Equipping Social Workers and Health Professionals with Online Safety

Vicki Green

Principal Social Worker

South Gloucestershire

The professional task

Professionals working with vulnerable young people and their families, if they are to accurately assess need and develop plans and strategies to improve outcomes and minimise risk, must be able to understand the context in which the children and young people are in living in.

Family and

Environmental factors

CHILD Safeguarding

and

Promoting

welfare

Assessment

The problem

To bridge this gap professionals need:

• Knowledge to increase understanding of the different types behaviours online that may cause harm to children and young people

• Knowledge to enable them to recognise warning signs and identify symptoms

• The language and skills to talk to young people about their online world, behaviours the nature of their relationships

The solution

• Training to build professional confidence

• Practitioners toolkit containing

– Evidence based research and information on impact

– Signs and indicators to consider

– Questions to be asking to identify • whether the online activity of children and young people is putting

them at risk

• whether the online activity of parents/carers has an impact on their parenting capacity

• whether parents/carers are equipped to safeguard their children online

The results of the pilot launch