E-Safety and the use of Technology
Just as we strive to keep ourselves safe in the physical or real world, e-safety is a vital skill that will help us to stay safe in the virtual or digital world. Most of us now use technology through our day, as a leisure activity, and as an integral part of our work. We use it for health, monitoring our vital signs, shopping, connectivity with friends and family, and even to meet to new friends. The possibilities are endless and valuable, and we wouldn’t be without the technological gains. What begins as a focus for photography, ‘face timing’ and Facebook, brings with it phishing, filters and fakery!
Nowadays young children are using technology more and more, whether it is a phone, tablet, laptop, games device or watching programmes, using an Alexa, or taking photos.
Ofcom’s ‘Children and Parents Media Use and Attitudes Report’ 2018 released Jan 2019 found that:
1% of 3–4-year-olds have their own smartphone and 19% have their own tablet.
52% of 3–4-year-olds go online for an average of 9 hours a week.
45% of 3–4-year-olds use YouTube.
Nowadays young children are using technology more and more, whether it is a phone, tablet, laptop, games device or watching programmes, using an Alexa, or taking photos.
Ofcom’s ‘Children and Parents Media Use and Attitudes Report’ 2018 released Jan 2019 found that:
1% of 3–4-year-olds have their own smartphone and 19% have their own tablet.
52% of 3–4-year-olds go online for an average of 9 hours a week.
45% of 3–4-year-olds use YouTube.
As our technological needs and rewards grow, we need as adults and families to keep up with the digital skills, language, and impact, both good and bad, it can have on our lives, our family and our children as they grow. For many children now, technology is their ‘first language’, and it is vital that we empower our children to benefit from all that technology offers, whilst at the same time do all that we can to keep our children safe online, and for them to know how to keep themselves safe. It falls on us to build their resilience and equip them to recognise when things may not be going well, or may be leading into an unsafe space, and to skill them up so that they know what to do and where to go as soon as things are not right.
E-safety is the requirement to ensure that children and young people can use the internet and related communication technology appropriately and safely. For Little Acorns our focus is to ensure that children learn about their world and how to keep themselves safe, by developing a culture of safety and e-safety.
As childminders we have an essential role in helping young children learn the foundations of safe online behaviour, even if children don’t have access to certain forms of technology within our setting, we know that they will use it and access it at home, with their friends or in other public places. Children are naturally curious in understanding the world they live in, and we must help them to do this, including helping them recognise how the value of technology, and how to use it safely. Our positive role modelling of how to use the internet safely will become part of everyday practice.
What are the online safety rules to follow?
Technology continues to evolve, and so do the risks that children and young people face online. Online safety is part of the statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance. This includes keeping children safe from harmful and inappropriate content online, as well as being able to recognise concerns and take appropriate action.
Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) is the statutory guidance with the latest version in force September 2023.
KCSIE groups online safety risks into 4 areas.
Content…. Contact…. Conduct…. Commerce…. (sometimes called contract)
Technology continues to evolve, and so do the risks that children and young people face online. Online safety is part of the statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance. This includes keeping children safe from harmful and inappropriate content online, as well as being able to recognise concerns and take appropriate action.
Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) is the statutory guidance with the latest version in force September 2023.
KCSIE groups online safety risks into 4 areas.
Content…. Contact…. Conduct…. Commerce…. (sometimes called contract)
What online risks might children in the early year’s settings experience?
Content
(This is anything posted online, it may be words, a picture or video. Children may see illegal, inappropriate, or harmful content when online. This includes things like pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalisation, and extremism.)
Content
(This is anything posted online, it may be words, a picture or video. Children may see illegal, inappropriate, or harmful content when online. This includes things like pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalisation, and extremism.)
- Exposure to inappropriate videos, pictures or messages which may upset, worry, or frighten them.
- Imitating harmful or inappropriate behaviour they see online.
- Searching for inappropriate content on purpose or stumbling upon it by accident. This would include using voice activated tools.
- Inadvertently giving apps or website permission to share their location or other personal information.
- Spending real money via in-app or in-game purchases.
