Child Protection Policy
Wee Music School
Last Updated: July 2026
1. Introduction
Wee Music School is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children and young people who engage with our services. This Child Protection Policy outlines our approach to safeguarding children, preventing harm, and responding appropriately to any concerns or incidents that may arise. It applies to all core staff, self-employed tutors, substitute teachers (deps), and anyone involved with Wee Music School.
2. Agency Status & Liability
Wee Music School acts strictly as an employment business and booking agent, facilitating introductions between clients and self-employed tutors. As such, our safeguarding responsibility is focused on robust initial vetting, maintaining platform standards, and providing a clear incident reporting framework.
While we require all tutors to adhere to this Child Protection Policy as a condition of using our platform, tutors retain full professional autonomy. Self-employed tutors are independently responsible for the day-to-day safety and delivery of their lessons, and maintain their own professional indemnity and public liability insurance. As outlined in our Client Terms and Conditions, Wee Music School is not legally liable for the delivery or safety of the tuition provided by the tutor.
3. Policy Statement
Wee Music School believes that:
- The welfare of the child is paramount.
- All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, have the right to equal protection from harm.
- We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children, to protect them from abuse, and to take action to protect children where concerns about their welfare arise.
- We will work in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers, and other agencies to safeguard children and protect them from harm.
4. Definitions
5. Legal Framework
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy, and guidance that seeks to protect children in Scotland, including:
- Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
- National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), as incorporated into Scots law
- Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)
- Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007
6. Roles and Responsibilities
- All Self-Employed Tutors and Deps: As independent professionals working via the Wee Music School platform, tutors are required to adhere to this policy as a condition of their agency agreement. They are individually responsible for ensuring a safe environment during their lessons and must report any concerns to the Designated Child Protection Officer (DCPO).
- Designated Child Protection Officer (DCPO): Aden Mazur (aden@weemusicschool.co.uk) is the named individual responsible for child protection within Wee Music School. They ensure the policy is implemented effectively and act as the point of contact for any concerns.
6. Safe Recruitment
Wee Music School is committed to safer recruitment practices to ensure that all teachers and volunteers who come into contact with children are suitable for their roles:
● All teachers working directly with children will undergo a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check before beginning their role.
7. Vetting and Safeguarding (Agency Model)
- Child: In Scotland, a child is defined as any person under the age of 18 years old.Child Protection
- Child Protection: The measures and structures in place to prevent and respond to the abuse, exploitation, and neglect of children.
- Abuse: Includes physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect.
Wee Music School is committed to strict vetting practices to ensure that all tutors who come into contact with children are suitable to teach:
- Every tutor and substitute teacher (dep) operating via the platform must hold active Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership before beginning their role.
- The School arranges and pays for PVG scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland for its tutors.
8. Code of Conduct for Tutors
To maintain the highest standards of safeguarding, all tutors and deps must:
- Act professionally and respectfully towards all children, ensuring their dignity and privacy are respected at all times.
- Never engage in inappropriate relationships with children or exploit their position of authority.
- Use appropriate language and behaviour that reflects our values of respect and inclusion.
- Maintain clear professional boundaries in communication. Primary communication should occur via the official TutorCruncher platform. If a tutor utilizes their own communication channels, strict professional and safeguarding boundaries must be maintained at all times.
9. Online Safety and Remote Lessons
Wee Music School acknowledges the increasing use of online platforms for lessons and the associated risks. To ensure the safety of children during online lessons:
- All online lessons must take place on secure platforms with a responsible adult aware of the session.
- Tutors must never record lessons without the explicit written consent of parents/guardians and for legitimate purposes such as safeguarding or lesson reviews.
- Any concerns about online safety must be reported immediately to the DCPO.
10. Recognising and Responding to Concerns
All tutors and staff have a duty to be alert to the signs of abuse and to report any concerns about the welfare of a child. Signs of abuse may include:
- Physical indicators (e.g., unexplained bruises or injuries)
- Behavioural changes (e.g., withdrawal, anxiety, or aggression)
- Disclosures by a child about abuse or neglect
If a child discloses that they are being harmed or abused:
- Listen carefully and reassure the child they are being taken seriously.
- Do not promise confidentiality; explain that the information must be shared with the appropriate person to help them.
- Record the concern in writing as soon as possible, detailing exactly what the child has said, the date and time, and the actions taken.
11. Incident Response and Reporting Procedures
If a tutor, staff member, parent, or student raises an online safety or general child protection concern, Wee Music School will follow this established procedure:
- Reporting: The concern must be reported to the DCPO (Aden Mazur) immediately (within the same working day). Tutors are strongly encouraged to utilize the built-in Safeguarding/Wellbeing Concern reporting feature within the TutorCruncher platform to flag issues directly to the DCPO securely. Alternatively, concerns can be documented in writing and emailed, including all relevant details (names, dates, times, observations).
- Containment: If a serious allegation is made against a tutor, the DCPO will immediately pause scheduled lessons and suspend the tutor's access to the TutorCruncher platform pending a preliminary review.
- Investigation & Communication: The DCPO will conduct a prompt fact-finding review, communicating securely and privately with the reporting party, the parents/guardians, and the tutor involved to gather all relevant information.
- Escalation: The DCPO will assess the situation and determine whether the threshold is met to involve external agencies. If a tutor is removed from the platform on safeguarding grounds, Wee Music School is legally obligated to make a referral to Disclosure Scotland.
- Emergency Escalation: If the DCPO is unavailable, or if the concern involves the DCPO, the concern should be escalated directly to Social Services or Police Scotland.
Contact details for reporting:
- Social Services (Child Protection Team): 0800 731 6969
- Police Scotland: 101 (or 999 in emergencies)
- NSPCC Helpline: 0800 800 5000
- Disclosure Scotland: 03000 2000 40 (for PVG safeguarding referrals)
12. Record Keeping
All All safeguarding concerns and actions taken will be accurately documented and securely stored in accordance with data protection regulations and our Privacy Policy. This includes records of any incidents, disclosures, and referrals to external agencies. Only the DCPO and those involved in the case will have access to these records. concerns and actions taken will be accurately documented and securely stored in accordance with data protection regulations. This includes records of any incidents, disclosures, and referrals to external agencies. Only the DCPO and those involved in the case will have access to these records.
13. Access to Policies and Procedures
Wee Music School ensures that all tutors and staff have access to our child protection policies and procedures. It is their responsibility to familiarise themselves with and adhere to these guidelines to promote a safe environment for all children in our care.
14. Partnership with Parents and Guardians
We recognise that the involvement of parents and guardians is crucial in promoting a safe environment for children. We will:
- Share this policy with all parents and guardians upon registration.
- Maintain open lines of communication regarding child safety and any issues that arise.
- Encourage parents/guardians to raise any concerns about their child’s safety with us.
15. Review and Updates
This Child Protection Policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if there are significant changes in legislation or incidents that necessitate a review. Any amendments to the policy will be communicated to tutors, staff, and parents/guardians.
Next Review Date: July 2027
16. Contact Information
For any concerns or questions regarding child protection, please contact:
Designated Child Protection Officer (DCPO): Aden Mazur
Phone: 07886231915
Email: aden@weemusicschool.co.uk
