Agenda item

The Risk and Resilience Manager will provide a presentation to the Board.

The Chair introduced the Risk and Resilience Manager to the Board, who was in attendance to provide information on a successful funding application in relation to elevating young peoples’ voce through digital resilience. The Board had previously received a paper regarding this and the Manager was in attendance to provide further clarity.

In February 2021, a funding opportunity was circulated by Parentzone and Nominet. By way of background, Parentzone is a national organisation which is widely recognised as ‘experts in digital family’ and Nominet is the UK’s official web domain registrar.

 

Middlesbrough Council submitted a bid under Design Challenge 3, the purpose of which is:

 

Elevating young peoples’ voice to influence the services that impact on their digital safety and opportunity Care experienced young people have invaluable insight which is currently under-used in relation to digital and online safety policy development.

 

The Manager outlined that Middlesbrough has a lead in digital resilience, in context started in 2016, when a member scrutiny panel challenged a government policy on youth produced imaginary. The recommendations of the scrutiny review set the Council on its journey to help protect young people. Middlesbrough digital model also came about as direct result of the scrutiny investigation.

The Manager outlined that our children are growing up in a world where there is an increasing need for them to flourish in their use of digital devices and where they need to interact in all areas of the digital world –e.g. School and Work based Apps, Social Media and Gaming  

As corporate parents, we need to ensure our children can compete for jobs (some of which have not been invented) and guide them appropriately.

At present the approach to Digital Parenting for Children looked after and those leaving care in Middlesbrough is inconsistent.

Middlesbrough has therefore been successful in attracting £35,719 funding to:

“ensure care experienced young people can influence the service policies, process and practice that impact on their digital lives we need to extend participation and diversify and improve channels of communication and feedback .”

 

The bid links to Middlesbrough’s digital resilience model, which has four pillars ; governance of digital excellence; voice of the child; digital parenting and education and workforce development.

 

The mission statement of the model was as follows:

“To develop an online world where children and young people can be nurtured, safe, self-confident and compassionate digital citizens”.

 

 

Governance and digital excellence

There is a digital and resilience safeguarding network, which has over 170 participates. If therefore, a threat or alert is issued and posing a risk to young people, the Council can circulate a message to the network. Since 1 January 2021, 10 messages have been issued, which is then passed onto all relevant parties. 

 

Voice of the child

Students from Middlesbrough College produced a play called ‘To send or not to send regarding youth produced imaginary and was based on Romeo and Juliet. This was shown to over 1,000 12-13 year olds and attracted media attention.

Young ambassadors have also been trained to ensure young people’s voices are heard.

 

Digital parenting

A number of parents are unaware how to keep their children safe online and many feel taking their phone off them is the right thing to do. However we need to educate our parents in order to educate our children.

Education and workforce development

Capacity building in school and organisations on how to deliver digital parenting classes, education work to children.  Schools can also undertake a self- assessment to be awarded with a digital resilience charter mark.

An application for funding was £30,000 was submitted, however the project scope was attractive and they were awardee £33,000.

In essence the funding is to develop and implement a ‘digital parenting’ policy and practice

guidance for Children Looked After and Children Leaving Care. In general terms the Project would:                                    

 

•Employ an apprentice to be trained and to assist in this project. The aim is to attract an apprentice who is a care leaver.

•Research and consult on current practice

•Research and consult nationally and regionally for Best Practice

•Develop a draft policy / guidance for Digital Parenting in respect of Children Looked After and those leaving care  

•Consult on this draft

•Seek approval for the policy / guidance (Departmental Management Team and Corporate Parenting Board)

•Provide Nominet with the final document

•Implement the final policy / guidance through workforce development

 

Consultation will include, Children Looked After, Care leavers, Social Workers, Foster Carers, staff in residential settings as well as the Departmental Management Team and the Corporate Parenting Board.

The Manager was thanked for his presentation.

 

AGREED- That the funding application be noted and that further updates be provided to the Board on the policy/ guidance in due course.