inyourroots® Employer Verification Policy

This policy covers organisations seeking to publish an opportunity, offer mentoring, take part in an event involving young people, receive shared profiles, communicate with young people through Budi or display verified status.

An organisation may appear in an informational directory before verification is complete only if it is clearly labelled not verified. That listing does not permit the organisation to receive profile cards, be offered as an in-app employer connection or use youth messaging. The review and approval required by this policy must happen first.

Completing registration, paying for a service or being introduced by a partner does not by itself grant verification or access. Verified status must not be assigned or displayed until the required review, supporting evidence and decision have been recorded.

We ask for information proportionate to the organisation and proposed activity. This normally includes:

• Legal and trading name, business or registered address, and contact details.
• Company, charity or other registration number where applicable. Sole traders and organisations without such a number can provide other suitable evidence.
• A named representative, their role and evidence that they are authorised to act for the organisation.
• A clear opportunity description, including duties, duration, working hours, location or remote arrangements, pay or compensation, age requirements and other eligibility conditions.
• Relevant supporting evidence, such as registration, professional status, insurance or references where the activity or a legal requirement calls for it.
• A named safeguarding contact and relevant safeguarding, supervision and reporting arrangements where children or adults at risk may be involved.

We explain any additional evidence needed and why. We do not ask for unnecessary identity documents, confidential material or sensitive information. The absence of a company number does not by itself mean an organisation is unsuitable.

A reviewer must complete and record the following:

Identity and authority. Establish the organisation’s identity and relevant business details using reliable sources. Check the representative’s identity and authority to act. Use independent sources or contact details where available; resolve material discrepancies before approval.

The proposed activity. Review whether the opportunity is genuine, sufficiently clear and suitable for the stated age group. Consider the duties, location, pay, eligibility, supervision and any relevant safety concerns or legal requirements.

Supporting evidence. Review the evidence needed for this organisation and activity. Record what was checked, the source and date, any limitation, and whether additional information is required. Legally required checks are not optional.

Safeguarding and individual checks. Review the arrangements relevant to the setting, age group and actual roles. Establish who is responsible for required individual checks and what evidence is needed before the activity or introduction can proceed.

The decision and its scope. Record the reviewer, evidence considered, decision, date and reasons; the activities and age groups covered; any conditions; and a next review date or specified review trigger, taking account of relevant evidence expiry.

The outcome may be approval, a request for more information, approval limited to stated activities or conditions, or refusal. Where a condition must be met before an activity or access begins, that activity or access must remain unavailable until the condition is satisfied and recorded.

We aim to review a complete submission within seven calendar days. This is a target, not a guaranteed turnaround. Missing information, specialist advice or additional checks may take longer; we explain what is outstanding and provide an update.

Telephone checks, references and further evidence are used where required by law or justified by the activity, risk or information supplied. We do not claim that every organisation receives the same checks. Baseline verification does not replace any additional checks or information legally required before an introduction or placement.

Opportunities involving under-18s or adults at risk

Business verification does not establish that every individual has been checked. The organisation responsible for the role must determine whether a DBS check is required or legally available, and the correct level, including any barred-list check. Simply viewing personal information or having contact with a 16- or 17-year-old does not by itself settle eligibility.

Required checks and safeguarding arrangements must be completed before the relevant activity begins. We must not describe a check as completed without supporting evidence. The applicable DBS guidance should be used for the actual role. Different arrangements apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The host and inyourroots must agree who is responsible for supervision, responding to concerns and emergencies before work experience, mentoring or an event proceeds. Young people must know who to contact. These responsibilities are explained further in our Safeguarding Policy.

Verification applies to the organisation, activities and age groups recorded in the decision. It does not automatically cover a different organisation, new representative or materially different activity.

We review the relevant approval or listing when:

• The organisation changes key information, ownership, its representative or safeguarding arrangements.
• A recorded review date or trigger is reached, or relevant evidence expires or becomes unreliable.
• A young person, partner or member of the public raises a concern.
• Public information indicates a material risk.
• The organisation proposes a materially different opportunity or age group.

If a required approval condition is no longer met, the affected access or activity must remain unavailable until the position is reviewed and approval is recorded.

We may request updated evidence or place proportionate restrictions on a listing, verified status, access or activity while a concern is assessed. Urgent protective action must not wait for a scheduled review. We explain the reason and review route where doing so is lawful and safe, and reconsider restrictions when relevant information changes.

