GSD Online Safety Policy
Introduction
We recognise that the online world provides many positive opportunities, however it can present risks and challenges to children and young people. We have a duty to ensure all children and young people in our organisation are safeguarded and protected from harm online. Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, facilitated through technology like computers, tablets, mobile phones and other internet-enabled devices. Our online safety policy is consistent with our wider safeguarding policy.
It is the overall responsibility of the parent/ DSP/ DSL for ensuring the safety of all children, young people, and adults within the organisation when online.
The Role of the Online Safety Lea
The Online Safety Lead or DSP/SLP will:
• ensures all staff/volunteers have current awareness of the online safety policy and incident reporting procedures.
• takes day to day responsibility for online safety issues and has a leading role in establishing and reviewing the online safety policies/procedures.
• offers advice and support to staff and volunteers.
• keeps up to date with developments in online safety and cascades these to staff/volunteers.
• understands and knows where to obtain additional support and where to report online safety issues.
• receives reports of online safety incidents and keeps a log of incidents to inform future online safety developments.
• communicates with parents/carers about online safety.
Staff / Volunteers Responsibilities
Staff and volunteers are responsible for ensuring that:
• they have an awareness of the online safety policy and procedures.
• follow the procedures for reporting and recording online safety issues.
• educate children and young people on how to stay safe online.
• demonstrate positive online behaviours to children.
Acceptable Online Usage for Staff and Volunteer
Staff and volunteers will be given the Online Acceptable Use Agreement to sign during their induction. The Agreements sets out the standards which need to be adhered to when being online on.
Platforms for Online Abuse and Types of Abus
Online abuse can happen anywhere online that allows digital communication, such as: social networks, text messages and messaging apps, email and private messaging, online chats, online gaming, and live streaming sites. Children may experience several types of abuse online:
· Emotional abuse-which can include emotional blackmail
· Sexting-pressure or coercion to create sexual images
· Grooming-perpetrators may use online platforms to build a trusting relationship with the child to abuse them.
National Guidance and Legislation on Online Safet
The Online Safety Act 2023
The Act makes companies that operate a wide range of popular online services legally responsible for keeping people, especially children, safe online. Services must do this by assessing and managing safety risks arising from content and conduct on their sites and apps.
The Law is based on 3 fundamental duties:
-protecting children;
-shielding the public from illegal content;
-and helping adult users avoid harmful – but not illegal – content on the biggest platforms.
Protecting Children
There are 2 categories of harmful content to children that tech firms must deal with.
-The first is “primary priority content”, such as pornography and the promotion of suicide and eating disorders (below the threshold of criminality). If sites allow such content, children must be prevented from encountering it and the Act expects age-checking measures to be used for this.
-The second is “priority content” such as bullying and posts that encourage children to take part in dangerous stunts or challenges. Children in age groups judged to be at harm from such content– must be protected from encountering this kind of material.
Ofcom have said that the new laws will roll out in three phases as follows, with the timing driven by the requirements of the Act and relevant secondary legislation: Phase one: Illegal content, Phase two: Child safety, pornography, and protecting women and girls, Phase three: Additional duties for categorised services. For the latest updates on The Online Safety Act implementation we will consult the guidance from Ofcom: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety
The Data Protection Act 2018-To comply with the law, information about individuals must be collected and used fairly, stored safely and securely and not disclosed to any third party unlawfully. This legislation also applies to all electronic and online data.
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 (this outlines the responsibilities that schools and colleges have in safeguarding children, including a requirement to ensure appropriate levels of online filtering and monitoring are in place-refer to pages 35-38).
Measures we have in our organisation to promote online safety
We have the follow measures in place to promote online safety:
•A firewall and robust antivirus software
· Personal data is managed in in compliance with The Data Protection Act 2018
· Having the latest operating system security updates installed
· Passcode and lock screened are used on all devices
· Promoting online safety awareness to the children we work with by:
– having informal conversations where we discuss online safety
-children will be supported to recognise not everything on the internet is true or accurate
– staff/volunteers will act as good role models in their use of online technologies.
-rules for the use of devices will be posted in areas where these devices are in use
Online Communication
Our organisation uses a range of online services to communicate which include:
· Website
· Social media pages
· Social media messaging
· Text messaging
· Online portal pages
· Closed messaging systems
All communications take place through clear and established systems and will be professional in nature.
Communications are monitored for concerns/complaints. There are processes in place to respond and resolve complaints or comments concerning our organisation or staff/volunteers.
Digital Images and Videos
We gain written permission from parents to record and use digital images and video of their children. Through this process, we respect their rights under the Data Protection Act 2018.
We share images with parents through secure routes that include: Secure email, Secure online platforms, Password-protected media.
Parents are asked to ensure that photos taken of their child at our venue do not include anyone else in the background without prior agreement
Parents are not permitted to take photos in the studio unless agreed by principal.
Personal Mobile Phones and Smart Watches
There are safeguarding risks associated with the use of personal mobile phones and smart watches. Our organisation cannot be held responsible for use of personal phones and smart watches etc in the building when not in the studio.
Use of mobile phones/ smart watches from the students are not allowed in the studio unless permission is granted from the teacher. It is the responsibility of all members of staff to be vigilant and to report any concerns of safeguarding from what we hear in the studio.
Rules on Personal Mobile Phones
-Personal mobile phones are to be stored securely in students bags/ waiting area / on teachers desk.
-Personal mobile phones are only to be used in the waiting areas.
-Personal mobile phones are always to be stored on silent mode
Rules on Smart Watches
With ongoing technology advances, the organisation reserves the rights to request the removal of a Smart Watch if it deemed a safeguarding risk to children.
Students should not wear smart watches (or any other watch) while dancing.
Responding to online abuse and how to report it
The DSP/SLP should be used as a first point of contact for concerns and queries on online abuse. All concerns about a child should be reported to them without delay and recorded in writing using the agreed system as set out in the safeguarding policy.
Following receipt of any information raising concern about online abuse, the DSP will consider what action to take and seek advice from the Norfolk Children’s Advice & Duty Service (CADS) as required.
If, at any point, there is a risk of immediate serious harm to a child, The Children’s Advice and Duty Service (CADS) should be contacted. Anybody can contact CADS in these circumstances. Depending on the type of online abuse concerned, this will also be reported using the relevant method below:
Criminal Sexual Content-If the concern is about online criminal sexual content, this will be report to the Internet Watch Foundation here.
Child Exploitation and Online Protection– If the concern is about online sexual abuse and grooming, a report should also be made to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)
Report Remove Tool–Young people under 18 will be supported to use the Report Remove tool from Childline to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves and ask these to be removed from the internet. This can be reported here.
Online Terrorism or Extremism Content-If online material is found which promotes terrorism or extremism this will be reported to ACT Action Against Terrorism. A report can be made online here.
Online Hate Content-If online content incites hatred this will be reported online to True Vision here.
Sources of support on Online Safet
UK Safer Internet Centre-For free, independent, expert advice on dealing with internet safety problems contact the Helpline. Professionals Online Safety Helpline-0344 3814772 or [email protected]
Childnet For online safety information and advice for professionals working with children and young people. 020 7639 6967 [email protected]
Internet Matters Supports parents and professionals with resources and guidance on child internet safety.
Signed: A C Waite……………………………………………………………………………………………
Date for review: 27/03/2026………………………………………………………………………………….