E-Safety

E-safety is an integral part of children’s education in today’s digital world and is embedded in their learning at school. We also want to help our parents and children improve their own understanding of e-safety issues so that they can learn to use the internet and all digital media in a safe and secure way.

 

You can download the DofE advice for parents on cyberbullying here

You can access the DofE online parents support website called Parent Info here

 

At Colham Manor, we believe that:

• children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind
• children should be able to use the internet for education and personal development, but safeguards need to be in place to ensure they are kept safe at all times.

 

We recognise that:

• the online world provides everyone with many opportunities; however it can also present risks and challenges
• we have a duty to ensure that all children, young people and adults involved in our organisation are protected from potential harm online
• we have a responsibility to help keep children and young people safe online, whether or not they are using Colham Manor’s network and devices
• all children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse
• working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare and in helping young people to be responsible in their approach to online safety.

 

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

• appointing an online safety coordinator 
• providing clear and specific directions to staff and volunteers on how to behave online through our behaviour code for adults
• supporting and encouraging the young people using our service to use the internet, social media and mobile phones in a way that keeps them safe and shows respect for others
• supporting and encouraging parents and carers to do what they can to keep their children safe online
• developing an online safety agreement for use with young people and their parents/carers
• developing clear and robust procedures to enable us to respond appropriately to any incidents of inappropriate online behaviour, whether by an adult or a child/young person 
• reviewing and updating the security of our information systems regularly
• ensuring that user names, logins, email accounts and passwords are used effectively
• ensuring personal information about the adults and children who are involved in our organisation is held securely and shared only as appropriate
• ensuring that images of children, young people and families are used only after their written permission has been obtained, and only for the purpose for which consent has been given
• providing supervision, support and training for staff and volunteers about online safety
• examining and risk assessing any social media platforms and new technologies before they are used within the organisation.

 

If online abuse occurs, we will respond to it by:

• having clear and robust safeguarding procedures in place for responding to abuse (including online abuse)
• providing support and training for all staff and volunteers on dealing with all forms of abuse, including bullying/cyberbullying, emotional abuse, sexting, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation
• making sure our response takes the needs of the person experiencing abuse, any bystanders and our organisation as a whole into account
• reviewing the plan developed to address online abuse at regular intervals, in order to ensure that any problems have been resolved in the long term.

 

At Home

As a parent you'll know how important the internet is to children - they use it to learn, play, socialise and express themselves.  It's a highly creative place of amazing opportunities.  But the technology children use every day can seem a bit daunting and you might worry about the risks your child can face online - such as bullying, contact from strangers or the possibility of them seeing illegal or inappropriate content. 

 

Engage with your children regarding their use of the internet while at home.  Here are some conversation starter ideas from www.childnet.com

 

• Ask your children to tell you about the sites they like to visit and what they enjoy doing online.
• Ask them about how they stay safe online. What tips do they have for you, and where did they learn them? What is OK and not OK to share?
• Ask them if they know where to go for help, where to find the safety advice, privacy settings and how to report or block on the services they use.
• Encourage them to help. Perhaps they can show you how to do something better online or they might have a friend who would benefit from their help and support.
• Think about how you use the internet as a family. What could you do to get more out of the internet together and further enjoy your lives online