Safeguarding

Report a concern

If something on Ottered worries you, about a username, something a player has done, or a child's wellbeing, email help@ottered.co.uk with Safeguarding in the subject line. Safeguarding emails go to the top of the pile.

It helps to tell us the username involved, what happened, and roughly when. You don't need to have all the details. If you're not sure whether something counts, tell us anyway.

To report a username, use the Report button next to it on the leaderboards.

If you're a student and something has upset you, you can also talk to a teacher, a parent or carer, or Childline on 0800 1111.

How Ottered is built to be safe

• No chat. Players can't send each other messages, so strangers can't contact a child through Ottered. In games, the only thing other players see is your username, your otter and your score.
• Anonymous usernames. We ask everyone not to use their real name. Usernames can be reported, and we change or remove ones that break the rules. Players who join a game without an account pick a nickname from a set list, so nobody can type in a real name or anything rude.
• Private details stay private. Email addresses and dates of birth are never shown to other players.
• Parent or carer permission. If you're under 13, your account only starts working once a parent or carer agrees by clicking a link we email them.
• Adults only for teacher accounts. You must be 18 or over to create a class. Teachers only see the progress of students in their own classes.
• Reports go only where they're asked for. Progress reports are only emailed to a parent or teacher after that person confirms their email address, and they can stop them at any time.
• No adverts. We don't show adverts or let advertisers track students.

What we do when we get a concern

We read every safeguarding report and act as quickly as we can. Depending on what's happened, we may:

• change or remove a username, or anything a player has made
• suspend or delete an account
• tell the student's school, if they're in an Ottered class
• pass information to the police or the local authority's children's services, if we think a child may be at risk of harm

We only share information when we need to in order to protect a child, and we share as little as we can. We keep a record of the concern and what we did about it.

For schools

Ottered fits alongside your school's own safeguarding policy. Your designated safeguarding lead stays in charge of concerns about your pupils, and we'll work with them.

Teachers create classes with a join code, can remove students from a class, and only see the students in their own classes. If you need information for your data protection impact assessment or safeguarding checks, email quote@ottered.co.uk.

Staying safe: tips for students

• Pick a username that isn't your real name and doesn't give away your school or where you live.
• Never share your password, even with friends.
• Only join games using a code from your teacher or someone you know.
• If anything online makes you feel worried or uncomfortable, on Ottered or anywhere else, tell an adult you trust.