AUTHOR- THOMAS COVE 
ROLE IN ORGANISATION- Admin  
DATE OF APPROVAL-  MAY 2020
DATE FOR REVIEW- JUNE 2021 

INTRODUCTION

Onstage Voice (OSV) recognises the benefits and opportunities which new technologies offer to enhance learning We encourage the use of technology in order to learn new skills and promote achievement. However, the accessible and global nature of the internet and variety of technologies available mean that we are aware of potential risks and challenges associated with such use. Our approach is to implement safeguards and to support staff and participants to identify and manage risks independently. We believe this can be achieved through a combination of security measures, training and guidance and implementation of our associated policies. In furtherance of our duty to safeguard those we work with we will do all that we can to make our participants and staff stay e-safe and to satisfy our wider duty of care. This E-safety policy should be read in conjunction with other relevant policies.  

PURPOSE 

By following this policy and receiving appropriate training, people representing OSV will:   be able to identify potential risks in their working environment and mitigate against these risks •  identify the different risks which young people and adults at risk might be exposed to through use of technology and know the signs which might suggest a participant is in danger •  be able to respond appropriately to allegations and concerns •  understand the roles and responsibilities of other professionals and know what to do if they are concerned about the actions others have taken.
                                                                                                                                                     
Leaders within OSV will: •  monitor the implication of this policy •  arrange and mandate regular training for all staff, which is appropriate to their role and responsibility •  ensure lessons are learnt through their own regular evaluations and feedback from other agencies •  respond to any concerns promptly which implicate OSV staff   

E-SAFETY RISKS 

This policy identifies the risks and details the strategies involved in minimising E- Safety risks. Guidance on dealing with youth produce sexual imagery can be found in Appendix 1 of this policy. Examples of E-Safety Content •  Exposure to age-inappropriate material •  Exposure to inaccurate or misleading information •  Exposure to socially unacceptable material, such as that inciting violence, hate or intolerance •  Exposure to illegal material, such as images of child abuse •  Exposure to extremist or radical views /materials Examples of E-Safety Contact •  Grooming using communication technologies, leading to sexual assault and/or child prostitution •  Grooming using extremist or radical views/materials for the purpose of illegal activity Examples of E-Safety Commerce •  Exposure of minors to inappropriate commercial advertising •  Exposure to online gambling services •  Commercial and financial scams Examples of E-Safety Culture •  Bullying via websites, mobile phones or other forms of communication device •  Downloading of copyrighted materials e.g. music and films  

POLICY SCOPE

The policy applies to all members of staff of OSV who access the internet in an official or unofficial capacity on behalf of the company. The E-Safety Policy applies to all use of the internet and electronic communication devices such as e-mail, mobile phones, games consoles, social networking sites, and any other systems that use the internet for connection and providing of information. 

                                                                                                                                                            
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES 

As a currently entirely online learning provider, OSV is highly aware of it’s duties and obligations regarding online safety, both for it’s staff and it’s students. All staff are responsible for ensuring the safety of students and should report any concerns immediately to their line manager. When informed about an e-safety incident, staff members must take particular care not to guarantee any measure of confidentiality towards either the individual reporting it, or to those involved. All students must know what to do if they have e-safety concerns and who to talk to. In most cases, this will be a Designated Safeguarding Officer. Where any report of an e-safety incident is made, all parties should know what procedure is triggered and how this will be followed up. Where management considers it appropriate, the Designated Safeguarding Officer may be asked to intervene with appropriate additional support from external agencies. 

SECURITY 

OSV will do all that it can to make sure the network is safe and secure. Every effort will be made to keep security software up to date. Digital communications, including email and internet postings, over the network, will be monitored. Although personal electronic equipment, e.g. phones, laptops, ipads etc. will be used during the course due to the online nature of it, such items must not be used to hold or transmit personal data of anyone related to the business without their express consent and date must be delated after a period of 7 days. Any data needed transferring will be held in a secure external server or hard drive. 

BEHAVIOUR 

OSV will ensure that all users of technologies adhere to the standard of behaviour as OSV out in the Staff Handbook or in the case of the participant in the learner agreement. OSV will not tolerate any abuse of IT systems. Whether offline or online, communications by staff should be courteous and respectful at all times. Any reported incident of bullying or harassment or other unacceptable conduct will be treated seriously and in line with the participant and staff disciplinary policies and procedures. Where conduct is found to be unacceptable OSVwill deal with the matter via internal disciplinary procedures as described in the staff handbook. Where conduct is considered illegal OSV will report the matter to the police. 

USE OF IMAGES AND VIDEO 

The use of images, or photographs, is an integral element to some learning programmes and should be encouraged where there is no breach of copyright or other rights of another person. This will include images downloaded from the internet and images belonging to staff or participants. All participants and staff should be aware of the risks in downloading these images as well as posting them online and sharing them with others. There are particular risks where personal images are posted onto social networking sites, for example.