e-Safety

Headlines

1. e-Safety sits within the context of the overriding safeguarding strategy
2. Safeguarding applies to children and vulnerable adults
3. Safeguarding is now a limiting grade within Ofsted inspection
4. Inspectors are looking for evidence of a strategic approach to safeguarding, the use of risk assessments and clear lines of responsibilities
5. Safeguarding extends beyond the college gates and should be part of a wider safeguarding strategy developed by Local Safeguarding Children's Boards
   
6. A simple blocking and banning approach is not considered appropriate
7. The focus should be on educating learners in safe behaviours
8. Monitoring, clear procedures, policy and lines of responsibility are also key
   

e-Safety Advice and Guidance for Education Professionals

The last few years have seen plenty of advice on e-safety for schools, but the position of the FE and skills sector has often been confused. Fortunately there has recently been a flurry of activity addressing the needs of this sector.

Sources of advice and guidance for FE and Skills:

• The key document for guidance is Harnessing Technology, Safeguarding Further Education and Skills learners in a digital world published by Becta.

Quote:

“Organisations are finding that a blocking and banning approach, which merely limits exposure to risk, is not sustainable. Organisations need to focus on a model of empowerment; equipping learners with the skills and knowledge they need to use technology safely and responsibly and managing the risks, whenever and wherever they go online; and to promote safe and responsible behaviours in using technology at college, in the workplace, in the home and beyond.”

This document is only 4 pages long and a must read!

http://feandskills.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=41331&page=1886&catID=1868

• Becta have also launched the Safeguarding Learners section of the Next Generation Learning website. This is applicable to both schools and the FE & Skills sectors. The site includes lots of relevant resources and a number of handy checklists that will help you to review your e-safety approach and provision.

http://www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk/safeguarding

• JISC Legal also provide a useful source of guidance on safeguarding and e-safety for the FE and HE sectors. The emphasis is of course on legal aspects and is particularly useful for those wanting reassurance that they are meeting their statutory and common law obligations. As well as being an advisory service that responds to individual enquiries, JISC Legal provide a number of useful resources on their website. This can be particularly useful in disentangling obligations under safeguarding, data protection and privacy.

• The Excellence Gateway is another source of guidance and resources specific to the FE and Skills sector.

The advice here has useful links to other resources both on the Excellence Gateway and elsewhere. Note that navigation on these pages is not clear -make sure you check out all four topic sections linked to at the bottom of the page!

http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=197281

Other sources of advice and guidance

Most other advice and guidance is aimed at schools and school age children. However, plenty of this will also apply to the FE and skills sector.

• The BECTA schools website provides comprehensive advice and guidance on e-Safety
  http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=is
  
  

Other e-Safety Advice and Guidance

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) part of UK police and is dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse wherever they may be.

http://www.ceop.gov.uk/

The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) brings together organisations from industry, charities and the public sector to work with the Government to deliver the recommendations from Dr Tanya Byron's report - Safer Children in a Digital World

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/ukccis/

The Byron Review - Safer Children in a Digital World

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/ukccis/userfiles/file/FinalReportBookmarked.pdf

Press articles and other useful resources

BBC News - Pupils 'must manage online risks'

"Pupils given a greater degree of freedom to surf the internet at school are less vulnerable to online dangers in the long-term, inspectors say."

North East Safeguarding Conference

An excellent collection of resources and presentations from the conference are available on this Moodle course from RSC Northern. No need to register just use guest access. A particular highlight is the material on from City of Sunderland College on how they achieved a Grade 1 in Safeguarding.