The tutor safeguarding checklist
Almost every tutor is exactly who they say they are. A short checklist protects everyone anyway: verify the paperwork before you book, supervise the first lessons, set the online ground rules, and know who to call if something feels wrong. Print this page and tick as you go.
The checklist, stage by stage
Four stages: before you book, the first lessons, online ground rules, and ongoing habits. It draws on the NSPCC's guidance for parents finding a tutor and current gov.uk DBS rules.
Before you book
- Ask which level of DBS check the tutor holds and when it was issued. Self-employed tutors have been able to get an enhanced check through a DBS umbrella body since January 2026, so an enhanced certificate is a fair ask.
- Ask to see the original certificate and check the name, level and issue date match the person in front of you.
- Ask whether they subscribe to the DBS Update Service, which keeps a standard or enhanced certificate current.
- Ask for a reference from a recent family, and actually contact it.
- Check their online presence matches their story: a consistent profile, genuine reviews, and qualifications they can evidence.
The first lessons
- Stay in the house, or close by, for the first few sessions with a younger child.
- Use a shared space at home, never a bedroom, with the door open.
- Agree times, length, rate and cancellation terms in writing before the first paid lesson.
- Debrief with your child afterwards: what they covered, and how the hour felt.
Online lesson ground rules
- Lessons happen in a shared family space, not a bedroom, with a neutral camera background.
- You hold the account login for the lesson platform and can drop in at any time.
- All scheduling and messages go through you. The tutor never contacts your child directly outside lessons, on any channel.
- Agree upfront whether sessions are recorded, and who keeps the recording.
Ongoing
- Communication stays on the channel you agreed, and you can see it.
- Any change of venue, time or format is agreed with you, never arranged directly with your child.
- Keep the conversation with your child open. A sudden reluctance to attend is always worth a gentle conversation.
The paperwork stage is covered in more depth in DBS checks for tutors, and the wider vetting conversation in questions to ask a tutor.
Red flags that end the conversation
Most checklist misses are innocent. These five are different: any one of them is a reason to stop, not negotiate.
How do I report a concern about a tutor?
Keep these routes somewhere you can find them. Professionals would always rather hear about a concern that turns out to be nothing.
Immediate risk
If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.
Worried but not urgent
The NSPCC helpline is 0808 800 5000, or email help@nspcc.org.uk, for advice on any safeguarding worry.
Local follow-up
Your local authority's children's services team takes referrals about adults who work with children.
A note on TutorLab's role: it is a directory. It lists tutors so parents can find and contact them, and it does not carry out DBS or identity checks itself. The checks on this page are yours to run, and they matter on every platform, not just this one.
Tutor safety: common questions
Does a private tutor have to be DBS checked?
No, there is no legal requirement, which is why asking is your job rather than the state's. Since 21 January 2026, self-employed tutors can apply for an enhanced DBS check through a DBS umbrella body, so a serious tutor can hold one. Ask which level they hold, see the certificate, and treat evasiveness as a red flag.
Should I sit in on my child's tutoring sessions?
For the first few sessions with a younger child, stay in the house or within earshot, and use a shared space with the door open. As trust builds, nearby is fine. Teenagers usually work better without a parent at the table, but the shared-space and open-door rules still apply, and you should always be free to drop in.
What are sensible ground rules for online tutoring?
The NSPCC's guidance for parents points the same way as common sense: lessons in a shared family space rather than a bedroom, a parent holding the platform login, permission to drop in at any time, and all communication routed through the parent rather than directly to the child. Agree the rules with the tutor before the first session. A good tutor will welcome them.
Who do I contact if I am worried about a tutor's behaviour?
If a child is at immediate risk of harm, call the police on 999. If there is no immediate danger and you are unsure what to do, the NSPCC helpline is 0808 800 5000, or email help@nspcc.org.uk. You can also contact your local authority's children's services team. Trust the instinct that made you consider calling: professionals would rather hear about a concern that turns out to be nothing.
Does TutorLab vet the tutors it lists?
No. TutorLab is a directory: it lists tutors so parents can find and contact them directly, and it does not carry out DBS or identity checks itself. This checklist exists precisely because the vetting is yours to do. Ask about the DBS check, see the certificate, take a reference, and keep the first-lesson precautions regardless of what any platform says.
Once the safety questions are settled, the choosing gets easier: see how to choose a tutor, typical tutor rates across the UK, or browse tutors near you.
Checklist in hand? Find the tutor.
Search by subject and area, message tutors directly, and ask the safeguarding questions upfront. Contacting tutors is free.