We prioritise reports according to apparent risk. Budi is not continuously monitored and we do not promise an immediate or 24-hour response. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

Employers and partners must:

• Keep their information accurate and tell us about material changes promptly.
• Provide genuine, lawful opportunities suitable for the stated age group, with clear duties, location, pay and eligibility.
• Meet applicable employment, equality, privacy, safeguarding and health-and-safety responsibilities.
• Maintain appropriate supervision, professional boundaries and reporting arrangements for the activity, including for under-18s and adults at risk.
• Never charge an applicant a fee or require an applicant to buy something as a condition of applying, except where the law clearly permits a disclosed charge. Disclosure alone does not make a prohibited charge lawful.
• Never pressure a young person to provide private contact details, sensitive information, money or a recording, or to attend an unsafe private meeting.
• Use shared information only for the disclosed opportunity or connection. Do not scrape, sell, publish, circulate it beyond authorised people or use it for unrelated marketing or AI training.
• Not use Budi results as an automated hiring or exclusion filter. Recruitment decisions require a lawful, fair process and appropriate human judgement.
• Respect a young person’s decision to end contact. Stop unnecessary use and delete copies no longer lawfully needed.
• Report safeguarding concerns promptly through the Safeguarding Policy, and cooperate with proportionate enquiries and protective action.

Failure may result in conditions, removal of content, restriction or suspension of access, withdrawal of verified status, or termination under our Terms of Service.

Each young person receives three employer picks per day. They choose an employer and which profile content to share. The employer can see that interest or profile card before deciding whether to accept, so the required employer approval must already be complete at that point.

If the employer accepts, communication opens inside Budi and the young person starts the conversation. Audio, video or neither are the young person’s choice.

Employers see the selected items deliberately shared with them and messages sent through the connection. They do not receive private Budi conversations, unshared Toolkit content or internal match scores. Health, disability, accessibility or neurodivergence information is not automatically included. Any optional disclosure of special-category information needs the specific choice and consent explained in our Privacy Policy.

Either party can end the connection. Once it ends, the employer cannot reopen a previously shared video through Budi. Ending that access and deleting stored content or message history are separate actions. We cannot make someone forget what they have seen or automatically remove a copy made outside Budi. The employer’s obligations in section 6 continue to apply.

In-app communication may generate safeguarding flags for human review. This is not continuous live moderation or a guarantee of an immediate response. Verification gives no wider entitlement to a young person’s private information.

An employer can ask for a fresh review within 14 calendar days of being notified of a decision by emailing support@inyourroots.com. Explain what you believe was wrong and provide relevant evidence. We will consider a later request where there is a reasonable explanation or significant new information.

We review the reasons and evidence, consider what the employer has said and provide a written outcome. Where possible, someone other than the original reviewer carries out the review. If there is no suitable internal reviewer, we seek appropriate external input where needed to manage a conflict or provide the required expertise. A person who is the subject of a safeguarding allegation must not decide its outcome or control the response.

An appeal does not automatically lift a necessary safety restriction. We explain the next steps and provide an update if further enquiries are needed.

A young person or anyone else concerned about an employer can use our Complaints Procedure or contact Frankie Brookton, our Designated Safeguarding Lead, at frankie@inyourroots.com. You can also contact an appropriate external authority without completing our internal process. For immediate danger, call 999.

Employer and verification information is handled under our Privacy Policy. Access must be limited to authorised people who need it for verification, relationship management, legal or safeguarding work.

The minimum evidence and decision record needed to support an approval must be kept while that approval is relied upon. Records must have a documented purpose and retention or review rule. A refused application, ended relationship or withdrawn approval triggers a review of what remains necessary, considering any outstanding concern, complaint, legal claim or statutory record requirement. Information must be deleted when that purpose ends.

Identity documents and sensitive evidence must be removed sooner where a limited verification record is sufficient. Full DBS certificates or criminal-record details must not be collected or retained simply to support an organisation’s badge. Any necessary handling must have the required legal authority and follow the applicable DBS information-handling guidance.

Separate safeguarding case material follows the safeguarding retention rules. Neither a verification label nor a safeguarding label permits indefinite retention.

For verification questions or an accessible way to provide information, contact support@inyourroots.com.

We review this policy annually and after a significant safeguarding incident, verification failure, relevant legal change or material change to the employer service. The recorded approval requirements and employer-access arrangements must remain aligned with it.

Inyourroots Ltd · Company number 17285309

Suite A82, James Carter Road, Mildenhall, United Kingdom, IP28 7DE

support@inyourroots.com