01 / Policy

Safeguarding policy

Version 2026-09 · Last updated 29 September 2026

Our commitment

UbuntuCare is committed to protecting children and vulnerable people who come into contact with our platform. Everyone has a responsibility to keep children safe, and the welfare of the child is always paramount.

What we require of every caregiver

• Enhanced DBS check including the children’s barred list, verified by us and kept up to date (annual review or DBS Update Service).
• Completed safeguarding training, and awareness of how to recognise and report signs of abuse or neglect.
• Photo ID, right to work, two references and an interview with our team.
• Ofsted registration, paediatric first aid and a home risk assessment for childminders.
• Following our code of conduct: appropriate boundaries, no unsupervised contact outside booked sessions, no photos of children on personal social media, and all communication and bookings through the platform.

Reporting a concern

• Families and caregivers can report from any booking in the app, or through our safety page.
• Reports are routed to our designated safeguarding lead and acknowledged within 48 hours; urgent reports are prioritised immediately.
• Where there is a risk of harm, we refer to the local authority children’s services (LADO where appropriate) and/or the police without delay.

What we do

• Reports of immediate risk remove the caregiver from search and bookings straight away while we investigate.
• We investigate within 7 days, keep records of every step, and suspend or remove accounts where necessary.
• We make referrals to the DBS where required by law.

Confidentiality and whistleblowing

We share safeguarding information only with those who need to know to protect a child. Anyone can raise a concern about UbuntuCare’s own practice by emailing safeguarding@ubuntucare.uk, and nobody will be treated unfairly for raising a concern in good faith.