Date of publication:

 

February 2019

 

This alert relates to:

On-line safety advice for early years practitioners and for managers of early years settings.

This is a new publication:

This is a revised or amended document:

The document is produced by:

Gov.uk in conjunction with UK Council for Internet Safety

Summary of the document

The guidance has been produced to raise awareness of the increased risks for children under five years old who are exposed to dangers associated with  on-line technology. Both publications whilst separate documents, focus on what early years practitioners need to understand and know about in terms of on-line dangers and safe practice for young children. They also provide guidance for managers of early years provision and discuss the considerations that they should take into account when managing early years provision.

Over time there has been a significant increase in young children owning digital devices that enable them to go ‘on-line’. Statistics from Ofcom in their ‘Children and Parents Media Use and Attitudes’ report (February 2019) tell us that 1% of 3 -4 year olds have their own smartphone and 19% have their own tablet. 52% pf 3 – 4 year olds will go online for an average of nearly 9 hours a week and 45% of 3 – 4 year olds use YouTube.

The guidance recognises that those working in the early years play an ‘essential role’ in helping young children to learn what safe online behaviour involves and how they, along with supporting adults can be helped to stay safe online. It looks at the wider considerations of how and when children go on-line including at home and in the wider community. Using technology and accessing learning opportunities on-line should be encouraged for children as a positive experience. Early years settings have a role in modelling safe use of the internet. This can be done by early years practitioners when working with children in their settings.

What will this mean for early years and educational settings?

Practitioners should be aware of the risks that face young children on-line. These include;

Content, that children may see.

  • Inappropriate videos, pictures, messages.
  • Imitating harmful, inappropriate behaviours
  • Accidentally coming across inappropriate content
  • Inadvertently sharing their location or other personal information
  • Spending money

Contact, who might communicate with them

  • Being abused on-line by people they know or don’t know
  • Sending images or information to people

Conduct, how they might behave

  • Exhibiting unhealthy behaviours
  • Being unkind to others on-line
  • Using words that are not appropriate for their age
  • Engaging in unhealthy relationships
  • Sharing indecent images on-line

Strategies to minimise risk for children should include;

  • Checking apps and websites before using them with children
  • Supervising children who are using the internet
  • Applying safe filters, modes, filters and privacy settings
  • Talk about and model safe on-line practice

Considerations should be made about on-line risks for children at home and parents should be made aware of these too. Other on-line risks at home could involve sharing children’s images too frequently. Risks such as exposure to radicalisation may also pose a threat to children whilst in the home environment.

The document offers suggestions for helpful resources for settings to use with children and parents.

It considers safe use of social media for early years practitioners and encourages them to protect their on-line reputation and to manage their on-line reputations appropriately.

Managers will have to consider their legal requirements in regards to safeguarding and child protection and how on-line safety features in policy and practice. They should be able to demonstrate that they have understanding of the risks of on-line dangers including abuse. They should know how to manage staff to make sure that they follow safe practice and adhere to the settings policies and procedures that keep children safe on-line. Managers should also be able to support parents to know how to keep children safe at home and elsewhere, this includes helping parents to support their children to follow safe practice themselves.

What other important and relevant documents or legislation does this relate to?

Early Years Foundation Stage

Getting it right for every child (Scotland)

Keeping children safe in education

Working together to safeguard children

Ofsted Inspection Handbook for early years and education

Will this impact upon our policies?

Yes

If yes, how?

Managers will have to consider how their policies and procedures apply to on-line safety.

Policies should at least cover;

  • Safe and appropriate use of personal devices, phones and cameras
  • Expectations regarding professional boundaries, staff behaviour and communication via social media
  • Appropriate use of technology in the setting

Policies should explain to practitioners that they should;

  • Always know and understand their settings policies and procedures
  • Know how to use digital devices in line with safe practice at all times
  • Should be a clear internal and external reporting mechanism regarding on-line safety concerns

You can access the full documents here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-considerations