Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

1. Purpose of this policy

The purpose of this safeguarding and child protection policy is to set out how The Reset Schools Programme works to protect children and young people from harm while they access educational content, online learning materials, reflective activities, and personal development resources.

This policy explains the principles, responsibilities, boundaries, and procedures that apply when The Reset Schools Programme is used by schools, colleges, staff, students, parents, carers, and associated professionals.

2. Scope of this policy

This policy applies to:

• The Reset Schools Programme and its online learning materials.
• Will Phillips as founder, programme creator, and policy owner.
• Any future contractors, contributors, facilitators, or associates working with The Reset Schools Programme.
• Any interaction with schools, colleges, students, teachers, parents, carers, or safeguarding professionals.
• Any written, digital, video, audio, live, or recorded content supplied as part of the programme.

The programme is primarily designed for young people aged 16 to 18 and is intended to be delivered through schools, colleges, or other responsible educational organisations.

3. Safeguarding commitment

The Reset is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Every young person has the right to feel safe, respected, listened to, and protected from harm.

The Reset is committed to:

• Taking all safeguarding concerns seriously.
• Responding promptly and appropriately to concerns about a young person’s welfare.
• Working in partnership with schools and their designated safeguarding leads.
• Maintaining clear professional boundaries.
• Creating educational content that is age appropriate, respectful, inclusive, and trauma aware.
• Protecting young people’s privacy and personal information.
• Keeping safeguarding procedures under review.

4. Legal and guidance framework

This policy has been written with reference to relevant UK safeguarding principles and guidance, including:

• Keeping Children Safe in Education.
• Working Together to Safeguard Children.
• The Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004.
• The Education Act 2002.
• UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
• ICO guidance on children’s data and online services.
• NSPCC guidance on safeguarding policies and procedures.

Where The Reset Schools Programme is used outside England, the school or organisation using the programme remains responsible for following the safeguarding law, statutory guidance, and local reporting procedures that apply in its own jurisdiction.

5. Delivery model

The Reset Schools Programme is primarily delivered through an online training platform. The programme may include video lessons, written resources, reflection exercises, quizzes, classroom discussion prompts, downloadable worksheets, and school-led activities.

The default delivery model is that students access the programme under the supervision and responsibility of their school, college, or educational organisation.

Unless separately agreed in writing, The Reset does not provide unsupervised one-to-one support, therapy, counselling, mentoring, crisis intervention, or direct private communication with students.

6. Roles and responsibilities

6.1 The Reset

The Reset is responsible for:

• Providing educational content that is suitable for the stated age group.
• Maintaining this safeguarding policy.
• Responding appropriately to any safeguarding concern received directly.
• Sharing concerns with the relevant school safeguarding contact where appropriate.
• Maintaining professional boundaries with students and schools.
• Ensuring that any future staff, contractors, or contributors understand safeguarding expectations.

6.2 Schools and colleges

Schools and colleges using The Reset Schools Programme remain responsible for:

• The safeguarding and welfare of their students.
• Supervising students while they access the programme.
• Managing disclosures, concerns, incidents, and referrals through their own safeguarding procedures.
• Ensuring the programme is suitable for their students and learning context.
• Providing appropriate staff support during sensitive lessons or discussions.
• Managing parental or carer communication where required.
• Ensuring compliance with their local statutory duties.

7. Designated safeguarding contact

The Designated Safeguarding Lead for The Reset is:

The Reset will ask each school or college using the programme to provide the name and contact details of its own Designated Safeguarding Lead before student access begins.

8. Recognising safeguarding concerns

Safeguarding concerns may include, but are not limited to:

• Physical abuse.
• Emotional abuse.
• Sexual abuse.
• Neglect.
• Bullying or cyberbullying.
• Self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
• Exploitation, coercion, or grooming.
• Domestic abuse affecting a young person.
• Online harm, image-based abuse, or harmful digital behaviour.
• Discrimination, harassment, or hate-based abuse.
• Radicalisation or extremist influence.
• Serious mental health or emotional wellbeing concerns.
• Any disclosure suggesting that a young person is at risk of harm.

9. Responding to a disclosure or concern

If a safeguarding concern is disclosed directly to The Reset, the following approach will be taken:

• Listen calmly and take the concern seriously.
• Do not promise confidentiality.
• Reassure the young person that sharing the concern was the right thing to do.
• Do not investigate, interrogate, or ask leading questions.
• Record the concern clearly, factually, and promptly.
• Share the concern with the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible.
• If there is an immediate risk of harm, contact emergency services or the appropriate safeguarding authority.

10. Confidentiality and information sharing

The Reset respects privacy and confidentiality. However, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where there is a safeguarding concern, a risk of harm, or a legal duty to share information.

Information will be shared only with people who need to know in order to protect a child or young person, respond to a concern, comply with legal obligations, or support appropriate safeguarding action.

Safeguarding records will be stored securely and shared only through appropriate channels.

11. Online safety

As The Reset Schools Programme is delivered online, online safety is a key part of this policy.

The Reset will aim to ensure that:

• Online content is age appropriate and educational.
• Students are not encouraged to share sensitive personal information publicly.
• Reflection activities are designed to be safe, structured, and non-invasive.
• No private direct messaging with students takes place unless explicitly agreed with the school and supported by appropriate safeguards.
• Any live online sessions, if introduced, are delivered through school-approved systems and under school supervision.
• Students are signposted back to school staff if they need personal support.

