Keeping children safe online

Our offer of support to children, young people and their families now includes a programme of events and activities online. As a service offering virtual activities, part of our duty of care to those we support, includes highlighting the best places to find information and resources regarding keeping children & young people safe online.

Online safety tips

NSPCC have created some online safety tips, advice and activities specifically aimed at parents & carers of children with SEND.

They also have advice for parents/carers on how to use parent controls for a variety of different apps, games, consoles and internet settings.

Thinkuknow has a wide range of videos and resources that are easy to follow and include some animated stories. There is a range of information for a wide range of ages and abilities.

Supporting understanding through stories

Author Hannah Whaley has written a series of useful illustrated children’s books to support conversations with your child about online safety. The series includes titles such as

Webster’s Manners, Webster’s Friend, Webster’s Bedtime and Webster’s Email. The stories follow a young spider called Webster who loves to surf all day in the world wide spiderweb, he loves to play online with his friends and constantly sends texts and tweets to other cobwebs.

Award-winning author and illustrator Hannah Whaley is based in Scotland, where she has always worked to combine education, technology and research. Her books help introduce children to technology from an early age through reading and stories. Her first children’s picture book “Webster’s Email” was awarded the top prize in Writing Magazine’s SP Book of the Year 2015.

Reporting concerns

Children and young people may experience several types of abuse online including bullying/cyberbullying, emotional abuse and grooming. If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999.

If you’re worried about a child but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns by contacting the NSPCC helpline, your local children’s safeguarding board sometimes called MASH (multi agency safeguarding hub), the police or report through the CEOP online reporting webpage.