Safeguarding policy

1. Our safeguarding commitment and scope

RootedLearn provides online tutoring in which guardians create learner profiles, request lesson packages, and are matched to verified tutors for online video lessons. Many of our learners are children or otherwise vulnerable. We are committed to providing a respectful, safe online learning environment and to treating the welfare of every learner as paramount.

This policy protects:

• Children and young people who learn through RootedLearn (whose guardians provide consent and supervision).
• Adult learners who may be vulnerable.
• Guardians, tutors, and staff who interact through the platform.

Safeguarding depends on shared responsibility: clear expectations, appropriate boundaries, active guardian involvement, careful tutor vetting, and timely reporting.

2. How to report a concern

If you have a safeguarding concern about a learner or about conduct on the platform, tell us as soon as possible. We have a named reporting route so concerns reach the right people quickly:

• Designated Safeguarding contact: hello@rootedlearn.com
• General support: hello@rootedlearn.com, phone 07061089917, or WhatsApp +234 706 108 9917

You do not need to be certain that something is wrong before reporting — if something worries you, tell us. All reports are taken seriously. If a child or anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services first, then notify us when it is safe to do so (see section 9).

3. Guardian responsibilities and supervision

Guardians play the central role in keeping young learners safe online. We ask guardians to:

• Create accurate learner profiles and provide consent for the learner to use the platform.
• Supervise younger learners during lessons and remain nearby and reachable, especially for children.
• Set the learner up in a shared or visible space in the home rather than in private, and help them join lessons where needed.
• Review lesson schedules, reports, and any messages, and talk with the learner about their experience.
• Report anything that feels wrong — including inappropriate contact, missed lessons, or a tutor asking to move off the platform — through the channels above.

4. Tutor vetting and verification

Tutors are independent contractors who go through a structured application and review workflow before they can teach, and may be re-checked afterwards. This includes:

• Checks on the certificates and qualifications tutors submit.
• A subject-based assessment for every tutor, verifying their knowledge of each subject they claim to teach.
• Review of profile information, intro video, and availability.
• Admin approval before a tutor can be recommended to families.

Approval can be declined, paused, or withdrawn based on review outcomes or safeguarding concerns. Tutors must accept and follow this policy and the Tutor policy as a condition of teaching.

5. Online-lesson safety measures

Lessons take place in RootedLearn's approved online classroom, which is designed to keep sessions safe and accountable. Our expectations include:

• Lessons and required communication happen on-platform only, using the approved classroom and tools.
• No unnecessary private or off-platform 1:1 contact between tutors and child learners — no personal phone numbers, personal messaging, or social-media contact.
• Professional, age-appropriate boundaries and language at all times.
• Session integrity: tutors should keep sessions focused on learning, in an appropriate environment, and must not attempt to isolate a learner or move the lesson somewhere unaccountable.
• Guardian visibility into schedules, reports, and progress.

6. Prohibited behaviours

The following behaviours are never acceptable on RootedLearn and will be acted on:

• Any sexual, exploitative, grooming, or abusive behaviour toward a learner.
• Seeking private off-platform contact with a child learner, or arranging to meet in person.
• Asking a learner to keep secrets, sending personal gifts, or building an inappropriate personal relationship.
• Bullying, harassment, threats, intimidation, or discrimination.
• Sharing content that is sexual, violent, frightening, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate for a child.
• Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs during a lesson.
• Misusing learner information or moving lessons, communication, or payment off the platform to avoid safety and support processes.

7. Recognising and reporting concerns

Anyone using RootedLearn should report concerns promptly. Things to report include:

• A learner disclosing harm, abuse, or that they feel unsafe.
• Inappropriate, sexual, or boundary-crossing behaviour or communication.
• A tutor or user trying to move contact, lessons, or payment off the platform.
• Requests for private contact details, personal photos, or meetings.
• Signs that a learner may be at risk, including concerning statements or behaviour during lessons.
• Missed or unexplained lessons paired with worrying circumstances, harassment, or suspected misuse of the platform.

Report through hello@rootedlearn.com or our support channels. Include what happened, who was involved, when, and any relevant details, while sharing only what is necessary. Reports are taken seriously and handled with care.

8. How RootedLearn responds

When we receive a safeguarding concern, we aim to:

• Acknowledge and review the concern promptly and treat it as a priority.
• Look at relevant records — lesson details, account information, reports, and support history — to understand what happened.
• Apply a precautionary suspension of a tutor or account where appropriate while we review, before reaching any conclusion.
• Handle the matter confidentially, sharing information only with those who need it to keep people safe or as required by law.
• Take proportionate action, which may include restriction, suspension, permanent removal, and escalation to authorities.
• Keep appropriate records of the concern and our response.

9. Emergencies and escalation to authorities

RootedLearn support channels are not an emergency service. If a child or anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services or your local police first, then notify us when it is safe to do so.

Where a concern suggests a child may have been harmed or is at risk, we may escalate to the appropriate authorities. The right body depends on your country — for example, in Nigeria this may include the police and NAPTIP (the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons); for families in the UK or the wider diaspora, examples include the NSPCC and Childline. We reference these as examples only, since availability and the correct route depend on where you are.

10. Handling of learner data in safeguarding matters

We handle personal information in safeguarding matters carefully and lawfully, consistent with applicable data-protection laws such as the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (regulated by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, NDPC), the EU GDPR, and the UK GDPR. We limit access to those who need it, keep records secure, and share information only where necessary to protect someone or where the law requires it. The safety of a learner takes priority when we weigh what to share.

11. Continuous improvement

Safeguarding is never finished. We review and update our vetting steps, classroom controls, conduct rules, reporting routes, and response processes as the platform grows and as safety needs change. We welcome feedback from guardians, learners, and tutors on how we can keep improving.

12. Contact

To report a safeguarding concern, contact hello@rootedlearn.com, call 07061089917, or message +234 706 108 9917. If urgent harm is possible, contact local emergency services first. RootedLearn, 254 Chapman Rd, Ste 208 #27251, Newark, DE 19702, USA.