Safety and Trust

If a young person is still of school age then a parent/responsible adult needs to be actively involved

• All school-age users must add a parent/responsible adult's email address to their user profile. This means that all communication, messaging and booking information from the site and other users will be sent to them.
• We expect that a parent/responsible adult is involved in any meetings to discuss face-to-face tasks.
• We have also drawn up a set of community guidelines which set out how we expect users to behave on the site and how to report problems and concerns.

We verify all users and make it easy for you to find out more about other users

• All new members need to sign-up and pass validation checks before then can interact on MyPocketSkill.
• We ask users to create a bio giving information about skills and experience or requirements
• We also ask users to write reviews after a task is completed
• We also use various methods of automated verification which verify/validate personal details and provide ID verification, background/AML/KYC checks
• Users of the site should be aware there is no foolproof way to verify people online, and in light of this, we have taken extra steps to ensure user safety.

Some user information is best kept confidential

• We make sure that users do not share personal contact details and use the special features of the site, such as our online private messaging, to communicate safely. This helps our moderators keep track of any disputes and ensures transparency and safety for our users.
• Once you have created a user profile, this can be edited, giving you control over what information you choose to share and private data such as address and phone number are not shared.
• Our privacy policy spells out in detail how we deal with personal data

All young people who sign-up to MyPocketSkill need to attend an Onboarding call before they can connect with others on the site

• Our approach to Onboarding ensures a safe and trusting experience online
• We provide guidance and advice on behaviours and communication
• Do be aware that MyPocketSkill is a platform to connect people, and whilst we provide users with advice and guidelines on safety, we are not responsible for the actions that people take once connected off the site

Need some help? Here are some useful links to external sources:

Useful numbers:

• If a child is in immediate danger, please dial 999 and speak to the Police
• Childline (0800 11 11) is a free counselling service for under 19's.
• You can report any concerns on the NSPCC Helpline (0808 800 5000)

Links:

• Report any concerns online to the NSPCC
• Advice from the anti-bullying alliance
• Child exploitation and online protection