Tips on Best Practices for Private Tuition Firms

The pandemic has had a huge impact on education. Many parents are now looking to private tutors to support their children. But as the private tuition industry isn’t officially regulated, how can you set your business apart? Committing to best practice can be one of the best ways to establish yourself as a reputable education provider. Here we look at some of the key things you should bear in mind if you run a private tuition firm.

Carry out the right DBS Checks

Having the right DBS Checks in place is essential to ensure your business is compliant. In most cases, tutors will be carrying out ‘regulated activity’. This is work that a barred person cannot do. In the case of tutoring, regulated activity needs to meet one of the following definitions:

• Unsupervised activities: teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children; providing advice/guidance on wellbeing, or driving a vehicle only for children.

• Working for a limited range of ‘specified places’ with the opportunity for contact with children and young people, for example, schools, children’s homes, childcare premises.

• Unsupervised intimate or personal care of children.

• Health care (including by a registered health professional)

This activity must be carried out at least 3 times within a 30-day period, or overnight to be classed as regulated activity. Any tutor carrying out regulated activity will need an Enhanced DBS Check with a Child Barred List search included on the check.

In some instances, an Enhanced DBS Check might not be required. Tutors carrying out work entirely remotely via video calls often don’t need an Enhanced DBS Check. This is because they don’t meet the above eligibility criteria. However, this doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be checked.

Basic DBS Checks can be carried out on individuals who don’t meet the criteria of regulated activity. As more education moves online, Basic DBS Checks are becoming more common for tutoring staff. Previously, it was very rare for anyone with the job title ‘tutor’ to have anything other than an Enhanced DBS Check.

You can find a more comprehensive guide on implementing compliant DBS checks in our free guide, here.

Using the DBS Update Service

The DBS Update Service is a subscription run by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). For £13 a year, holders of a Standard or Enhanced DBS Certificate can register for it. They can then provide a code to employers which allows them to ‘status check’ the information the DBS hold.

Encouraging your tutors to sign up for the DBS Update Service can make everyone’s life easier. Once they are signed up, they theoretically never need to complete another DBS Check again for the same job role.

It's important to know that a subscription to the DBS Update Service is only valid if the individual keeps hold of their original DBS Certificate. Employers need to see this certificate before carrying out any status check on the DBS Update Service.

If an individual no longer has their DBS Certificate, you cannot accept an Update Service subscription. If you do, you are breaching the DBS Code of Practice as well as violating statutory safeguarding rules.

We have a complete guide on how employers should use the DBS Update Service, here.

Have a policy for everything

Having a policy for everything ensures that there is no ambiguity between you as the employer and anyone you employ. Some policies are more important than others. As private tuition businesses will be carrying out DBS Checks, the following policies are a mandatory requirement:

• Policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders

• Policy on the secure handling of personal data including DBS Checks.

• Policy on how you intend to make safeguarding referrals to the DBS

Other vital policies to have in place are:

• Child protection policy

• Staff behaviour policy (sometimes called a code of conduct)

• Equality and diversity

• Safeguarding and prevent policy

The above list is by no means complete. You should refer to all the available guidance from the government to get a complete picture. Referring to the Keeping Children Safe in Education document is a good place to start.

Carry out Qualification Checks

As private tuition isn’t formally regulated, there are no specific qualifications that tutors have to have in place. However, if you want to run a reputable company you need to be sure that the tutors you do employ are capable of teaching to the standard you expect.

Qualification checks allow you to look into a candidates history and confirm the level and type of qualifications they have gained. Not only can this give you peace of mind, but it can also prevent you from employing any frauds.

Qualification fraud is one of the fastest-growing types of fraudulent activity. In 2018, a report revealed that 75% of university admissions staff couldn’t spot fake qualifications in their own institution's name. Qualification checks remove this risk.

Personnel Checks are the highest-rated background screening company in the UK. Already trusted by thousands of schools and education providers across the country. For more information on any of the background checks mentioned in this article, get in touch! You can give us a call on 01254 355688 or drop us an email at letstalk@personnelchecks.co.uk