Contact
(This is about the risk of harm they may face when interacting with others online. This includes peer to peer pressure or seeing inappropriate commercial advertising. Sometimes adults pose as children with the intention of grooming or exploiting a child or young person for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes.)
(This is about the risk of harm they may face when interacting with others online. This includes peer to peer pressure or seeing inappropriate commercial advertising. Sometimes adults pose as children with the intention of grooming or exploiting a child or young person for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes.)
- Being abused online by people they don’t know, such as when gaming or using video chat.
- Being abused online by people they know, such as friends and family members.
- Sending images or information to people on the devices contact list.
Conduct
(This means the way people behave online. Some online behaviour can increase the likelihood, or even cause harm. For example, online bullying. Conduct also includes things like sharing or receiving nudes and semi-nude images and viewing or sending pornography.)
(This means the way people behave online. Some online behaviour can increase the likelihood, or even cause harm. For example, online bullying. Conduct also includes things like sharing or receiving nudes and semi-nude images and viewing or sending pornography.)
- Exhibiting unhealthy behaviour and boundaries around their use of screens.
- Being unkind to each other online and offline; this could be using mean words or by excluding others from their games.
- Using words or terminology which are not appropriate for their age.
- Engaging in unhealthy relationships.
- As part of natural development, early years children may exhibit curiosity about their own and others’ body parts; if this occurs via technology children may be at risk of taking inappropriate or indecent images and videos of themselves – the Brook traffic light tool is used by practitioners to determine whether sexual behaviour is normal/healthy or harmful behaviour which is cause for concern.
Commerce
(This is about the risk from things like online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing, or financial scams. Children may be exposed to these risk directly.
(This is about the risk from things like online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing, or financial scams. Children may be exposed to these risk directly.
Strategies to minimise risk include:
- Check apps, websites, and search results before using with children.
- Children in the EY should always be supervised when accessing the internet.
- Ensure filters are applied, but still supervise.
- Role model safe behaviour and privacy awareness. Talk to children about safe use, for example asking before taking a picture etc.
- Use home visits to take the opportunity to inform our understanding of how technology is used in the home in context.
- Check privacy settings to make sure personal data is not being shared inadvertently/inappropriately.
What online risks might children experience at home?
Risks could be posed as children mimic online behaviour of adults. This could include oversharing information about their children or other children. It could include information which may identify a child or the setting they attend whilst sharing images is a matter for parents, care should be taken with privacy settings so there is some control over the image and who has access to it.
Three Online safety tips.
Risks could be posed as children mimic online behaviour of adults. This could include oversharing information about their children or other children. It could include information which may identify a child or the setting they attend whilst sharing images is a matter for parents, care should be taken with privacy settings so there is some control over the image and who has access to it.
Three Online safety tips.
- Having an online safety policy -Children move seamlessly between online and offline worlds and policy and practice needs to reflect this, a culture of safety.
- Risk Assess - Assessing any platform used by applying the 4Cs framework (content, contact, conduct, commerce)
- Support parents and carers to have conversations -
At Little Acorns we plan to use a range of technology to develop various skills.
- Cameras – these are digital, the children learn to turn them on and off, to view photos and to zoom in and out, to frame pictures, and to press to capture pictures. It acts to develop physical skills too as they navigate buttons.
- Keyboard – this is electric, and the children can turn it on and off, and can adapt the sounds, tones, dynamics and beat of the music.
- Microscope – this is digital and by incorporating different technologies such as the laptop, the children can see images captured of interest and provocations.
- CD player – the children can turn it on and off, up, and down, and are able to take the discs out, and use a microphone to accompany rhyme singing.
- Sound Effect books – we have many different push button books, some mimic a piano and some offer sound effects to accompany narrative about The Woodlands, At Night, The Zoo, The Jungle, In the Garden for example. We also have Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam and the Farm Chorus style books, stories with accompanying sounds.
- ‘Alexa’- the children ask Alexa for nursery rhymes and animal sounds for example, giving a clear command. They know that Alexa must have the command stop/pause to finish the task.
