OVERVIEW
This course provides a thorough awareness of the risks and issues children face online, so that you can understand how to protect them and respond confidently when something goes wrong. The internet offers huge benefits for learning, creativity and connection, but it also exposes children to risks that responsible adults need to recognise, reduce and manage. Online safety is no longer a separate, technical concern handled only by IT staff — it is a mainstream part of safeguarding that everyone working with children shares responsibility for. The course covers how and why children go online, the key issues they may encounter, the law and statutory guidance that shape our duties in England, how to support parents and carers, how to support children within your organisation, and the specific control measures that reduce online risks.
It examines grooming and online child sexual exploitation, cyberbullying, the sharing of self-generated indecent images (often called ‘sexting’ or ‘youth-produced sexual imagery’), privacy and data, parental controls, and the reporting routes available — including the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), CEOP, Childline and the Report Remove service. Throughout, the course promotes a balanced, safeguarding-led approach: one that keeps children safe while supporting their positive use of technology. The aim is never to frighten adults into banning technology, but to build the knowledge and confidence to recognise risk, hold open conversations, and act decisively when a child needs help. The course concludes with a 15-question multiple-choice assessment carrying an 80% pass mark.
