Shared responsibility

Parents and carers remain responsible

Unless a separate formal childcare arrangement has been clearly agreed, parents and carers remain responsible for children before, during and after events. A listing on HE Connect should never be treated as a guarantee that supervision has been delegated.

Families should check suitability, location, travel, supervision expectations, accessibility, costs, behaviour expectations and organiser information before attending. If something is unclear, ask the organiser before joining.

Organiser standards

What organisers should consider

Organisers should describe activities honestly and provide enough information for families to make informed decisions. That includes venue details, age guidance, accessibility, parking, toilets, weather planning, equipment, cancellation terms and any obvious risks.

For higher-risk activities, organisers should think carefully about boundaries, ratios, consent, first aid, emergency contacts and whether specialist qualifications or venue policies apply. HE Connect can help present information clearly, but organisers remain responsible for planning and conduct.

Trusted access

Public discovery and private community access

HE Connect separates public discovery from trusted participation. Public posts can help families understand what is available, while private community listings, joined records and family details stay behind invite-led access.

Invite codes are not a perfect safety mechanism, but they reduce anonymous access and help community growth happen through more accountable relationships. Moderation and reporting routes sit alongside this access model.

Reporting

What to do if something feels wrong

If a listing, message, organiser or attendee behaviour causes concern, use the report or support routes so the issue can be reviewed. Safeguarding concerns should be raised clearly and promptly, with enough detail for moderators/admins to understand the situation.

HE Connect can review platform records, preserve context and take platform action such as hiding content, restricting accounts or escalating concerns. In urgent real-world danger, contact emergency services or appropriate safeguarding bodies directly.

Safety workflow

How concerns are handled

The moderation process is designed to be calm, recorded and proportionate, with safeguarding concerns treated as higher priority.

1

Concern is submitted

A report, support request or safeguarding message is sent through the platform.

2

Severity is reviewed

Moderators/admins assess whether it is low risk, community risk or safeguarding risk.

3

Action is logged

Appropriate action may include notes, warnings, hiding content, restricting access or escalation.

4

Follow-up happens where needed

The team may contact the reporter, organiser or relevant users if more information is required.

Families

Use judgement before attending

Review event details, ask questions and decide what is right for your child.

Organisers

Communicate risks clearly

Set expectations around supervision, suitability, access and safety.

Platform

Support human review

Reports, audit trails and runbooks help the admin team respond consistently.

Questions families ask

Frequently asked questions

Does HE Connect vet every person at every event?

No platform can guarantee every real-world interaction. HE Connect supports structured information, trusted access and reporting routes, but families and organisers still need to make appropriate checks.

What counts as a safeguarding concern?

Concerns may include inappropriate adult behaviour, unsafe supervision, credible threats, grooming indicators, harassment, dangerous activity, or anything that raises child safety concerns.

Are private events visible to search engines?

No. Private participation and trusted community details are kept behind login and access controls.

Can HE Connect remove an event?

Admins/moderators can hide, disable or review listings where safety, trust or policy concerns arise.

Next step

Need to raise a concern?

Use the help or report routes on the site. Safeguarding and safety concerns are reviewed carefully by the HE Connect team.

Contact support How HE Connect works