Safeguarding Policy for Driving Instructors

Organisation/Instructor: Lloyds Driver Training
Policy Owner: Lloyds Driver Training
Effective Date: 01/01/2026
Review Date: 01/01/2026
Version: 1.0

1. Purpose

This Safeguarding Policy sets out the arrangements and procedures that [Lloyds Driver Training] will follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people who receive driving tuition.

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Protect children and young people from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm.

• Provide a safe and professional environment for driving lessons.

• Ensure safeguarding concerns are recognised, taken seriously and acted upon promptly.

• Establish clear professional boundaries between instructors and pupils.

• Ensure instructors understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

• Provide clear procedures for responding to disclosures, allegations and concerns.

• Promote the welfare, dignity and wellbeing of every young person receiving tuition.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. The safety and welfare of children and young people will take priority over any other consideration.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All driving instructors working for or representing [Lloyds Driver Training].

• Employees, self-employed instructors, contractors and volunteers, where applicable.

• Anyone who has contact with children or young people on behalf of the organisation.

• Driving lessons, theory or practical tuition, assessments, meetings and other activities connected with the provision of driving instruction.

• Contact with pupils through telephone, text message, email, social media or other digital communication.

For the purpose of this policy, a child or young person means anyone under the age of 18.

3. Safeguarding Principles

[Lloyds Driver Training] is committed to the following principles:

1. Every child has the right to be safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

2. The welfare of the child is paramount.

3. All safeguarding concerns must be taken seriously.

4. Children should be listened to and treated with dignity and respect.

5. Children should be given appropriate opportunities to express their wishes and feelings.

6. Safeguarding concerns should be reported promptly rather than ignored or investigated personally by the instructor.

7. Instructors must maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times.

8. Information concerning safeguarding will be shared only where there is a legitimate safeguarding reason to do so.

9. Discrimination, bullying, harassment and inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated.

10. Safeguarding procedures will be reviewed regularly and updated when necessary.

4. Recognising Abuse and Neglect

Driving instructors should remain alert to signs that a child or young person may be experiencing abuse, neglect or another safeguarding concern.

Abuse may take several forms, including:

Physical abuse

Possible indicators include:

• Unexplained or inconsistent injuries.

• Frequent bruising or injuries.

• Fear of going home or being around a particular person.

• Flinching or appearing unusually frightened.

• Explanations for injuries that do not appear consistent.

Emotional abuse

Possible indicators include:

• Extreme anxiety, withdrawal or low self-esteem.

• Sudden changes in behaviour.

• Fearfulness or excessive compliance.

• Persistent distress.

• Appearing controlled or intimidated by another person.

Sexual abuse

Possible indicators may include:

• Sexualised behaviour or language that is inappropriate for the child’s age.

• Sudden changes in behaviour.

• Fear of a particular person or situation.

• Disclosure of sexual activity or inappropriate contact.

• Distress relating to particular individuals or locations.

Neglect

Possible indicators include:

• Persistent poor hygiene.

• Inadequate clothing or care.

• Regular hunger or tiredness.

• A pattern of being left without appropriate supervision.

• Significant unmet physical or emotional needs.

Other safeguarding risks

Instructors should also be alert to concerns involving:

• Bullying and cyberbullying.

• Online abuse and exploitation.

• Criminal exploitation.

• County lines activity.

• Radicalisation and extremism.

• Domestic abuse within the young person’s home.

• Self-harm or suicidal thoughts.

• Sexual exploitation.

• Trafficking.

• Peer-on-peer abuse.

• Grooming.

• Substance misuse.

• Modern slavery.

• Unsafe or inappropriate relationships.

The presence of one indicator does not necessarily mean that abuse is taking place. However, concerns should never be dismissed without appropriate consideration.

5. The Role of the Driving Instructor

Driving instructors have a position of trust and may spend significant periods of time alone with young people.

Instructors must therefore:

• Maintain professional boundaries.

