Verification Policy
Trusted Tutors is operated by Peter Hinett as a sole trader. Questions about this policy can be sent to support@trustedtutors.co.uk.
What our badges actually say, and why
A tutor's profile may show three badges: Photo ID Viewed, DBS Evidence Viewed and Qualifications Evidence Viewed. We deliberately don't call any of these "Verified": each one is carried out by our team over a live video call with the tutor, during which they show the relevant document on camera and we visually inspect it. We do not independently authenticate any document with the organisation that issued it, and we do not keep copies of ID documents, DBS certificates or qualification certificates — the check is a one-off review, not an ongoing record we hold on file. Where a badge shows a date, that's the date the document was actually viewed.
Photo ID Viewed
We ask to see a valid photo ID document (such as a passport or driving licence) on camera and compare the photo and name against the person we are speaking to. This confirms the person we spoke to matches the ID shown. It is not a safeguarding or background check of any kind, and not an independent authentication of the document itself.
DBS Evidence Viewed
We ask to see evidence of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate on camera, and note its type and date. We do not independently authenticate certificates with the DBS Update Service or the DBS itself — we are relying on the document the tutor shows us. Viewing this evidence on a call is not the same thing as carrying out a DBS check ourselves, and it is not a safeguarding clearance of any kind: even a genuine DBS certificate only reflects information available up to its issue date, and does not guarantee a tutor has no criminal history or presents no safeguarding risk going forward.
Tutors based outside the UK
Trusted Tutors is open to tutors based anywhere, but a DBS certificate is issued by the UK's Disclosure and Barring Service and doesn't have an equivalent we check for tutors based outside the UK. For a tutor based abroad, we still carry out Photo ID and Qualifications checks in exactly the same way, but we do not ask for or view any criminal-records document from their own country in its place — we can't consistently judge what a document like that does or doesn't cover between different countries, and would rather say plainly that no criminal-records check was carried out than display a badge that might be read as equivalent to a DBS check when it isn't. A tutor based outside the UK will show an "International" note on their profile, and their DBS row will read "Not offered outside the UK" rather than "Not Checked", so it's clear this reflects where they're based rather than something they've failed to provide.
Qualifications Evidence Viewed
We ask tutors to show evidence (such as a degree certificate, PGCE, or professional teaching registration) supporting the qualifications and experience listed on their profile. Beyond reviewing what's shown to us on that call, we do not independently contact universities, awarding bodies or previous employers to confirm authenticity.
Reviews
Reviews are not one of our verification checks, and are never described as "verified". Reviews collected directly by Trusted Tutors are moderated for appropriate content before publishing, but moderation only screens what a review says — it does not, and cannot, confirm that the person leaving it was a genuine, independent student rather than, for example, a friend or family member of the tutor. Reviews shown as originating from another platform (Google Reviews, Trustpilot, etc.) are reproduced as reported to us by the tutor, and a "View source" link is only ever shown where we hold a genuine link to the original review; even then, we do not independently confirm the authenticity of reviews originating on third-party platforms. Tutors are welcome to collect and display reviews regardless — we'd simply rather be upfront that we can't stand behind them the way we can identity, DBS or qualification checks.
What verification does not mean
None of the checks above are a guarantee of a tutor's ongoing suitability, teaching quality, or ability to work safely with children. They reflect a point-in-time review of documents shown to us, not an ongoing background monitoring service. Verification badges are never granted automatically as part of purchasing Plus membership — the two are entirely separate.
We encourage every parent and student to read a tutor's full profile, ask their own questions, and satisfy themselves that a tutor is suitable for their individual requirements before arranging lessons. See also our Terms of Use.