Useful Links for Parents
The digital world can be somewhat daunting so to help with any concerns you may have regarding staying safe online please refer to the Digital Parenting Magazine.
This can provide some very useful advice and guidance on cyberbullying and online peer pressure.
Support can also be found on setting family technology rules and online parental control. Parents can download the PDF file following the link below.
Please click to see: -Digital Parenting Magazine
Issue 6
DFE
Preventing & Tackling Bullying
NSPCC
Net-aware
Instructions on how to access student email accounts using Google Chrome
Your guide to the social networks. Stay up to date and keep your child safe in today's digital world. The purpose of the guide is to provide parents with the information they need to be able to keep their children safe online, to encourage parents to look for themselves and form their own views about the appropriateness of popular sites, and to give parents the confidence to facilitate balanced and informed conversations about what their children are doing online. It is based on other parents' experiences and the views of young people.
HeadStart Kent
Please click here to be re-directed to an extremely useful link for parents and guardians, you can find more/further support for your children with information on how to cope better with the pressures of everyday life.
The CEOP Command works to protect children from the harm of sexual abuse and exploitation both online and offline.
The Click CEOP button (pictured above) has been developed to offer children, young people, parents/carers and professionals working with these groups with a simple and convenient mechanism for gaining access to trusted online safety advice, help and support. It also provides access to an online mechanism for reporting known or suspected child sexual exploitation or child sexual abuse directly to CEOP.
This is offered as a convenient and potentially less intimidating method of reporting these sensitive types of crime, alternative to face-to-face and telephone reporting to local police forces.
How can you prevent Sexting?Sexting means sending sexually explicit messages and/or suggestive images, such as nudes.
While the name suggests that this is only done via text messages, these types of messages can be sent via any messaging service, including emails and social media.
This also means that sexts can be sent or received via a number of electronic devices, such as smartphones, computers and tablets. For more information on how to prevent this click here.
Thinkuknow
Thinkyouknow.co.uk have recently provided advice to parents and guardians about young people taking and sharing naked pictures of themselves. They provide answers to the most frequently asked questions to ensure that we are keeping our young people safe. For more information on this, click here.
Find out what’s good, what’s not and what you can do about it. If you look after young people there’s an area for you too – with resources you can use in the classroom or at home. Most importantly, there’s also a place which anyone can use to report if they feel uncomfortable or worried about someone they are chatting to online.
Childnet
A non-profit organisation working with others to help make the internet a great and safe place for children.
Childnet’s mission is to work in partnership with others around the world to help make the internet a great and safe place for children.
We work directly with children and young people from the ages of 3 to 18 on a weekly basis, as well as parents, carers, teachers and professionals, finding out about their real experiences online, and the positive things they are doing as well as sharing safety advice.
Please click here to view Childnet's Parent's Guide which gives advice on how to begin discussions about staying safe online.
Childline
ChildLine is a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of 19.
You can contact a ChildLine counsellor about anything -no problem is too big or too small. Call free on 0800 1111, have a 1-2-1 chat online or send an email.
Internet Watch Foundation
The IWF was established in 1996 by the internet industry to provide the UK internet Hotline for the public and IT professionals to report criminal online content in a secure and confidential way.
The Hotline service can be used anonymously to report content within our remit.
We work in partnership with the online industry, law enforcement, government, and international partners to minimise the availability of this content, specifically:
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child sexual abuse images hosted anywhere in the world*
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criminally obscene adult content hosted in the UK
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non-photographic child sexual abuse images hosted in the UK
Internet Matters is an independent, not-for-profit organisation to help parents keep their children safe online.
The possibilities of this new connected world are exciting and infinite. The internet is the most important innovation of our time, if not all time. It makes it simple to connect, communicate, learn and share.
At Internet Matters we believe in maximising children’s potential online, while staying safe.
Get Safe OnlineGet Safe Online is the UK’s leading source of unbiased, factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety.
Our website is a unique resource providing practical advice on how to protect yourself, your computers and mobiles device and your business against fraud, identity theft, viruses and many other problems encountered online. It contains guidance on many other related subjects too – including performing backups and how to avoid theft or loss of your computer, smartphone or tablet. Every conceivable topic is included on the site – including safe online shopping, gaming and dating … so now you really can stay safe with everything you do online.
Understanding Young Minds
Self-harm is an extremely sensitive topic and research conducted by the Safeguarding Children e academy shows that
60% of parents feel uncomfortable discussing
self-harm with their children.
If you feel that you would like support the link below provides access to a free online course that helps us to understand what self-harm is and what may contribute to young people becoming vulnerable to it.
www.safeguardingchildrenea.co.uk/self-harm-free-online-course
School Health Service Referral
Parents are now able to refer themselves to this Kent based service.
The teams work hard to improve the general health and wellbeing of children, young people and their families to support children to get the best start in life.
The teams are led by school nurses who are qualified nurses, with specialist training in public health. They are supported by school staff nurses, assistant practitioners, public health assistants and an administration team. More information on the service can be found here.
Please use the link below to make a referral.
www.kentcht.nhs.uk/forms/school-health-service-referral-form
Talk 2 Us
Run by the West Kent YMCA they offer counseling for ages 8-30+ and cover a wide range of subjects such as anxiety, bereavement, fears, grief, anger management, exams, bullying and depression. For more information click here.
Government Advice for Parents and Carers on Gangs
Click here for useful information for parents and carers on Gangs.
Trans, Gender Diverse and Non-Binary Support Agencies
Click here for links and contact information for parents and carers on trans, gender diverse and non-binary support agencies.
TikTok - E Safety
Click here to view an E Safety update for parents which provides guidance on parental app control.
Community Alcohol Partnerships
Click here to read some safety messages for young people during lockdown from Community Alcohol Partnerships.
Young Minds
Please click here for advice on how to support our young people during exam times.
Emotional and Well-Being Information
Please click here to learn more on practical resources for parents and carers.
Children's Therapies
Please click here to find out further information on a new website that has been launched by Kent Community Health with regards to children's physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
Advice on Transition from Year 6 into Year 7
Starting secondary school can be both exciting and a little bit scary for you and your child. As parents and carers, preparing for this change and making sure that your child feels able to take the step from Primary school can feel difficult.
However, there are many ways in which we can help our children - and ourselves - feel ready. Please click here for further information and advice.
Safer Internet Day
Co-ordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre the celebration sees hundreds of organisations get involved and join a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community. It calls upon young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies policymakers, and wider to join together and help to create a better internet.
Click here for information and online resources. Click here for conversation starter ideas.
Please click here for advice on how to keep young people safe online. If you feel the need to report online issues such as cyberbullying please click here.
Positive Online - NSPCC
Please click here to visit the NSPCC's website promoting positive online, there are lots of useful tips, articles and activities supporting your child's online well-being.