Keeping every child safe

Our commitment

Innovate Prime Academy is run by Innovate Prime Ltd. We believe every child has the right to be safe and to be treated with respect, whatever their age, ability, background, religion, gender or ethnicity. Everyone who works with the Academy shares responsibility for keeping children safe, and we work with parents, carers and the Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership to do that.

People

• Every tutor and volunteer holds an enhanced DBS check before working with children, renewed regularly.
• We take references and check identity before anyone joins the team.
• Everyone receives safeguarding training and follows a code of conduct.
• our Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for safeguarding and is the person to contact with any concern: email hello@innovateprime.co.uk or call 07932 695378.

At sessions

• At least two adults are present at every session, and no adult is alone with a child out of sight of others.
• Groups are small, with at most 12 children.
• Children are signed in and out. They only leave with an adult named on their enrolment form, unless you've agreed in writing that they can travel home on their own.
• We hold emergency contact and medical details from the enrolment form, and a first-aider is present.
• The venue is checked for safety before sessions start.

Online safety

• Session laptops have filtered internet access, and children only use accounts set up for the Academy.
• Online safety is taught in every programme, so children know how to protect themselves and who to tell if something goes wrong.
• Staff never contact children privately by phone, message or social media. All contact goes through parents and carers.

Using AI tools

• We only use AI tools in line with their age requirements. Juniors (8–12) never have their own AI accounts; tutors lead and supervise every AI activity.
• Teens (13–17) use only tools whose terms allow their age, through accounts set up for the Academy, and we ask for parents' consent where a tool requires it.
• Children never enter personal information (their name, school, address, photos of themselves or others) into AI tools, and we teach them why.
• We check each tool's safety settings and privacy terms before using it in sessions, and review them regularly.

Photos and personal information

• We never take or share photos or videos of a child without a parent's written consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
• We never publish a child's full name.
• We keep children's information securely and only for as long as we need it. See our privacy notice.

Responding to concerns

If a child tells us something worrying, or we're concerned about their safety, staff listen, don't promise to keep it secret, write down what was said, and tell the Designated Safeguarding Lead the same day. The Designated Safeguarding Lead refers concerns to Coventry's Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub or the police when needed. Any concern about a member of staff or volunteer is reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead and, where required, to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).