• Behave in a professional and appropriate manner.

• Avoid behaviour that could reasonably be interpreted as inappropriate.

• Take safeguarding concerns seriously.

• Record and report concerns promptly.

• Never promise a child that information will be kept secret.

• Never investigate an allegation themselves.

• Never attempt to establish whether an allegation is true.

• Cooperate with safeguarding professionals and relevant authorities.

• Follow this policy and any associated procedures.

A driving instructor’s responsibility is to recognise, respond and report, rather than to investigate.

6. Professional Boundaries

Professional boundaries must be maintained at all times.

Instructors must not:

• Engage in sexualised conversations or behaviour with pupils.

• Make sexual or inappropriate jokes or comments.

• Make unnecessary comments about a pupil’s body or appearance.

• Have inappropriate physical contact with a pupil.

• Develop inappropriate personal or romantic relationships with pupils.

• Meet pupils socially outside the agreed tuition arrangements without an appropriate professional reason.

• Invite pupils to their home.

• Offer inappropriate gifts or money.

• Use their position to obtain personal, emotional or sexual relationships.

• Consume alcohol or illegal drugs while working.

• Allow a pupil to drive when the instructor is impaired by alcohol, drugs, medication or any other substance.

• Use inappropriate or discriminatory language.

Any physical contact should be avoided unless necessary for safety or instruction. Where physical intervention is genuinely necessary to prevent immediate danger, it must be proportionate and capable of being justified.

7. Communication With Young People

Communication should remain professional and, wherever reasonably possible, limited to matters relating to driving tuition.

Appropriate communication may include:

• Lesson arrangements.

• Changes to lesson times.

• Progress and tuition.

• Test arrangements.

• Payment or administration.

Instructors should use business contact details rather than personal contact details wherever possible.

Where electronic communication is necessary:

• Messages should be professional.

• Communication should normally take place during reasonable hours.

• Instructors should avoid unnecessary personal conversations.

• Messages should not contain sexual, discriminatory or inappropriate content.

• Instructors should retain relevant safeguarding-related communications.

• Social media contact with pupils should be avoided unless there is a clear professional reason and appropriate safeguards are in place.

Where appropriate, parents or guardians should be included in communications concerning a pupil’s lessons, particularly for younger pupils.

8. Driving Lessons and Lone Working

Driving lessons frequently involve one-to-one contact between an instructor and a young person.

The organisation recognises that this creates particular safeguarding considerations.

Instructors should:

• Ensure lesson arrangements are clear.

• Know the pupil’s name and relevant emergency contact details where appropriate.

• Keep an appropriate record of lesson dates and times.

• Start and finish lessons at agreed locations.

• Avoid unnecessary changes to agreed arrangements.

• Avoid isolated locations unless there is a legitimate instructional reason.

• Maintain professional conversation and behaviour.

• Remain aware of any concerns about the pupil’s welfare.

• Report any incident or concern as soon as reasonably practicable.

Parents or guardians should be informed of lesson arrangements where appropriate, particularly for younger learners.

Where a pupil appears distressed, frightened or otherwise at risk, the instructor should consider whether the lesson should continue and seek appropriate safeguarding advice.

9. Parents and Guardians

Parents and guardians have an important role in supporting the safety and welfare of young people.

Where appropriate and lawful, [Lloyds Driver Training] will:

• Provide parents/guardians with relevant information about lesson arrangements.

• Explain how safeguarding concerns can be raised.

• Communicate significant welfare or safety concerns to the appropriate person.

• Respect the young person’s privacy while recognising that safeguarding may require information to be shared.

Confidentiality will not prevent information from being shared where doing so is necessary to protect a child from harm.

If informing a parent or guardian could place the child at greater risk, information should not be shared automatically. Appropriate safeguarding advice should be sought first.

10. Responding to a Disclosure

A young person may disclose abuse or another safeguarding concern during a driving lesson.

If a child makes a disclosure, the instructor should:

DO

• Stay calm.

