Governors play a vital role in safeguarding to ensure the school has an appropriate monitoring system in place to protect students from harmful content and behaviours. Responsibility lies with the school leadership team, Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and governors as part of the school, college, MAT or education establishments broader safeguarding approach, including policy compliance for digital safety.
Here are 7 key steps to follow:
- Understand the key guidance and standards for digital safeguarding and have an awareness of online threats, risks, behaviours and trends in technology use:
Governors should keep abreast of the latest KCSiE guidance, Prevent duty, Filtering & Monitoring Standards, Working Together to Safeguard Children and Online Safety Act – all designed to protect students! All the latest guidance and standards can be found on the Securus resource page and we have also provided a useful checklist that Governors can download to support them in their role for digital monitoring and safeguarding for the school. - Support and critically challenge the implementation of effective online safety policy, procedure and practice:
Governors should be provided with assurance that the monitoring solution in place is working effectively and reviewed regularly. To understand and evaluate the changing needs and potential risks a review should be carried out at least once every academic year. This should include the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) that relates to students, staff, parents and visitors and takes into account the latest terminology updates. - Ensure an appropriate level of monitoring which safeguards young people from risky online content and contact is in place:
School senior leaders and DSLs should provide governors with assurance that an appropriate monitoring system is in place, working effectively and reviewed regularly to safeguard across all relevant topics of concern. Governors should be prepared to respond to online safety incidents, working with senior leaders to minimize risk and ensure appropriate action is taken. - Receive and act upon regular online safety reports from senior leadership/DSL:
Governors should receive regular reports from school leadership and be kept aware of incidents, alerts, trends, and challenges faced. Governors can then make informed decisions about policies and processes with an understanding into how incidents and alerts were dealt with or if any safeguarding referrals took place or needed to be escalated. - Ensure children are taught about online safeguarding through teaching and learning opportunities as part of a broad and balanced curriculum:
Students should be aware of all safeguarding policies and are taught about online safety and acceptable behaviours, with consideration and relevance to different age groups and the required approaches for each. Schools should also consider different approaches for special schools and SEND students who may need a more creative and interactive approach to understand the digital environment and the policies in place for behaviour and use of technology. - All staff are provided with appropriate online safety training:
Designated Safeguarding Leads and those who are part of the safeguarding team require advanced training, including the Prevent duty, to effectively fulfil their roles, including understanding their responsibilities, identifying vulnerable children, and managing safeguarding processes. School staff and governors should have safeguarding training to identify various types of abuse and neglect, including physical, emotional, sexual, and neglectful harm, as well as signs of radicalization and online safety risks. - The types of digital risks that are taking place:
The following topics of concern and content that should be monitored to safeguard students from digital harms:
- Child sexual abuse: Content that depicts or promotes sexual abuse or exploitation of children, which is strictly prohibited and subject to severe legal penalties.
- Controlling or coercive behaviour: Online actions that involve psychological abuse, manipulation, or intimidation to control another individual, often occurring in domestic contexts.
- Extreme sexual violence: Content that graphically depicts acts of severe sexual violence, intended to shock or incite similar behaviour, and is illegal under UK law.
- Extreme pornography: Pornographic material portraying acts that threaten a person’s life or could result in serious injury, and is deemed obscene and unlawful.
- Fraud: Deceptive practices conducted online with the intent to secure unfair or unlawful financial gain, including phishing and scam activities.
- Racially or religiously aggravated public order offences: Content that incites hatred or violence against individuals based on race or religion, undermining public safety and cohesion.
- Inciting violence: Online material that encourages or glorifies acts of violence, posing significant risks to public safety and order.
- Illegal immigration and people smuggling: Content that promotes or facilitates unauthorized entry into a country, including services offering illegal transportation or documentation.
- Promoting or facilitating suicide: Material that encourages or assists individuals in committing suicide, posing serious risks to vulnerable populations.
- Intimate image abuse: The non-consensual sharing of private sexual images or videos, commonly known as “revenge porn,” intended to cause distress or harm.
- Selling illegal drugs or weapons: Online activities involving the advertisement or sale of prohibited substances or firearms, contravening legal regulations. This type of activity includes ‘county lines’ and gang culture.
- Sexual exploitation/sextortion: Content that involves taking advantage of individuals sexually for personal gain or profit, including trafficking and forced prostitution.
- Terrorism: Material that promotes, incites, or instructs on terrorist activities, aiming to radicalise individuals or coordinate acts of terror.
- Gambling: enables gambling.
- Harmful content: Content that is bullying, abusive or hateful. Content which depicts or encourages serious violence or injury. Content which encourages dangerous stunts and challenges including the ingestion, inhalation or exposure to harmful substances.
- Hate Speech/ Discrimination: Content that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Promotes the unjust or prejudicial treatment of people with protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act 2010.
- Malware / Hacking: Promotes the compromising of systems including anonymous browsing and other filter bypass tools as well as sites hosting malicious content, including ransomware and viruses.
- Mis / Dis Information: Promotes or spreads false or misleading information intended to deceive, manipulate, or harm, including content undermining trust in factual information or institution.
- Pornography: displays sexual acts or explicit images and text.
- Self Harm and eating disorders: encourages, promotes, or provides instructions for self harm, eating disorders or suicide.
- VAWG: Promotes or glorifies violence, abuse, coercion, or harmful stereotypes targeting women and girls, including content that normalises gender-based violence or perpetuates misogyny.
If you are a school Governor and would like more information on Securus Monitoring Solutions please get in touch or call the team on 0330 124 1750.
Don’t forget to download the School Governors Digital Monitoring Checklist!
This checklist has been produced to support Governors in their role of digital monitoring & safeguarding!