ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION & SAFEGUARDING POLICY

1.The purpose of this Policy

Future Frontline works with children and young adults as part of its activities. These include, but are not limited to, running webinars educating children and young people about healthcare careers available within the NHS and providing university application advice and support.

 

The purpose of this policy statement is to:

  • Ensure the safety and wellbeing of children engaging in Future Frontline’s online activities.

  • Provide Future Frontline 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.

 

This policy applies to all children under 18 and all Future Frontline staff.

For the purpose of this Policy, the term “Future Frontline Staff” will be used to describe:

  • Future Frontline core team volunteers;

  • Future Frontline board members;

  • Any guest speaker who is invited to participate in a Future Frontline activity.

The term ‘child’ or ‘children’ include any person under the age of eighteen (as defined in The Children Act 1989). 

We believe that:

  • Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind.

  • Children and young people should be able to use the internet for education and personal development, but safeguards need to be in place to ensure they are kept safe at all times.

 

We recognise that:

  • The online world provides everyone with many opportunities; however it can also present risks and challenges.

  • We have a duty to ensure that all children, young people and adults involved in our organisation are protected from potential harm online.

  • We have a responsibility to help keep children and young people safe online, whether or not they are using Future Frontline’s services.

  • Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare and in helping young people to be responsible in their approach to online safety.

  • All children and young people, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.

 

2. Principles we follow to safeguard children online

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

 

  • Appointing an online safety coordinator (Natasha Binnie, Co-Founder and Co-Director, natasha.binnie@futurefrontline.co.uk).

  • All staff who have administrator rights on a platform and are carrying out tasks that require them to have access to participant contact details must have a clear Enhanced DBS check with their home university or NHS trust.

  • Providing clear and specific directions to staff on how to behave online through our Code of Conduct.

  • Supporting and encouraging the children using our service to use the internet, social media and mobile phones in a way that keeps them safe and shows respect for others through our Code of Conduct for Attendees.

  • Supporting and encouraging parents and carers to do what they can to keep their children safe online.

  • Any Future Frontline online activity will take place on approved online platforms. These platforms must have the following features:

    • Only those who have registered for a webinar are able to attend and participate.

    • Contact details of participants must not be visible publicly, to other participants or to anyone other than authorised staff.

    • If any staff contact details are visible, they are limited to the university or professional workplace email addresses.

    • Staff are able to mute or remove a participant from the platform if necessary.

    • Staff are able to permanently block a participant on the platform to prevent them from joining again if necessary.

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

  • Reviewing and updating the security of our information systems regularly.

  • Ensuring personal information about the adults and children who are involved in our organisation is held securely and shared only as appropriate.

  • Ensuring that images of children and young people shared on our website and social media are used only after their written permission has been obtained, and only for the purpose for which consent has been given.

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

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

 

 3. Related Policies

This policy statement should be read alongside our organisational policies and procedures, including:

Date of Last Review: June 2022

Date of Next Review: June 2023