3 tools from UKCIS to help you to protect children online
NCA-CEOP is an active member of the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS), a collaborative forum through which the government, the tech community and the third sector work together to make sure the UK is the safest place in the world to be online. UKCIS’ priorities include protecting children online and providing you with the tools to recognise and respond to online harm.
Take a look at how three tools developed by UKCIS can support you with some of your key responsibilities in helping to protect children online.
Respond effectively to incidents of sexting
Although the production and sharing of youth-produced sexual imagery is likely to take place outside of school and college, these issues will often manifest in school. You need to be able to respond swiftly and confidently to make sure that children and young people are safeguarded, supported and educated.
To help you do this, UKCIS’ ‘Sexting in schools and colleges’ provides detailed advice on how you should:
- Respond to disclosures
- Handle devices and imagery
- Record incidents
- Involve parents and carers
- Provide preventative education
Use this guidance when you next review your safeguarding procedures or curriculum provision.
Work in a Welsh school or college? Read the Welsh version of the guidance.
Review or develop your curriculum provision
All schools are responsible for teaching children about online safety as a part of a broad and balanced curriculum.
The Education for a Connected World framework can help you to meet these requirements as a part of a whole-school approach to online safety. It outlines the knowledge and skills that children and young people should have the opportunity to develop at different ages and stages in eight areas, including:
- Self-image and identity
- Online relationships
- Managing online information
- Health, wellbeing and lifestyle
- Privacy and security
If you’re reviewing your curriculum or developing a new one, benchmark it against the framework to assess whether you are providing these opportunities.
Additionally, you could use the framework to improve engagement across the school community on issues related to online safety or develop training for staff and governors/board members.
Use external visitors effectively
Many educational settings use external visitors to provide additional expertise in specific issues. While external visitors bring significant benefits, this practice can be ineffective if visitors are not carefully selected or if they contribute to a ‘one-off’ event.
Follow best practice by reading UKCIS’ guidance on what to consider when selecting an appropriate external visitor and when to engage them. Consider how you can feed these tips into your setting’s approach to working with external visitors.
You’ll also find a checklist of questions to support you when making decisions and a suggested booking form to help you set out your expectations to potential external visitors.
Want to find out more about UKCIS?
Read the latest announcements and publications from UKCIS on its website.
Visit Thinkuknow for more guidance for professionals from NCA-CEOP on delivering safe and effective online safety education.