Digital safeguarding simply means taking steps to stay safe online.
When it comes to safeguarding, prevention is always better than a cure. It’s always better to prevent abuse from happening in the first place than it is to respond to an incident of abuse.
Digital safeguarding is no different. We should know how to use the internet safely and sensibly, and we should all be aware of the risks we face online.
Digital Safeguarding Resources
Over the years, we’ve created and collected a number of digital safeguarding resources:
- Digital Safeguarding Resources Pack. An overview of digital safeguarding principles, plus lots of actionable tips for different scenarios.
- Protecting Adults From Scams. Practical advice from a Community Care Inform guide on supporting people who are at risk of scams.
- What is Cyber Bullying? When people use digital services to abuse or harass others, we call it cyber bullying. This post will help you spot the signs of cyber bullying, while also offering tips on how to protect yourself from online bullies.
- How to Stay Safe Online. A collection of general tips, including advice on online conduct and behaviour, and essential cyber security tips (such as setting a good password!)
- Safeguarding and Online Youth Work. This helpful guide includes information on using technology to deliver youth work provision and responding to safeguarding risks when working with young people online.
- Guidance for Adults and Young People with Learning Disabilities. A selection of easy-read guides to staying safe online, with helpful images and clear and simple language.
- Supporting People Who Have Been Abused Online. It’s vital that we take steps to prevent abuse from happening in the first place. But it’s just as important that we know how to respond to instances of abuse. This is a collection of resources to help parents, guardians, and others in positions of care support young people who have been abused online.
- Creating Safer Online Spaces. A guide to setting and maintaining safeguarding standards when delivering certain services online, such as teaching or exercise classes.
- Guidance for Sport and Activity Organisations when Delivering Activities Online. Clubs providing online activities need to be aware of the welfare and wellbeing of their participants when conducting activities online. Please note – this post was written in response to the first enforced government lockdown in 2020. But we feel the advice and guidance is still relevant.
- Beware of Online Scams. Though this resource refers explicitly to the scams that appeared in the early days of lockdown, it’s still a good introduction to the sort of techniques online criminals use to exploit others. This will give you an idea of the sort of red flags you should look out for to determine whether something is authentic, or a scam. You can also explore Age UK’s guidance about how to protect yourself from online scams.
- Photography Guidance. Is it illegal to take a picture of a child or young person under 18? Not necessarily. But there are still precautions you should take when taking and sharing photos of yourself and others.
Safeguarding Adults Online Courses
Learn more about safeguarding adults at risk and learn how to recognise the signs of abuse with our introductory safeguarding adults courses.