Please be careful - tutoring is unregulated

[Fatbottomgardener]

Hopefully next year regulations will come in insisting all tutors have an enhance DBS. As a parent you should insist on seeing a DBS. Please also make sure a tutor is qualified to teach.

Bloody hell. Didn't know this, thank you for posting, OP.

The government already publishes advice about choosing a tutor and what to check. It's really up to parents to be proactive about checking anyone out who will be alone with their child. Common sense surely?

At the moment, it's really not straightforward for self employed private tutors to get a DBS for themselves. I have one because I'm employed in a school and also tutor privately but the DBS is for my position as a class teacher.

I welcome anything that safeguards children but I do think part of this is parenting and asking common sense questions.

Is it the government's responsibility to regulate tuition and to what extent? Would this also then have to include self employed baby sitters, dance teachers, mothers helps, cleaners, sports coaches etc? Anyone who might see children while they're working? If so, they need to make it possible for all these people to apply for a DBS without needing to be employed.

My DD has always paid people she knows to tutor her DC …..currently a TA who is a family friend….last tutor was a student teacher whose Dad is friends with her Dad and grew up seeing each other at events….. I mean I’m guessing these people will have dbs from their jobs but I’m not sure she has specifically asked to see it…..in fact very likely she hasn’t

I'm a former teacher, have done a lot of tutoring and so have friends/colleagues - we're all safe, decent people. I was shocked to learn recently that a local paedophile has managed to set up as an online international tutor. Abuse can of course happen online too, and unscrupulous companies put children at risk.

I tutor as an experienced teacher, I do have an enhanced DBS done by the school.

It is only because I have started to do more tutoring that I realise that anyone can set themselves up as a tutor.

It is an area that needs to be regulated. I am hoping that next year’s safeguarding regulations start to tighten things up a bit even if it is to ensure that everyone who tutors at least has formally recognised safeguarding training.