Providing support and consultancy on

Online Safety 

Training and signposting for Schools, Businesses and

​Professionals. 

(Multi Agencies)

Online screen time and changing perspectives.
 A recent Norton Life Lock study in the USA over a healthy number of participants states that 'Parents Express Concerns About Cyber Safety Risks As Children Spent 52% More Time A Day In Front Of Screens On School Days' It would be reasonable to assume the screen time of UK children has increased fairly dramatically during lockdown. Parents have been challenged over this period and the study underscored that nearly 7 out of 10 parents (69%) said that their child’s screen time has heightened during the pandemic, with around 3 in 5 feeling they have no choice but to allow it (60%) and that they accept certain risks to their child’s online safety to keep them entertained and occupied (57%). 
On another track Catch 22 carried out a recent survey on Online harms in the UK which revealed  38% of frontline practitioners do not feel sufficiently trained to deal with online behaviour

• Only 27% of young respondents feel safe online all the time
• 83% of service managers and commissioners have seen serious harm occur offline because of behaviour content online

The front line practitioners figure around insufficient training will come as no surprise to www.aacoss.org  and other professionals working in the field of online safeguarding. Sometimes online safeguarding can be the poor relative to whichever safeguarding issue dominates the minds of mainstream media and politicians such as FGM, County Lines, Knife crime etc. Not downplaying the impacts and criminality of these at all but Online issues have been there for a long time and continue to develop yet rarely do we see it prioritised in similar ways although serious offending against children is increasing.  Every year the National Crime Agency in the UK seems to report an increase in serious online offences against children https://bit.ly/2GnVI4v  
Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sept 2020) Annexe C sets out expectations around the online area of safeguarding for schools. The Governor responsibilities around staff training makes for interesting reading...
 Governors and proprietors should ensure that, as part of the requirement for staff to undergo regularly updated safeguarding training (paragraph 84) and the requirement to ensure children are taught about safeguarding, including online safety (paragraph 87), that online safety training for staff is integrated, aligned and considered as part of the overarching safeguarding approach.
 
Is it time? Training your staff is likely to save SLT's and managers in whatever organisation both time and aggravation in having to deal with online incident fallout. Training can also potentially save a child from future or current abuse if the member of staff is able to recognise and competently deal with whatever is happening. Having a workforce that is knowledgeable and able to understand  causes, reporting and remedies has to be of value.  Feel free to call us on 07477917771 if you have any questions.    

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What do Ofsted look for?

Mental health online

On Online safeguarding during an inspection?

What policies do I need?

and where can I find up to date templates?

and how does it affect my students? ​

Online staff indiscretion

Should I be concerned about it?

Independent schools​  - facing broader issues that require tailored, contextual approaches.  

The voice of young people                -

Reflecting conversations with young people back to schools.

“If television's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who won't shut up.” 
― Dorothy Gambrell, Cat and Girl Volume I
“We refuse to turn off our computers, turn off our phone, log off Facebook, and just sit in silence, because in those moments we might actually have to face up to who we really are.” 
― Jefferson Bethke, 
“Can we go back to using Facebook for what it was originally for - looking up exes to see how fat they got?” 
― Bill Maher

Understanding and tackling Internet issues.  

Understanding the complex issues the Internet has brought to modern society can be daunting in both Professional and personal life. The constant legal changes, media stories, Government requirements and Internet 'scares' can add to already heavy workloads for professionals. There however is plenty of support out there to educate and enable students and staff to understand and deal positively with online safeguarding and mental health issues. AE Consultancy Ltd offers a wide breadth of support through training presentations, tools, policy structures and access to a broad range of (often free) resources. Quality assured through experience and www.aacoss.org   

Training/awareness sessions as described below can be tailored to your needs or that of your organisation. They are based on half day/full day costings. Please feel free to contact us for further detail.  

• Staff awareness
• Parents evenings
• Multi agency - scenario based discussions and support
• Fostering and Adoption Agency support
• Conferences
• Students sessions Yrs 4 and upwards. 
• Tailored sessions to your audience