedure for any party.
    5. If you witness an event that does not have a clear procedure associated with it listed in this document, you are encouraged to report it to Lanterna, or for more serious cases, to the necessary authorities.
  2. If a tutor is exposed to:
    1. Inappropriate or abusive language.
      1. The tutor will ask the responsible party to refrain from using the language during the sessions. Should the language persist, the tutor should alert Lanterna and end the session. Lanterna will decide on further action such as terminating the remaining sessions for the tutee.
    2. Inappropriate or abusive images
      1. If a tutor witnesses the display of pornographic material, child abuse images or indecent images of a child the tutor should end the session, report the incident to a responsible adult who should then report it to the necessary authorities.
      2. The responsible adult should also make Lanterna aware of the situation to preserve communications and recordings as required.
      3. Communication outside of session termination should be reported to Lanterna.
      4. The display of other material that is regarded as inappropriate should be reported to Lanterna by the responsible adult.
    3. Inappropriate or abusive behaviour
      1. The tutor will request the tutee or responsible party to refrain from the inappropriate or abusive behaviour. Should the behaviour persist, the tutor should end the teaching session and report the incident directly to Lanterna. There should be no further contact between the tutor and the tutee/responsible adult unless agreed by Lanterna. Communication outside of session termination should be reported to Lanterna.
      2. If the behaviour is sexual in nature, the session should be terminated and Lanterna as well as the necessary authorities should be informed.
    4. Abuse
      1. The physical or sexual abuse of an individual is a criminal offence
      2. A tutor that receives information from a tutee or other person should assure the person that they can get help for them. The tutor should then report the incident to the necessary authorities.
      3. A tutor that witnesses any abuse first-hand should immediately inform the necessary authorities. The tutor should also make Lanterna aware of the situation to preserve communications and recordings as required. Communication outside of session termination should be reported to Lanterna.
    5. Sensitive Information
      1. Should sensitive information be disclosed by a tutee, the tutor should determine the impact of said information and whether the incident should result in session termination and be reported to Lanterna.
  3. If a tutee is exposed to:
    1. Inappropriate or abusive language.
      1. The tutee will report the use of language to the responsible adult. The responsible adult should request the tutor to end the use of this language during the sessions. Should the language persist, the responsible adult should end the teaching session and report the incident directly to Lanterna Education. There should be no further contact between the tutor and the tutee/responsible adult unless agreed by Lanterna Education.
      2. In the case that the responsible adult is not immediately available, the tutee should report the use of language directly to Lanterna as soon as possible.
    2. Inappropriate or abusive images
      1. If a tutee witnesses the display of pornographic material, child abuse images or indecent images of a child the tutee should end the session, report the incident to a responsible adult who should then report it to the necessary authorities. The responsible adult should also make Lanterna aware of the situation to preserve communications and recordings as required. Communication outside of session termination should be reported to Lanterna.
      2. The display of other material that is regarded as inappropriate should be reported to Lanterna by the responsible adult.
    3. Inappropriate or abusive behaviour
      1. The tutee will report the inappropriate or abusive behaviour to the responsible adult. The responsible adult should request the tutor to end the use of this behaviour during the sessions. Should the language persist, the responsible adult should end the teaching session and report the incident directly to Lanterna Education. There should be no further contact between the tutor and the tutee/responsible adult unless agreed by Lanterna Education. Communication outside of session termination should be reported to Lanterna.
      2. In the case that the responsible adult is not immediately available, the tutee should report the behaviour directly to Lanterna as soon as possible.
      3. If the behaviour is sexual in nature, the session should be terminated and Lanterna as well as the necessary authorities should be informed.
    4. Abuse
      1. The physical or sexual abuse of an individual is a criminal offence
      2. A tutee that witnesses any abuse first-hand should immediately inform the responsible adult and subsequently the necessary authorities. The responsible adult should also make Lanterna aware of the situation to preserve communications and recordings as required. Communication outside of session termination should be reported to Lanterna.
    5. Sensitive Information
      1. Should sensitive information be disclosed by a tutor, the tutee should inform the responsible adult. The responsible adult determines whether the incident should result in session termination and be reported to Lanterna.
  4. Lanterna Education
    1. Lanterna is responsible for the Safeguarding Policy and Procedures outlined in this document.
    2. Incidents reported to Lanterna about breaches of this policy will be reviewed as quickly as possible to ensure a swift resolution for all parties involved.
    3. If a reported incident constitutes a minor breach of the safeguarding policy, Lanterna Education is responsible for the appropriate actions to take in order to prevent the breach to continue.
    4. If a reported incident constitutes a major breach of the safeguarding policy or there is immediate concern over the safety of a tutor or tutee, Lanterna Education is required to contact the necessary authorities about the event.
  5. The Responsible Adult (parent or other legal guardian)
    1. Section 7 of Roles and Responsibilities highlights that the responsible adult shall “always hold responsibility for the tutee’s welfare during lessons.”
    2. The responsible adult should always be available to the tutee during or directly after a tutoring session for the tutee or tutor to report any breaches of the Safeguarding Policy.
    3. If a responsible adult is made aware by a tutee of inappropriate behaviour, language or images displayed by the tutor, they should speak to the tutor about this and end the tuition session. They should then report this to Lanterna who will take appropriate action.
    4. The responsible adult should not contact the tutor after reporting the incident to Lanterna. If the tutor continues trying to make contact, they should report this to Lanterna or the police.
  6. School and Teacher
    1. If the tuition takes place on school property or is organized by the school, the school shall assume the procedures outlined for the Responsible Adult in Section 5 of the procedures.