What ‘checks’ should I do before agreeing to a tutor for my daughter for F2F sessions

[CareBearClaire]

Hi, looking for some advice. My daughter has had a few health problems and so I’m looking for a Higher maths tutor. A friend passed on someone’s name and number (she had approached this person for help but he didn’t teach what she was looking for). Someone had recommended him to her via local Facebook group.

He has a very busy diary and said he tutors in his own home if we want F2F (he does online too). My daughter would prefer an in person slot. But, I don’t know this guy, I don’t know who has basically recommended him. I’ve spoken to him and he sounds lovely and very genuine. Obviously if there was anything at all that didn’t sounds right, I wouldn’t go near him but he sounds lovely on the surface at least after a first phone call. I would not leave my daughter with him without checking it’s safe. What do I need to ask for to make sure this is safe. I know he would need a PVG (I presume I can just ask to see proof of that?). What else should I ask for or be checking for?

I’m in Scotland if it makes a difference. Thanks for any advice.

Hello - could anyone help with advice? Thanks

Is this tutor a qualified (and preferably current) Maths teacher? I’ve just started marking the Higher exams today and it is clear that some people are being taught things incorrectly. As a teacher I have had to correct quite a few students who have been taught incorrectly by tutors and friends of the family.
If he is a maths teacher then he will be dbs checked. I think tutors can have their own insurance etc that you could ask him about.

Hi thanks for your reply. He told me he used to be a maths teacher but he now only works privately as a tutor. So I need to ask for PVG (I think dbs is equivalent for England) and anything else?

This might not be especially helpful, but I personally felt very uneasy about dropping my step daughter off with a male tutor at his house. Maybe if he'd come to our house it would be different? But I didn't like that I didn't know who else would be in the house at the same time. We went for online tutoring having weighed up the options, and ultimately my DSD much preferred it and felt more comfortable being in the living room/her dad's office with us pottering about whilst the lesson went on.
DBS checks (or equivalent) aren't worth the paper they're written on by the way.

Going on the information provided, I am not sure that you have enough of a recommendation. Your friend hadn’t actually used him but just found him via Facebook. So no different to a stranger really.

Options are:

Ask for a school reference
Ask for parent references
Online tuition
Ask to stay on the premises - but he can refuse
Find a different tutor.

I'm a tutor in Scotland (not higher maths). I don't have students in my house without a parent present. They sit in the room and do life admin or read etc while I tutor.

Online I ask that students are in a family area like a living room or kitchen and that an adult is in earshot.

For me it's not good safeguarding practise to be with a child unsupervised.

For any tutor, you should ask to see their qualifications and they can share the PVG with you via an email link.

Thanks everyone, that’s really helpful. I explained I was being cautious and asked for his PVG - he said it wasn’t required. He said he could get me a reference but then added some vague information that didn’t make much sense to me. In the meantime someone else (a female) replied that could come to my house (and for £10 less per hour) so I sent a pleasant email explaining I would try them and why. I got a really cheeky and inappropriate reply from him. It’s been a lucky escape.

Crikey, no teacher should react badly to a parent asking for safeguarding reassurance.

Not good at all.

Yeah, that’s not a great sign.
There are a few tutoring agencies that use qualified teachers and have full check etc done (not dbs,my brain wasn’t working-pvg!)
If you want to pm me your area I could see if I know anyone local to you who might be able to help. I’ve been teaching in Scotland for 20+ years so know quite a few people about the place,might be worth a shot!

Hi, I've written quite a few parent guides on how to choose a tutor, online vs in person tutoring, DBS-Verified tutors etc... I cant link them here but here are some extracts:

Safeguarding verification
For any under-18 tutoring, confirm the tutor holds a current safeguarding cert: Enhanced DBS for England and Wales, PVG record for Scotland, AccessNI Enhanced Disclosure for Northern Ireland. On platforms without verification, you can ask the tutor to share a redacted version of their cert directly. A tutor who refuses to share or evades the question is a clear flag.

A DBS/PVG/Access NI certificate is a snapshot in time. Even a certificate issued yesterday confirms only what was on the relevant police records up to that moment. For child tutoring specifically, parental due diligence remains appropriate:

• Meet first before booking ongoing lessons, in person if local or by video call if online.
• Ask to see the physical certificate at the start. It is a normal request and most tutors will comply.
• Use the Update Service if the tutor is subscribed; a free online status check confirms whether the certificate is still current.
• Ask for references, run a trial lesson, and supervise early sessions where possible.
• Keep early lessons supervised or in a public space (e.g. a library) until you've built confidence
• Ask the tutor's previous students parents for a character reference if they have any.

Anyone who has even a passing understanding of safeguarding knows you would NEVER be alone with a minor in your home. Most tutors don’t allow it, never mind insist on it.