- ‘Clips’ – on the setting tablet, the children’s experiences are enhanced using carefully chosen clips such as arctic animals, a whale song, a digger moving soil, fire engines, a tractor at a farm, milking the cows, a plane taking off, a rocket launching, a lifeboat launching on a rescue etc.
- Tablet – number counting, tagging, subitising, shape recognition, number to quantity matching, click and drag, touch screen, making selections, going back, menu. Also used for phonics, grapheme recognition, and phoneme discrimination.
- Nature camera – this captures photos of animals visiting the woods and the garden, the children help review clips on the laptop, seeing them repeatedly using instructions on screen.
- Sound and Light devices – encouraging press button sounds and songs, dancing, grapheme, and phoneme recognition.
- Children also experience other technology such as torches, the crossing buttons to help cross the road safely, and the adults modelling the safe use of the firestick making choices, wind up tape measures, the mixer, (the toaster, the microwave and kettle in the kitchen – understanding of on/off alarm/ping/pop, heat up, make a sound, move, light up), friction cars, the building site crane, paint rollers and sprayers, role play washing machine and vacuum cleaner, on/off flip taps, electronic till with calculator.
Working with parents.
We work closely with our parents to promote safe phone, internet, and online choices.
We work closely with our parents to promote safe phone, internet, and online choices.
- Newsletters - explaining how we keep children safe and explaining how the digital parenting magazine can support parents managing technology in the home. We share helpful websites and organisations who will offer support and advice to parents and families.
- Parents Vodaphone digital guides – shared with parents with helpful advice Q&As, and planning forwards. Also includes helpful websites for reporting online abuse and inappropriate use.
- Digital Parenting magazine - information and advice about technology, filters, parental control settings and privacy settings.
At Little Acorns we will:
- Access safeguarding and online safety training and keep this up to date.
- Supervise children thoroughly when working online.
- Check apps, websites, online tools prior to using this includes checking the results of searches.
- Use age-appropriate apps, websites, and online tools.
- Model safe practice when using the internet.
- Ensure date shared online is in accordance with date protection.
- Physical safety of users has been considered in relation to posture.
- Access to devices is secure, password protected.
- Ensure our safeguarding policy includes procedures to follow regarding online safety concerns.
- Ensure that communication with learners is professional.
- Not accept friendship requests from learners.
- Understand and follow procedures for reporting and recording online safety concerns.
- Be aware that if we are targeted online, that this will be reported to CEOP.
- Know how to access the whistleblowing policy and procedure. (LADO)
- Know how to report a problem and when to escalate a concern.
- Be aware of the need to manage our digital reputation including the appropriateness of information and content that is posted online, both professionally and personally.
- Know that under no circumstances should any member of the family, either at work or in any other place, make, deliberately download, possess, or distribute material they know to be illegal, for example child sexual abuse material.
- Are aware that no matter what privacy settings are used, anything posted online can become public and permanent and could be misinterpreted and/or used without knowledge or consent.
- Ensure that children get age appropriate, progressive, and embedded online safety education.
- Use age-appropriate tools and resources.
- Beware of the online safety issues for early years children.
Resources:
We recognise useful websites and organisations that offer good advice and support for parents and share this via newsletters. Including:
We recognise useful websites and organisations that offer good advice and support for parents and share this via newsletters. Including:
- www.childnet.com
- www.thinkuknow.co.uk
- www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre
- www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/digital-5-a-day
- www.digitalawarenessuk.com
- www.internetmatters.org
- Protect Children Online
- Story book – Unplugged Ella gets her Family Back
- Vodaphone digital parenting magazine
Documents:
Date: Oct 2023
Signed: AOKane Date: 27.10.23
Signed: MOkane Date: 27.10.23
- The 4Cs of Online Safety: Online safety risk for children. Updated Sep 2023
- Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety guidance for practitioners. Feb 2019
- Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety considerations for managers. Feb 2019
Date: Oct 2023
Signed: AOKane Date: 27.10.23
Signed: MOkane Date: 27.10.23