Online Safety for Designated Safeguarding Leads

Course Duration: 190 minutes (approx.)

Designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) should take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, including online safety. They should undergo training to provide them with the knowledge and skills required to carry out the role, including the ability to understand the unique risks associated with online safety, and be confident that they have the relevant knowledge and up to date capability required to keep children safe whilst they are online at school or college.

Our annual online safety training for DSLs and deputy DSLs provides you with the core content you need to understand your statutory safeguarding requirements with respect to keeping children safe online.

Split into bite-sized modules, the training has been designed to provide maximum learning potential in the leanest, most cost-effective and most time-efficient manner. It has been produced in high-quality remote video CPD format which is accessible on any device, any time, anywhere.

Developed by Lorna Ponambalum, safeguarding expert and senior leadership education professional, the course is split into ten modules. The course consists of learning through video modules, completion of tasks, further reading and viewing external resources. Please consider this when planning and allocating your time. To successfully understand and achieve the objectives of the course, learners are expected to engage in all aspects of the learning process and complete all relevant activities to ensure they can successfully apply the knowledge and skills they have gained in their own setting.

Designed in line with the following policies

Keeping children safe in education
Relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education
Teaching online safety in schools
Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people
Harmful online challenges and online hoaxes

Learning Outcomes

Understanding the roles and responsibilities of a designated safeguarding lead in relation to online safety and key safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance.
Recognising the need for developing robust and rigorous online safety policies to help mitigate risk and ensuring engagement and compliance.
Identifying and responding to different types of harm and abuse, reporting safeguarding concerns, supporting children and engaging parents and carers.
Implementing a whole school approach towards online safety and developing a culture of safeguarding children online.
Recognising your responsibilities around safeguarding remote learners, adapting policy and promoting effective staff use of digital technologies.

Modules

Module 1: What is the need for online safety?

Module 1 discusses why online safety is so important and explores how children’s use of technology and the internet makes them vulnerable to a range of online risks.

Module 2: Statutory guidance and legislation

Module 2 explores the statutory guidance that DSLs must be aware of around online safety in schools. It examines key policy documents, including Keeping children safe in education, as well discussing RSHE curriculum requirements and Ofsted expectations around online safety.

Module 3: Developing an online safety policy

In module 3, you will learn about developing and implementing policies which support your school’s online safety provision. You will consider the need to ensure policies are inclusive, transparent, relevant and reflective of the current environment.

Module 4: Understanding online risks – unsafe communications

Module 4 looks at the dangers around who children might engage with online (and how they might do it), along with the different ways they may encounter harm. It also provides advice and guidance on how schools can take appropriate action.

Module 5: Understanding online risks – managing online information

In module 5, you will cover types of online content that children may have control over or access to. You will also learn to identify the activities which can place their own online information in danger.

Module 6: Understanding online risks – effects on health, wellbeing and lifestyle

In module 6, you’ll learn about how technology and social media can negatively impact on children’s mental health, wellbeing and lifestyle and how to support children who may be experiencing harmful behaviour.

Module 7: Building a culture of online safety

Module 7 discusses your role in developing a whole-school approach to online safety. It explores reporting mechanisms, referrals, compliance promoting good practice, teaching online safety and providing the necessary support to children.

Module 8: Safeguarding remote learners

In module 8, you’ll cover what your responsibilities are in relation to safeguarding remote learners in line with DfE requirements. You’ll consider how to ensure children remain safe online through blended learning and in respect of adapted teaching and learning due to COVID-19.

Module 9: Staff use of digital technologies

Module 9 explores your role in ensuring effective staff use of digital technologies, particularly in support of enhanced teaching and learning and in complying with relevant safeguarding requirements.

Module 10: Your role as a DSL and deputy DSL in relation to online safety

The final module breaks down the role and responsibilities of the DSL or deputy DSL with respect to online safety. You will explore your role in relation to policy and procedures, infrastructure and technology, education and training and standards and inspection.

Course Units

Introduction

Developed by Lorna Ponambalum, safeguarding expert and senior leadership education professional, the course is split into ten modules and encourages audience interaction to support and embed learning. There is a knowledge assessment at the end to hel...

Module 1: What is the need for online safety?

Module 1 discusses why online safety is so important and explores how children’s use of technology and the internet makes them vulnerable to a range of online risks.