How to safeguard everyone in your household

You need to encourage responsible and safe practices with mobile and internet use.

Do you ensure that access to the internet is supervised and appropriate parental blocks put in place? Are children made aware of the risks and dangers in age-appropriate ways?

Material on the internet can be distasteful and harmful to children. Your computer will store the history of any websites visited and some sites may be illegal. Therefore children's use needs to be monitored closely.

Different ways of communicating with friends are important to a child and are now a way of life from an early age. When a child is placed with you, find out their background and whether the internet, photographs and mobile phones contributed towards any abuse, so you can plan their use safely.

You should ask the child's social worker for advice and information. Your knowledge of different media will vary and while it's not important that you know everything about each one, you should do all you can to keep a child or young person safe.

If you're concerned that a child or young person is being bullied over the internet or phone, you should talk to them about it, record what is happening in the log book and speak to their social worker as soon as possible.

Internet use

The internet is a great source of information and can help children with their homework and school projects, as well as make friends in chat rooms.

But the fact that it's virtually impossible to police means you have to take some precautions when children or young people log on. Experts suggest that you:

• Supervise their computer time the way you would keep an eye on what they watch on TV. This applies not only to the internet but also to 18 certificate electronic games, which may also contain images unsuitable for children.
• Put your computer in a communal area, where access to unsuitable sites can be more easily monitored.
• Never allow a child or young person to give out personal information online, including home telephone number, address, last name, school, passwords or bank or credit card details.
• Remind the young person or child that the person in the chat room may be lying to them and telling them false information about themselves.
• Clearly explain to the child or young person that they must never arrange to meet anyone they have met in a chat room.
• Teach and encourage them to come to you if anything makes them uncomfortable, such as a request to meet.
• Limit internet surfing time.
• Find out about parental control software, which allows you to regulate the type of sites they can visit. 
• Try and take part in a child's web browsing, particularly for a new child in placement.
• Explain the web's positive and negative sides and tell them that if they are not sure about a site they should talk to you.

Teaching the child to be cautious is important and can help when they start to use social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter.

When they do, you should ensure the child's profile and postings contain nothing that might expose their identity or whereabouts. You should go through the site's terms and conditions, explaining them to the child - it's important you both understand them.

You should try to equip the child with the skills to decide who to trust, even when they have not met the person face-to-face and talk to the child or young person about what makes a real friend.

Photographs

If it's OK to take pictures or videos always ask the child's permission first and make sure they are clear on who will see them and why.

You should try and take photographs regularly of the child or young person to help record their life; it may also help when putting together their Life Story book. You should be clear on who can give consent for the child to have their picture taken or be filmed for school, etc.

Mobile phones

Mobile phones offer text messaging, a camera to take, send and receive pictures or video clips and access to the internet.

With a camera phone a child or young person can send pictures of themselves, friends and where they live, which can have security implications for some looked-after children.

Mobile phone network providers operate a barring and filtering mechanism to prevent those under 18 years accessing 18-rated content. The service can be provided for both contract and pay-as-you-go phones. You are advised to explore this with the network provider used by the child or young person, or see what other services they offer.

Standards and regulations

Fostering Services National Minimum Standards (England) 2011

• Standard 4 - Safeguarding children (opens new window)

Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care

• Standard 4 - Know how to communicate effectively (opens new window)
• Standard 6 - Keep children and young people safe from harm (opens new window)

Also refer to the Social Media Policy (PDF) [53KB].