SAFEGUARDING UPATES FOR PARENTS AND CARERS
Keeping your children safe online
As part of our work with our safeguarding partners we have been asked to share information with parents/carers about inappropriate content online. Over the last 12 months LCC (Lincolnshire County Council) have seen an increase in the number of schools reporting that students, while at home, have accessed content which is not always appropriate, some of which has been quite scary or upsetting. While there is no perfect way to eliminate this risk, they feel that there are things parents and carers can do to support their children online, reduce the risk or manage it after the fact. Here are some of the practical steps parents and carers can follow:
- Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP): Companies that provide broadband such as BT, Sky and Virgin, offer free protection for parents and carers. They can filter your internet connection directly, without having to install anything. Guides on how to use this can be found here: https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/broadband-mobile/
- YouTube is a fantastic resource, but not all the content is appropriate for children and not all YouTube channels are made for young audiences. YouTube has an app just for children – YouTube Kids – but many people don't realise that the main YouTube app has a restricted mode. Check out more about how it works here:
https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/entertainment-search-engines/youtube-app/
It's important to remember that no filters or controls are 100% effective so make sure your child knows that they can, and should, talk to someone if they see or hear anything upsetting online so we can offer them some reassurance. This information from Thinkuknow might be useful https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/Im-worried-my-primary-aged-child-might-see-something-inappropriate-online/
Domestic Abuse Support: 16 days of action to raise awareness of domestic abuse
This nationwide campaign spans 16 days from 25 November to 10 December with the aim of increasing awareness and education of domestic abuse in our communities. EDAN Lincs is a Lincolnshire based charity with their head office in Lincoln. They offer a wide range of support, including refuges, outreach and other services throughout the county. They are running a social media campaign and appealing to many different organisations – businesses; schools; community groups as well as individuals, to take some action for EDAN Lincs.
