Agenda item

Ralph Jordinson, Risk and Resilience Manager and Louisa Jefferson, Digital Policy Apprentice will provide an update to the Board.

The Chair welcome Ralph Jordinson , Risk and Resilience manager and Louise Jefferson to the meeting to provide an update on Nominet – REACH- Digiwise.

 

As way of background the manager advised that in March 2021, Middlesbrough Council were successful in a funding application for £36,220 which is to research, consult and produce a policy/practice document for digital safeguarding for Children Looked After and Children Leaving Care.

Funding by Parentzone and Nominet was allocated to 9 interlinked projects under 3 key areas of which Middlesbrough’s sits within Design Challenge 3, that 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-utilised in relation to digital and online safety policy development.

More specifically the project was 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; diversify and improve channels of communication and feedback.

This is based on significant risks posed to Children Looked After (CLA) being at risk of online grooming and exploitation, exposure pornography, peer pressure to send youth produced sexual imagery and access to drug sales and other harmful products usually via social media. 

Since reporting at the last board meeting, the manager provided information on the progress so far;

 

a)     Employed and trained a care experienced apprentice training in Impact Measurement and Management.

b)     Steering group formed inclusive of young people representation and developed action plan with progress milestones.  Established the project name ‘Digiwise’.

c)     Designing and implementing consultation for young people with care experience.

d)     Hosted a series of consultation workshops, focus groups and events capturing young peoples views.

e)     Consulted with 35 young people within quantitative surveys, 5 young people within qualitative ‘deep dive’ surveys and multiple others within focus groups and workshops. The target was 100 young people but sadly this wasn’t met.

f)       Promoted recognised CPD programme of learning for foster carers, residential workers and social workers.

g)     Promoted the adoption of the UKCIS Digital Passport for children and young people in care.

h)     Developed with young people a smartphone holder for all care experienced young people with QR code for a quick and easy access to resources.

Since the last Corporate Parenting Board in February 2022 the survey has been completed and the key findings of the Digiwise project were as follows:

•        Most of our young people are exposed to some form of adversity in online spaces, these issues are far reaching and usually involve social media.

•        Young people want data plans and do not want data limited.

•        That internet speeds are slow and could be better across all settings.

•        There was limited evidence of consistent approaches and overall effectiveness of acceptable use agreements and use of online safety contracts in care homes. This is sometimes that needs to be explored further e.g a digital pledge

•        Young people want quick and easy access to reporting and support mechanisms, with tools to enable their fast access when faced with crisis.

•        Lack of consistent guidance on appropriate filtering on both foster home broadband, mobile phone providers and settings on applications with the concept of “safety gates” being employed.

•        Educating young people through workforce development programme such as the ‘Fostering Digital Skills’ programme.

•        That Middlesbrough need to educate young people on the risks of being online along with practical tips on how to keep social media counts safe including how to block, report and delete.

The Manager outlined that the final report will be ready in November 2022, with the Digiwise draft policy in January 2023 and completion was still on target for March 2023.

 

From the findings of the survey, a number of recommendations have been put forward:

 

•        Take all necessary steps to ensure harmful content such as violent, graphic, sexual, hateful and extremist content is minimised and filtered at source within all settings, through the use of various “safety gates” on networks and devices.

•        To ensure that our workforce and professionals, carers and residential staff have the skills, knowledge and skills to support young people to gain all of the benefits to being online, whilst still managing their risk.

•        Being able to offer age appropriate, high quality education, interventions and conversation starters when they are needed.

•        Offer quick and easy access to resources and support for our children and young people.

•        Consideration to the adoption of the governments UKCIS Digital Passport and the role It can play in building collaborative approaches to digital resilience in care between carer and child.

•        The existing policy Short breaks and residential services Wi-Fi & Internet use policy is in place but will be reviewed in light of this research and national guidance.

The manager finally outlined that online spaces pose risks to young people just as there are risks in physical locations, these recommendations are designed to safeguard young people whilst in online spaces.

 

Research from Internet Matters UK shows young people who are vulnerable such as children looked after are at greater risk than their non-care experienced peers due to being more frequently withdrawn, anxious and have lower self-esteem.

 

In the UK, there are over 65,000 children and young people currently living in foster care with 55,000 foster families.

 

In Middlesbrough in May 2022 there were 618 children and young people currently living in care with 449 living within foster care, 209 of which are aged 11- 18. It was hoped that adopting the recommendations of digiwise would take those steps to further protecting are children and young people when being online.

 

The Board were pleased that this area was being looked at and would become policy. Clarity was also sought that all foster carers are provided with guidance on how to educate their foster children regarding using online spaces and this was the case, as all foster carers receive a foster carer handbook.

 

AGREED

Ø  That the information on Digiwise be noted

Ø  That the board fully endorse the recommendations devised for the Digiwise project.