This Online Session Protocol sets the safety requirements for every session NSEMM delivers online. It applies to tutoring, mentoring, and any other online interaction with a child or young person. Operational procedures are set out in the Online Safety SOP.
All sessions are recorded as a mandatory safeguarding control.
Lawful basis: UK GDPR Article 9(2)(g) and Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 1 Part 2 paragraph 18 (safeguarding of children and individuals at risk).
Recording is NOT consent-based; participants are notified at onboarding via the Article 13 transparency notice. Recordings are retained in line with the Data Retention Policy and are erasure-exempt under UK GDPR Article 17(3)(e) and Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 2 paragraph 5.
All sessions take place through the Lessonspace classroom within the NSEMM Learn portal. Tutors and students must use the platform's video, audio, and chat features only.
No off-platform communication is permitted during or after a session, including direct messaging, personal email, social media, or third-party video tools.
Both tutor and student must have cameras on for the duration of the session.
The tutor must be in a quiet, professional environment with no other adults visible. The student should be in a household area with parental awareness; bedrooms are discouraged. Backgrounds should be neutral and not display personal information.
Tutors must NOT exchange personal contact details with students or parents (phone numbers, social media handles, email addresses outside the NSEMM platform).
Any communication between sessions must be through NSEMM Learn or the parent's NSEMM-registered email. This applies during the relationship and indefinitely afterwards while the student is under 18.
If a tutor receives an inbound direct message from a current or former student outside the NSEMM platform (for example, on social media or personal email), they must:
The DSL will assess and respond as appropriate, which may include contacting the student's parent or carer and any platform involved.
NSEMM Learn and Lessonspace are configured to prevent access to harmful content during sessions. Session recordings are retained and subject to random quality-assurance review by the DSL team, providing continuous monitoring of the online environment. NSEMM applies age-appropriate technical filtering across its platforms.
NSEMM recognises that artificial intelligence creates new vectors for online harm including:
Staff training covers these risks. Where AI-generated abuse material is identified or suspected, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) reporting protocol in section 9 below applies.
If a tutor or any NSEMM staff member encounters child sexual abuse material (CSAM) during a session or in any NSEMM context:
Stop the session safely, preserve evidence by leaving the material in place, and immediately report to:
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999 first.
Cyberbullying through NSEMM platforms is treated as a safeguarding concern. NSEMM's response includes immediate intervention, support for the affected child, appropriate consequences for the perpetrator, and ongoing monitoring.
Online 1:1 tutoring constitutes regulated activity under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (SVGA 2006) Schedule 4 (any form of teaching, training, or instruction of children, frequency met at more than three days in 30 or weekly). All NSEMM tutors are subject to an Enhanced DBS check including the Children's Barred List, under Police Act 1997 s.113BA and the SVGA 2006, in accordance with this status.
This protocol reflects the DfE's "Keeping children safe during community activities, after-school clubs and tuition" guidance (updated 9 February 2026), which NSEMM follows as if it were statutory, and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 (18 March 2026).
This document is maintained by NSEMM's Designated Safeguarding Lead and reviewed annually or following significant regulatory change. For queries, contact the DSL via protect.nsemm.org.uk.