• Listen carefully.

• Take the child seriously.

• Allow the child to speak in their own words.

• Reassure them that they have done the right thing by telling someone.

• Explain that you cannot promise to keep information secret.

• Ask only minimal questions necessary to clarify immediate safety.

• Establish whether the child is in immediate danger.

• Record the concern as soon as possible using the child’s own words where practical.

• Report the concern through the appropriate safeguarding procedure.

DO NOT

• Promise confidentiality.

• Interrogate the child.

• Ask leading questions.

• Ask the child to repeat the disclosure unnecessarily.

• Express disbelief.

• Suggest that the child is responsible.

• Confront the alleged perpetrator.

• Attempt to investigate the allegation.

• Discuss the allegation with other people unnecessarily.

A suitable response may be:

“Thank you for telling me. I’m glad you told me. I need to make sure you are safe, so I may need to tell someone who can help.”

11. Immediate Danger

If an instructor believes that a child is in immediate danger, their first priority is the child’s immediate safety.

The instructor should seek emergency assistance where necessary and contact the appropriate emergency or safeguarding service.

An instructor should not delay reporting a serious concern in order to complete internal paperwork.

Where there is an immediate threat to life or serious harm, emergency services should be contacted.

12. Reporting Safeguarding Concerns

Any safeguarding concern should be reported promptly to the organisation’s designated safeguarding person.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL):

Name: Michelle Lloyd
Telephone: 07584204744
Email: michelle@lloydsdrivertraining.co.uk

Deputy/Alternative Safeguarding Contact:

Name: Andy Lloyd
Telephone: 07876571517
Email: andy@lloydsdrivertraining.co.uk

Where the concern relates to the DSL, the concern must be reported to the alternative safeguarding contact or appropriate external safeguarding authority.

Where an instructor believes that internal reporting is inappropriate or that a child remains at risk, they should contact the relevant local authority children’s social care service, police or other appropriate safeguarding authority.

13. Recording Safeguarding Concerns

Safeguarding concerns must be recorded accurately and objectively.

Records should include, where known:

• Name of the child.

• Date of birth or age, where appropriate.

• Date and time of the concern.

• Date, time and location of any relevant incident.

• What was observed.

• What the child said, using their own words where possible.

• Any visible injuries or relevant observations.

• Actions taken.

• Who the concern was reported to.

• Date and time of the report.

• Any advice received.

• Any subsequent action.

Records should distinguish between facts, observations and opinions.

For example:

Appropriate:
“The pupil said, ‘I don’t want to go home because I’m scared.’”

Avoid:
“The pupil is definitely being abused at home.”

Safeguarding records must be stored securely and only accessed by people who have a legitimate reason to do so.

14. Allegations Against a Driving Instructor

Any allegation that an instructor has harmed, abused or behaved inappropriately towards a child must be taken seriously.

This includes allegations involving:

• Physical abuse.

• Sexual abuse.

• Emotional abuse.

• Grooming.

• Inappropriate communication.

• Inappropriate physical contact.

• Inappropriate relationships.

• Online behaviour.

• Serious professional misconduct.

The instructor must not investigate the allegation themselves.

The matter should be reported immediately to the appropriate safeguarding authority and, where applicable, the organisation’s safeguarding lead.

Where an allegation concerns an instructor, consideration should be given to whether the instructor should continue providing tuition while the concern is assessed.

Any decision regarding suspension or alternative working arrangements should be made in accordance with applicable safeguarding, employment and legal procedures.

15. Recruitment and Suitability

[Organisation/Instructor Name] is committed to ensuring that people working with children are suitable to do so.

Where applicable, recruitment procedures should include:

• Verification of identity.

• Appropriate driving instructor qualifications and authorisation.

• Relevant employment or professional history.

• References where appropriate.

• Appropriate criminal record/background checks where legally required or available.

• Consideration of safeguarding suitability.

• Confirmation that the individual understands their safeguarding responsibilities.