12. Boundaries of the programme

The Reset Schools Programme supports personal development, emotional awareness, confidence, relationships education, decision-making, communication, and resilience.

The programme does not provide:

• Therapy.
• Counselling.
• Medical advice.
• Mental health diagnosis.
• Crisis support.
• One-to-one safeguarding intervention.
• Substitute pastoral care.
• Emergency support.

Students who need personal, emotional, safeguarding, or mental health support should be referred to the appropriate member of school staff or external professional service.

13. Live sessions and student interaction

If The Reset provides any live online session, Q&A, workshop, webinar, or direct student-facing delivery, the following safeguards will apply:

• A member of school staff must be present or actively supervising.
• Sessions must take place through an approved school platform where possible.
• Private one-to-one student conversations are not permitted unless agreed in advance with the school and appropriately safeguarded.
• Chat functions should be moderated by school staff where possible.
• Any concerning comment, disclosure, or behaviour must be referred to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Sessions should not be recorded unless agreed with the school and compliant with data protection requirements.

14. Safer recruitment and suitability

The Reset is currently operated by Will Phillips as a sole founder and programme creator.

If The Reset appoints employees, contractors, volunteers, contributors, facilitators, or associates who may work with or have access to children or young people, appropriate safer recruitment checks will be considered. These may include identity checks, references, role suitability checks, safeguarding training, DBS checks where appropriate, and written conduct expectations.

Where schools require a DBS certificate or other suitability evidence for procurement, The Reset will discuss this with the school before delivery.

15. Allegations or concerns about adults

Any allegation or concern about an adult connected with The Reset will be taken seriously.

Where an allegation suggests that an adult may have harmed a child, behaved in a way that may pose a risk to children, or behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children, the concern will be referred to the appropriate safeguarding authority, school safeguarding lead, or Local Authority Designated Officer where applicable.

16. Whistleblowing

Anyone who has a concern about safeguarding practice connected with The Reset Schools Programme is encouraged to raise it promptly.

Concerns can be raised directly with Will Phillips at will@lifebywill.com. If the concern relates to Will Phillips or cannot appropriately be raised with The Reset, the concern should be raised with the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, local authority safeguarding team, police, NSPCC, or another appropriate safeguarding body.

17. Data protection and children’s privacy

The Reset will handle personal information carefully, lawfully, and transparently.

The Reset will aim to:

• Collect only the personal data needed to provide the programme.
• Avoid collecting unnecessary sensitive personal information from students.
• Store information securely.
• Limit access to personal information.
• Respect the privacy rights of children and young people.
• Work with schools to clarify data controller and data processor responsibilities where required.
• Delete or retain information in line with appropriate retention rules.

The Reset will maintain a separate Privacy Policy explaining how personal data is collected, used, stored, and protected.

18. Use of student reflections and written responses

The Reset Schools Programme may include reflective questions and personal development exercises. These are designed for educational reflection, not for disclosure of private trauma, safeguarding concerns, or highly sensitive personal information.

Students should not be asked to share personal details publicly. If a student shares something that raises a safeguarding concern, school staff must follow their own safeguarding procedures and inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

19. Equality, inclusion, and respect

The Reset is committed to creating content that is respectful, inclusive, and supportive of all young people.

The programme should be delivered in a way that respects differences including age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, culture, family background, neurodiversity, and lived experience.

Discrimination, harassment, bullying, or victimisation are not acceptable in connection with the programme.

20. Responding to emotional distress

Some programme topics may invite students to reflect on confidence, relationships, loneliness, pressure, identity, resilience, family dynamics, or emotional wellbeing.

If a student becomes distressed, the school should pause participation and provide appropriate pastoral or safeguarding support.

The Reset recommends that schools review the programme before use and consider whether any student may need additional support, alternative access, or staff guidance during sensitive topics.

21. Emergency or crisis situations

The Reset is not an emergency or crisis service.

If a young person appears to be at immediate risk of harm, emergency services or the appropriate safeguarding authority should be contacted immediately.

Schools should follow their own emergency safeguarding and child protection procedures.

22. Record keeping

Any safeguarding concern received by The Reset will be recorded clearly and factually.

Records should include:

• The date and time of the concern.
• The name of the person raising the concern, where known.
• The name of the student or young person, where known.
• The nature of the concern.
• Exact words used where relevant.
• Actions taken.
• Who the concern was shared with.
• The date and time of referral or escalation.

Records will be kept securely and shared only where necessary for safeguarding, legal, or regulatory reasons.

23. Training and review

The Reset will keep safeguarding knowledge under review and will seek appropriate safeguarding training where the programme involves direct work with schools or young people.

This policy will be reviewed at least annually, or sooner if there are significant changes to the programme, delivery model, legislation, statutory guidance, or safeguarding expectations.

24. School responsibility before using the programme

Before students access The Reset Schools Programme, the school or college should:

• Review the programme content for suitability.
• Confirm who will supervise or support students.
• Ensure safeguarding staff are aware that the programme is being used.
• Consider whether parents or carers need to be informed.
• Provide The Reset with safeguarding contact details where appropriate.
• Ensure students know who to speak to if they need help.

25. Contact

For safeguarding questions relating to The Reset Schools Programme, contact:

This policy is intended as a working safeguarding policy for The Reset Schools Programme. It should be reviewed by a qualified safeguarding professional before formal use with schools.