Get help now
If you or someone else is in danger right now, call 999.
Don't wait for us to reply. We read messages as soon as we can, but we aren't an emergency service.
- Samaritans
- Call 116 123
- For anyone who's struggling. Free, any time, day or night.
- Shout
- Text SHOUT to 85258
- If you'd rather text than talk. Free, 24 hours.
- NSPCC Helpline
- Call 0808 800 5000
- For adults worried about a child. Weekdays, 10am to 4pm.
How we keep you safe
- Moderation. Our moderators review reported posts. Anything reported by three different people is hidden automatically until a moderator checks it. Reports that someone may be at risk, or that personal information has been shared, go to the top of the list.
- Designed for young people. The site is for ages 13 and over. We don't ask for real names, schools or dates of birth, and there are no adverts or tracking.
- No private contact details. Email addresses and phone numbers are blocked on the forum and in tutor messages, so nobody can move a conversation somewhere we can't see.
- Tutoring messages can be reviewed. All messages between learners and tutors stay on IlluminatED, and our team can read them if there's a concern. Tutors are checked before they join, including an enhanced DBS check for anyone working with under-18s.
- Parent or guardian consent. Learners under 18 need a parent or guardian's agreement before any tutor can take on their request.
- Blocking. You can block any member from their profile page, so you won't see their threads or replies.
How to report a concern
You can tell us about a worrying post, another member, a tutor, or anything else that makes you feel unsafe. You don't need to be sure something's wrong.
- A post or reply: press Report under it and choose a reason. If someone may be at risk, choose "Someone may be at risk".
- A member, a tutor or anything else: use our contact form and choose "Safeguarding or safety concern". Tell us what happened, when, and the username or a link if you have one.
Report a safeguarding concern
If you're a parent, carer or teacher, you can report too. If someone is in danger right now, call 999 first.
What happens next
- Safeguarding messages and urgent reports are read first, before anything else.
- We may hide posts, block messages or suspend accounts straight away while we look into it.
- We'll reply to you by email if you gave us one. We may not be able to tell you everything we've done, to protect everyone involved.
- If we think a child or young person is at risk of harm, we'll share what we know with the right people, such as the police, children's services or CEOP. We only share what's needed to keep them safe.
- If a tutor is involved, we'll stop them working with learners while we investigate, and report to the Disclosure and Barring Service where the law requires.
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for safeguarding on IlluminatED. They read every safeguarding message, decide what needs to happen, and make referrals to other agencies. You can reach them by choosing "Safeguarding or safety concern" on the contact form.
Read our community guidelines and privacy policy for more on how we keep the forum and your data safe.