Safeguarding responsibilities should be included in induction and ongoing professional development.

16. Training

All instructors working with children should receive appropriate safeguarding information and training.

Training should cover:

• Recognising signs of abuse and neglect.

• Responding to disclosures.

• Reporting safeguarding concerns.

• Professional boundaries.

• Online safety.

• Appropriate communication with young people.

• Allegations against staff or instructors.

• Confidentiality and information sharing.

• Lone working.

• Equality and inclusion.

• Relevant local safeguarding procedures.

Training should be refreshed periodically and whenever significant changes are made to safeguarding procedures.

17. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Every child must be treated fairly and with dignity.

[Lloyds Driver Training] will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on characteristics protected by law or any other personal characteristic.

Instructors should recognise that children may experience additional safeguarding vulnerabilities because of disability, communication difficulties, family circumstances, language barriers or other factors.

Reasonable adjustments should be made where necessary to enable children to participate safely in driving tuition.

18. Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Safeguarding information must be handled sensitively.

Information should only be shared with people who need it for a legitimate safeguarding or legal purpose.

However, confidentiality must never be used as a reason to withhold information that is necessary to protect a child.

Where there is a safeguarding concern, information may need to be shared with relevant professionals or authorities.

The instructor should not promise a child that information will remain secret.

19. Online Safety

Instructors should recognise that safeguarding concerns may arise through digital communication and online activity.

Instructors must:

• Maintain professional online boundaries.

• Avoid inappropriate private communication with pupils.

• Never request or send sexual or inappropriate images.

• Never engage in sexualised online conversations with pupils.

• Report inappropriate contact or online safeguarding concerns.

• Preserve relevant evidence where appropriate without forwarding or circulating inappropriate material unnecessarily.

If an instructor receives inappropriate content from a pupil, they should not engage with it and should seek safeguarding advice.

20. Preventing Grooming and Exploitation

Instructors should be alert to grooming behaviours and other forms of exploitation.

Potential warning signs may include:

• Excessive secrecy.

• Sudden changes in behaviour.

• A child becoming unusually attached to or fearful of a particular adult.

• Unexplained gifts or money.

• Secretive communication.

• Significant changes in appearance or lifestyle.

• Association with potentially exploitative individuals.

• Fear of discussing certain activities or relationships.

A concern does not need to be proven before it is reported.

21. Professional Conduct During Lessons

Instructors are expected to:

• Dress and behave appropriately.

• Use respectful language.

• Avoid discriminatory or offensive remarks.

• Maintain appropriate physical and emotional boundaries.

• Focus conversation on driving and appropriate general topics.

• Avoid unnecessary personal disclosures.

• Never use lessons to pursue personal relationships with pupils.

• Maintain a calm and professional environment.

• Prioritise the pupil’s safety.

22. Drugs, Alcohol and Fitness to Teach

An instructor must never provide tuition while impaired by:

• Alcohol.

• Illegal drugs.

• Misuse of medication.

• Fatigue or another condition that makes them unsafe to teach.

Any instructor who is not fit to provide safe driving instruction must cancel or appropriately rearrange the lesson.

A pupil must also not be permitted to drive where the instructor reasonably believes that the pupil is impaired by alcohol, drugs or another substance.

23. Health and Safety

Safeguarding and physical safety are closely connected.

Instructors must:

• Maintain the vehicle in a safe and roadworthy condition.

• Follow relevant road safety requirements.

• Ensure appropriate insurance and authorisation are in place.

• Use appropriate safety equipment and controls.

• Take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm.

• Report accidents and serious incidents.

• Follow emergency procedures.

A safeguarding concern arising during a lesson must be treated seriously even if no physical harm has occurred.

24. Allegations or Concerns About Parents/Guardians

If an instructor becomes concerned that a parent or guardian may be causing harm to a child, the concern must be reported through the appropriate safeguarding route.

The instructor must not confront the parent or guardian or attempt to investigate the allegation.

