Safeguarding
Children use this platform, so safety is not a feature here, it is the design constraint everything else answers to. This page explains exactly what we check, what our checks mean, and what they do not.
Every tutor must submit a current Enhanced DBS certificate, the highest level of criminal record check available in England and Wales, which includes a check of the children’s barred list, before their profile can appear anywhere on Tutor Island.
A member of our team personally reviews each certificate. This is not a tick-box upload: profiles stay invisible until the review is complete, and a tutor with no verified DBS simply does not exist on the platform as far as browsing families are concerned. Verification is a condition of listing, never an optional badge, and it costs tutors nothing, so there is no incentive for anyone to skip it.
We will always be straight with you about this. A DBS certificate is a snapshot of a person’s record on the day it was issued. Our review confirms the certificate is genuine, current, and clear; it cannot predict future behaviour, and no check anywhere can.
So treat our verification as a strong foundation, not a substitute for your own judgement. Meet a new tutor before lessons start, sit in on early sessions where you can, especially for younger learners, and trust your instincts. The safest arrangements are the ones where the platform and the parent are both paying attention.
Until you choose to pay and connect, phone numbers, email addresses, and social handles are automatically removed from messages in both directions. Nobody can take a conversation off the platform before you decide they should.
Messages pass through automated safety screening before they are delivered. Harmful content is blocked on the spot, and flagged content is kept for our review.
Any conversation can be reported to us or blocked outright, which stops all further contact in both directions. Where we believe a child may be at risk, we act, including involving the authorities where appropriate.
Children under 16 never hold accounts; parents manage everything. Students aged 16 or 17 hold their own account only after a parent acknowledges it, and parents are notified at every key moment, including exactly who their child can contact once connected.
Use the report option in any conversation, or email us directly at support@tutorisland.co.uk. A person reads every report. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, contact the police first, then tell us.
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