SENSE Learning - Online Safety Policy

This Online Safety Policy is made accessible to all Parents, Students, Local Authorities, Schools and SENse Learning associates.

Person responsible for ensuring that these policies are implemented and reviewed in line with the review dates: Sophie Amos, Operational Director

Introduction & Purpose

This policy is the Online Safety Policy for SENse Learning which will be followed by all members of the organisation and promoted by those in the position of leadership. This policy will be applied to all students and SENse Learning associates.

The purpose of this policy is to:  

• Ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people is paramount when adults,  young people or children are using the internet, social media or mobile devices

• Provide associates and staff with the overarching principles that guide our approach to online safety

• Ensure that, as an organisation, we operate in line with our values and within the law in  terms of how we use online devices.  

Policy Principles and Values

• The organisation will ensure that all students and SENse Learning associates will feel comfortable, confident and safe with us. The principal DSL, Jenni Griffiths is responsible for overseeing online safety within the provision

• We will give all students the skills to access a wide range of real world opportunities where it is safe to do so. We recognise the importance of the internet and online learning for education and personal development, but will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect students from harm

• The organisation will provide annual training to all associates on risks around online safety and practical support in how to manage and respond to these

• SENse Learning will risk assess any platforms and technologies used with students prior to these being introduced

• SENse Learning will support and encourage parents and carers to do what they can to keep their children safe online through training and direct support

• SENse Learning recognises that the use of mobile technology including mobile phones and tablets is essential in supporting our associates to do their work safely and efficiently and our students to learn effectively

• The Organisation recognises that the use of this technology introduces risk to the setting and that must be managed appropriately

We aim to keep students safe by:

• Developing clear and robust procedures to enable us to respond appropriately to any incidents of inappropriate online behaviour, whether by an adult or a young person

• Reviewing and updating the security of our information systems regularly

• Ensuring that usernames, logins, email accounts and passwords are used effectively

• Ensuring personal information about the staff and young people who are involved in our  organisation is held securely and shared only as appropriate

• Ensuring that any images taken of students and their work will not be identifiable. If there is a need to include their face in the photo signed consent will be sought prior to this and the image will be deleted from the device after use

• Providing supervision, support and training for staff and associates about online safety

• Examining and risk assessing any social media platforms and new technologies before they  are used within the organisation

Legislation and Guidance  

This policy is based on the Department for Education’s (DfE) statutory safeguarding  guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, and its advice for schools on: 

• Teaching online safety in schools

• Preventing and tackling bullying and cyber-bullying: advice for headteachers and  school staff  

• Relationships and sex education 

• Searching, screening and confiscation It also refers to the DfE’s guidance on  protecting children from radicalisation.  

It reflects existing legislation, including but not limited to the Education Act 1996 (as  amended), the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the Equality Act 2010. In addition, it  reflects the Education Act 2011, which has given teachers stronger powers to tackle  cyberbullying by, if necessary, searching for and deleting inappropriate images or files on  student’s electronic devices where they believe there is a ‘good reason’ to do so. Our  filtering and monitoring systems fully comply with the Department for Education's Digital  and Technology Standards. 

Procedures

• SENse Learning will ensure that associates use self-supplied work phones for all SENse related communication

• SENse Learning provides laptops for associates to use with students during sessions for their learning where necessary. These are all fitted with Securely filtering software, which is monitored by the principal DSL, Jenni Griffiths

• The Organisation will ensure training and guidance one-safety is comprehensive, up-to- date and shared with associates, families and students

• The Organisation will use well known and highly recommended providers for our internet based services

• Associates will only use their self-supplied work email and phone to communicate with families through email or Microsoft Teams. Associates should not give out personal emails or phone numbers to parents/carers or students or communicate with them in any other form outside of work, including through social media

• SENse Learning will use Egress or password protection when sending documentation outside of the organisation

• The organisation will use initials instead of full name in documents that will be stored online

• Associates will ensure that all students are supervised when using ICT/the internet and that any concerns around this are reported to the DSL and Case Coordinator

• Under no circumstances should associates store photographs or data about students on personal devices. Any photos taken should be shared via Microsoft Teams and not stored on the device

• Microsoft Teams should be monitored by the case coordinators. In some instances, students might be part of a group, if deemed appropriate by a case coordinator and parent/carer and fully risk assessed

• Associates must notify a DSL immediately if a student makes contact with them over email/text outside of agreed session communication.

Online safety curriculum

SENse Learning will make online safety a key part of the curriculum for all students, and the curriculum will be delivered whilst focusing on these core areas:

• Self-image and identity

• Online relationships

• Online reputation

• Managing online information

• Health, wellbeing and lifestyle

• Privacy and security

• Copyright and ownership

• Online bullying

The curriculum aims to support and broaden the provision of e-safety education,so that it is empowering, builds resilience and creates positive culture shift. The objectives promote the development of safe and appropriate long-term behaviours, and support educators in shaping the culture within their setting and beyond.

The Organisation’s online safety curriculum aims to:

• Be broad, balanced and taught without bias.

• Be relevant to modern society, particularly in linking these topics to e-safety.

• Be relevant to each individual learner and delivered in an age appropriate and sensitive manner.

• Provide a learning atmosphere where students feel safe, relaxed and confident to engage in discussions.

• Delivered without bias and in line with legal responsibilities. Topics will be presented using a variety of views and beliefs so that students are able to form their own, informed opinions whilst respecting others may have different opinions.

• Delivered through the taught curriculum, and through all aspects of daily life, including through discussions that arise at any time.

• Delivered by open teaching students what ‘slang’ words mean and that some are

• offensive and offering a replacement word (where appropriate)

Responsiblities

Case Coordinators are responsible for:

• Implementing ‘Education for a connected world – 2020 Edition’ UK Council for Internet Safety Framework

• Ensuring that the e-safety curriculum is taught consistently to all students

• Monitoring the effectiveness of the e-safety policy.

