Safeguard

We believe in our partnership with pupils and young adults through empowering and protecting them. For this reason, we have established the following safeguards as we firmly believe that prevention is the better option.

• All individuals are entitled to equal protection rights. These rights are irrespective of factors such as ability or age, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity leave, disability, race (including color), nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, or sex.
• The Sexual Offences Act (2003) instituted laws concerning individuals in Positions of Trust, encompassing teachers and other adults consistently engaged in the care, training, supervision, or sole responsibility for young people, whether on a voluntary or paid basis. This legislation aims to safeguard 16 and 17-year-olds who, although above the age of consent, are deemed vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation when in situations involving an adult in a position of trust.
• Any violation of trust or issues related to the sharing of personal contact details, identifiable information, or communication with a pupil outside the platform will be treated with utmost seriousness.
• Compliance with UK legislation and statutory guidance, including but not limited to: Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004, Care Act 2014, The Prevent Duty (Home Office 2015 – updated April 2022), Working Together to Safeguard Children (Home Office 2015), Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE Sept 2022), Care and Support Statutory Guidance (updated June 2022)
• All interactions within the Pathbuddy Platform are tracked and accessible to review by the Pathbuddy team.
• The Platform automatically identifies and blocks any attempts to share contact details that would facilitate communication outside of the platform.
• The contact details of pupils  will remain private and confidential.
• Pathbuddy securely holds and stores sensitive and confidential information concerning pupils, ensuring limited access.
• Video recordings of all mentoring sessions are automatically recorded and stored securely online for safeguarding purposes only and it may be provided to the relevant authorities if legally obligated to do so. The video recordings remain stored for 30 days.
• The user may delete an entire conversation which will still be stored by us for 30 days. 
• Pathbuddy users are advised to limit their engagement on the Pathbuddy Platform to the following domains: enhancing academic achievements, university application processes, university experiences, applying for internships/graduate jobs, developing commercial awareness, gaining insights into career sectors, networking and understanding working life.