Information should not automatically be shared with the parent/guardian if doing so could place the child at greater risk.

Appropriate safeguarding advice should be obtained.

25. Whistleblowing

[Lloyds Driver Training] supports instructors who raise genuine safeguarding concerns.

An instructor will not be penalised for raising a genuine safeguarding concern in good faith.

Concerns about safeguarding practice, inappropriate behaviour or failure to act should be reported to:

Safeguarding Contact: [Michelle Lloyd]

If the concern cannot be safely raised internally, the instructor should seek advice from an appropriate external safeguarding authority.

26. Complaints

Children, parents and guardians should be able to raise concerns about the conduct or safety of driving tuition.

Complaints should be:

• Taken seriously.

• Recorded appropriately.

• Investigated fairly.

• Responded to promptly.

• Escalated where necessary.

A complaint involving a safeguarding allegation must be treated as a safeguarding matter and must not be dealt with solely as a normal customer-service complaint.

27. Safeguarding During Practical Tests

Instructors should continue to maintain professional boundaries when accompanying pupils to driving tests.

Where a pupil is unsuccessful or becomes distressed, the instructor should provide appropriate professional support while avoiding unnecessary emotional or physical intimacy.

Any safeguarding concern identified before, during or after a practical test should be recorded and reported through the appropriate procedure.

28. Young People With Additional Vulnerabilities

Some young people may require additional safeguarding consideration.

This may include young people who:

• Have disabilities or additional needs.

• Have communication difficulties.

• Are looked-after children.

• Have experienced previous trauma or abuse.

• Have mental health or emotional difficulties.

• Are vulnerable to exploitation.

• Have limited family support.

• Have difficulty understanding or communicating concerns.

Instructors should make appropriate adjustments and seek professional advice where necessary.

29. Record Retention and Data Protection

Safeguarding records must be:

• Accurate.

• Relevant.

• Secure.

• Accessed only by authorised persons.

• Retained in accordance with applicable data protection and record-retention requirements.

Personal information must be handled in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation and the organisation’s privacy procedures.

Safeguarding information should not be stored casually in personal notebooks, unsecured messaging applications or other locations where it could be accessed by unauthorised people.

30. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner if:

• Safeguarding legislation or guidance changes.

• There is a significant safeguarding incident.

• An allegation identifies a weakness in the policy.

• Working practices change.

• New risks emerge.

• Relevant professional guidance is updated.

The policy owner is responsible for ensuring that the review takes place.

31. Safeguarding Contact Information

Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Name: Michelle Lloyd
Telephone: 07584204744
Email: michelle@lloydsdrivertraining.co.uk

Deputy Safeguarding Lead:
Name: Andy Lloyd
Telephone: 07876571517
Email: andy@lloydsdrivertraining.co.uk

Local Authority Children’s Social Care:
Telephone: 0300 555 1384 

Emergency Services:
999 in an emergency.

Police non-emergency:
101 where appropriate.

 

32. Instructor Safeguarding Checklist

Before providing tuition to a child or young person, the instructor should ensure:

• Appropriate safeguarding arrangements are in place.

• The pupil’s relevant contact information has been recorded.

• Lesson arrangements are clear.

• Professional communication channels are being used.

• The vehicle is safe and suitable.

• The instructor is fit to teach.

• Appropriate professional boundaries are maintained.

• Any safeguarding concern is reported promptly.

• Safeguarding records are completed where necessary.

33. Policy Statement

[Lloyds Driver Training] is committed to creating a safe, respectful and professional environment for every child and young person receiving driving tuition.

All instructors have a responsibility to safeguard children and to act promptly when they have concerns about a child’s welfare.

The organisation will take all reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent abuse and neglect, respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, maintain professional standards and cooperate with relevant safeguarding authorities.

Signed: __alloyd____________________________

Name: ___A Lloyd____________________________

Position: ___Director__________________________

Date: ______01/01/2026__________________________

Next Review Date: _01/01/2027____________________

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