Teachers and education mentors are responsible for:

• Using the ‘Education for a connected world – 2020 Edition’ UK Council.

• Internet Safety framework to deliver the e-safety curriculum to all students in a sensitive way.

• Ensuring their online safety education delivery is in line with the online safety policy.

• Modelling positive attitudes to e-safety.

• Responding to the needs of individual students.

• Planning and delivering e-safety lessons and activities that are suited to the learning styles, interest, and individual needs of each student.

• Monitoring student’s progress.

• Following procedures to report any concerns or issues around a students safety online to a DSL.

Social Media  

SENse Learning defines social media as ’any websites and applications that enable users to  create and share content or to participate in social networking’. Social networking sites and  tools include, but are not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube  and Instagram. It also includes forums and discussion boards such as Yahoo! Groups or  Google Groups, online encyclopaedias such as Wikipedia, and any other web sites that allow  individual users or organisations to use simple publishing tools. 

Procedures

Associates and staff: 

• Must not have any 1:1 communication, including direct messaging (DM), with pupils  through any social media, apart from SENse Learning arranged Microsoft Teams groups where students are agreed to be included

• Associates should not request or accept any current student of SENse Learning of  any age or any ex-student of any age as a friend, follower, subscriber or similar on  any personal social media account unless they are the parent of the student or a  close family member

• Any communication received from current students on any personal social media sites must be reported immediately to the DSL

• If any staff or associate is aware of any inappropriate communications involving any  student in any social media, these must immediately be reported to the DSLs

• Associates and staff must ensure that, wherever possible, and where the social  media site allows, their privacy settings on social media sites are set so that students  cannot access information relating to their personal lives or follow them on their  personal accounts

• Staff and associates should not post or publish on the internet or on any personal  social networking site, any reference to SENse Learning or the students. The only time this is appropriate is if it is in relation to upcoming job opportunities or to share  SENse Learning’s own social media in a positive way.

Social Media use with students 

Associates are not permitted to use any form of social media with students other than the  agreed SENse Learning Whatsapp groups.  

Gaming with students 

There are times when games and gaming platforms may be used under strict supervision in  sessions with students to support interaction and learning.  

Agreement for use of gaming platforms needs to be considered on an individual student  basis and this will be risk assessed by the Case Coordinator, in consultation with the DSL if needed.  If agreed this will also involve a parent agreement on managing the students' use of this.  

Monitoring and filtering  

SENse Learning uses a filtering and monitoring system called Securly. This is downloaded  on all SENse laptops that are used for student sessions. This security filters all inappropriate  and harmful content and blocks websites.  

Radicalisation and the Use of Social Media to encourage extremism 

The internet and the use of social media in particular has become a major way to  communicate with others, especially young people, which has provided access for like minded people to create an online community and confirm extreme beliefs such as extreme  ideological views or the use of violence to solve problems. This has led to social media  becoming a platform for: 

• Intensifying and accelerating the radicalisation of young people; 

• Confirming extreme beliefs; 

• Access to likeminded people where they are not able to do this off-line, creating an online  community; 

• Normalising abnormal views and behaviours, such as extreme ideological views or the use  of violence to solve problems and address grievances.

SENseLearning has a number of measures in place to help prevent the use of social media  for this purpose: 

• Web site filtering is in place to help prevent access to terrorist and extremist material and  social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by Students. 

• Students, Staff and associates are educated in safe use of social media and the risks posed  by on-line activity, including from extremist and terrorist groups. 

 

Reporting of e-Safety issues and concerns including concerns regarding Radicalisation 

SENse Learning has clear reporting mechanisms in place, available for all users to report  issues and concerns. For any concerns involving radicalisation these should be reported  using the safeguarding reporting procedures, detailed in the handbook and safeguarding  policy.  

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads provide advice and support to associates and staff on  protecting children from the risk of on-line radicalisation. SENse Learning ensures everyone understands what radicalisation and extremism mean and why people may be vulnerable to  being drawn into terrorism. We ensure associates have the knowledge and confidence to  identify children and young people at risk of being drawn into terrorism, and to challenge  extremist ideas which can be used to legitimise terrorism.  

For issues to do with e-safety these should be reported to the Safeguarding Lead or another  DSL.  

ICT based sexual abuse 

The impact on a child of ICT based sexual abuse is similar to that for all sexually abused  pupils. However, it has an additional dimension in that there is a visual record of the abuse.  ICT based sexual abuse of a child constitutes significant harm through sexual and emotional  abuse. Recognition and response is recognising a situation where a child is suffering, or is  likely to suffer a degree of physical, sexual and/or emotional harm (through abuse or  neglect) which is so harmful that there needs to be compulsory intervention by child  protection agencies into the life of the child and their family. All adults (volunteers, staff)  working with pupils, adults and families will be alerted to the possibility that: 

• A child may already have been/is being abused and the images distributed on the internet  or by mobile telephone; 

• An adult or older child may be grooming a child for sexual abuse, including involvement in  making abusive images. This process can involve the child being shown abusive images; 

• An adult or older child may be viewing and downloading child sexual abuse images.

Communicating and educating parents/carers in online safety 

Parents/Carers and students will be provided with a copy of the IT User Acceptable Policy,  and parents will be asked to read and agree to it on their child’s behalf. SENse Learning  recognises the crucial role that parents play in the protection of their children with regards  to online safety. Parents and carers are always welcome to discuss their concerns on e safety with the Safeguarding Lead.  

Protecting Personal Data 

Personal data will be recorded, processed, transferred and made available according to the Data Protection Act 1998.