Social media and the online world Top 10 questions

This session Answer your top 10 questions Take more questions Expect you to join in!

1. How can I deal with parents offensive comments on Facebook?

Parent’s comments on Facebook Ignore it Work with parents individually and collectively, if they are willing Defamation and libel – do you need/want legal advice and what might this achieve? Contact Facebook?

2. Should I check if a young person is on Facebook?

Checking if a young person is on Facebook Why are you checking? What are you hoping to see (or not see)? What are you trying to achieve and is there a better way of doing it?

3. I know an underage child is on Facebook. What should I do?

Underage children and Facebook 13 years old is the entry point Talk to the young person Do you want to mention it to the parents? How well do you educate young people about online risks, regardless of age and specific websites?

4. When do staff posts become a disciplinary matter?

Staff posts and disciplinary steps W hat does your policy say? Do contracts and/or policy contain a general term re standards and expectations Can you work with staff to educate them about social media? Think outside of social media – would it be a disciplinary offence if it happened ‘in reality’?

5. Is it ok to ‘friend’ young people that you have worked with in the past?

Friending young people you have worked with Need a clear policy on it What does yours say? My position: it’s ok – after all, they have left the service/school and you have no control over them and no power to limit the contact staff have with the community

6. Should we allow staff to ‘friend’ extended family of the young people we work with?

Friending extended family of young people Clarity of policy Do you allow nieces/nephews/children? Or does your policy make a blanket rule? What works best for your service in your community?

7. Is it ok to for a member of staff to store a young person’s mobile number in his phone?

Staff mobiles and children’s phone numbers Why would you have them? What are the risks? Pool mobiles, centrally managed, data erased

8. How do we get the balance right with parents taking photos of all children?

Photos of children What does your policy say? Is it sensible, balanced and workable? Allow photos for private retention only and rely on parents to abide by the policy What about protection orders?

Photos of children - protection orders Photographs of children subject to protective orders hard to manage: –Sports days –School productions –Playground What can be controlled – to same extent - is the naming of them

9. I suspect a pupil’s phone has an illegal image on it. What should I do?

Checking a pupil’s electronic devices Power to examine electronic files where you have good reason to do so Allows you to retain or dispose of the device Power to view, retain or erase any data or files where you have good reason to do so What is a good reason?

Checking a pupil’s electronic devices “Good reason” –Staff member must reasonably suspect that data or file has been, or could be, used to cause harm, to disrupt teaching or break school rules Wide power

Checking a pupil’s electronic devices What do you do with the image? Staff can dispose of a pornographic image unless its possession is an offence (extreme or child pornography) Where it is, pass to the police Other images can be deleted

10. Should I keep records or tell parents about data on electronic devices?

Records and informing parents Not required to inform parents of a search No legal requirement to keep a record of searches Recommended that parents advised where alcohol, illegal drugs or harmful substances found – not a legal requirement What would you like to do?

Other questions/tweets?

Dai Durbridge | |