Online Safety and Social Media Policy

Street Lights Collective CIC works with young people, families, schools and communities where online harm can be closely connected to real world risk. Social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, live streaming, online status, postcode conflict, peer pressure and digital reputation can all affect safeguarding, behaviour, identity, wellbeing and community safety.

This policy exists to ensure that online activity connected to Street Lights is safe, professional, trauma informed, legally compliant and aligned with the organisation’s mission.

• protect children, young people and adults at risk from online harm;

• set clear standards for staff, practitioners, volunteers, directors, advisors and youth ambassadors;

• manage social media safely and professionally;

• reduce the risk of online grooming, exploitation, bullying, harassment, radicalisation and digital abuse;

• ensure online communication with young people is appropriate, transparent and accountable;

• protect personal data, images, videos, testimonials and sensitive information;

• ensure safeguarding concerns arising online are recorded, escalated and managed properly;

• support positive digital citizenship, emotional literacy and safe online engagement.

This policy applies to all online activity connected to Street Lights Collective CIC, whether delivered directly by the organisation or through staff, practitioners, volunteers, youth ambassadors, consultants, partners or commissioned providers.

• official Street Lights social media accounts;

• websites, landing pages, online forms and newsletters;

• WhatsApp groups, SMS, email and direct messaging;

• online mentoring, online youth sessions and virtual meetings;

• school based digital communication connected to Street Lights programmes;

• community campaigns, event promotion and public messaging;

• photography, filming, testimonials, interviews and digital storytelling;

• content created by young people as part of Street Lights activity;

• personal social media accounts where the person is identifiable as representing Street Lights;

• digital activity linked to TIPS, Hood Lessons, the Ambassador Programme, NEET Futures, The Unity Tour, community events and professional training.

Street Lights online practice is built around Presence. Power. Purpose.

Street Lights Collective CIC will take account of relevant law and guidance, including but not limited to:

• • Working Together to Safeguard Children;
• • Keeping Children Safe in Education, where the organisation works with schools, colleges or education settings;
• • Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004;
• • Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR;
• • Online Safety Act 2023;
• • Protection from Harassment Act 1997;
• • Malicious Communications Act 1988;
• • Communications Act 2003;
• • Sexual Offences Act 2003;
• • Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 and Prevent duty where applicable;
• • NSPCC online safety guidance and safer social media guidance;
• • Local safeguarding partnership procedures.

Where Street Lights delivers services inside schools, colleges or local authority settings, the organisation will comply with the safeguarding, filtering, monitoring, online safety and acceptable use requirements of that host setting.

Street Lights recognises that online harm can move quickly into offline harm. This is particularly important where young people are affected by serious youth violence, postcode conflict, peer group pressure, exploitation, trauma, low self worth or social media related reputation issues.

• cyberbullying, humiliation, threats, pile ons and harassment;

• online grooming and sexual exploitation;

• criminal exploitation, county lines recruitment and gang related messaging;

• postcode conflict, digital provocation, drill related threats and retaliation risk;

• sharing of weapons, violence, fights, assaults or harmful challenges;

• sharing nude or semi nude images, image based abuse and sexual coercion;

• misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, religious hatred and other hate based abuse;

• self harm, suicide related content, eating disorder content and harmful algorithmic exposure;

• radicalisation, extremism and conspiracy content;

• online scams, financial exploitation and impersonation;

• doxing, location sharing, stalking and tracking;

• reputational harm caused by inappropriate posting by staff, volunteers or representatives;

• unsafe contact between adults and young people through private channels;

• breaches of confidentiality, safeguarding records or personal data.

Any technology used for Street Lights activity must be used in a way that is safe, lawful, professional and aligned with the organisation’s values.

Street Lights social media must be managed with professionalism, safeguarding awareness and brand integrity. The purpose of social media is to promote Presence. Power. Purpose. It should build trust, share hope, promote unity, celebrate achievement and provide information about programmes and opportunities.

Direct communication with young people must be transparent, necessary, proportionate and accountable. Street Lights recognises that young people may use social media and messaging apps as everyday communication tools, but adult to child communication must always be safe and professionally bounded.

Online sessions may include mentoring, workshops, training, family education, youth meetings, TIPS, Hood Lessons, Ambassador Programme sessions, NEET Futures sessions and community meetings. Online delivery must be risk assessed and delivered safely.

• Sessions must have a clear purpose, agreed platform and named facilitator.

• The facilitator must explain ground rules, confidentiality boundaries and safeguarding limits.

• Where children or young people attend, consent and referral arrangements must be clear.

• One to one online sessions with young people should only take place where approved, risk assessed and recorded in line with safeguarding procedures.

• Recording sessions is not permitted unless there is a clear reason, consent has been obtained and storage arrangements are agreed.

• Private chat functions should be disabled or monitored where appropriate.

• Staff must use appropriate backgrounds, language and dress, and must ensure they are in a suitable environment.

• Any safeguarding concern arising in an online session must be recorded and reported to the DSL.

Street Lights may use photographs, videos, testimonials and stories to celebrate community impact, evidence outcomes and promote positive narratives. This must be done ethically and safely.

• Consent must be obtained before using identifiable images or videos of children and young people.

• Consent must be informed, specific and recorded.

• Parents and carers should provide consent where required.

• Young people should be asked for their agreement even where parental consent exists.

• Images must not identify vulnerable young people where this could increase risk.

• Images must not reveal unsafe locations, school routes, refuge addresses, safeguarding placements or sensitive personal information.

• Stories must not sensationalise trauma, violence, exploitation or family pain.

• People must be allowed to withdraw consent where reasonably possible, subject to practical limits once content has been shared.

Any concern that a child, young person, adult at risk, staff member, volunteer or community member may be at risk online must be taken seriously. Online harm can create immediate offline danger.

• Devices used for Street Lights work must be protected by passwords, PINs or biometric security.

• Confidential information must not be stored on unsecured personal devices unless approved and protected.

• Safeguarding records must not be stored in personal photo galleries, open chat threads or unsecured notes apps.

• Passwords must not be shared except through approved secure arrangements.

• Lost or stolen devices containing Street Lights information must be reported immediately.

• Data breaches must be reported in line with the Data Protection Policy.

• Staff and volunteers must avoid using public Wi Fi for sensitive communication unless using appropriate security.

People representing Street Lights may have personal social media accounts. However, when they are identifiable as connected to Street Lights, their conduct can affect the organisation and the safety of young people.

• Adults must not use personal accounts to develop private relationships with young people connected to Street Lights programmes.

• Adults must not add, follow or message young people unless there is a clear, agreed and safeguarded reason.

• Personal posts must not bring Street Lights into disrepute.

• Personal posts must not disclose confidential information about participants, families, schools, partners or safeguarding matters.

• Adults must not post discriminatory, threatening, sexual, exploitative or harmful material.

• Any boundary concern must be reported to the DSL or a Director.

Street Lights may collect information through its website, contact forms, referral forms, event forms, newsletter sign ups and programme registration forms. All collection of personal information must be clear, necessary and proportionate.

• Online forms must only collect information needed for the stated purpose.

• Privacy information must be available to users.

• Sensitive safeguarding information must be handled securely and shared only with those who need to know.

• Newsletter sign ups must be consent based and easy to unsubscribe from.

• Children and young people must not be encouraged to submit sensitive information through public or unsecured forms.

• Website content must not mislead users about services, safeguarding, therapy, confidentiality or emergency support.

Street Lights may use digital tools to support administration, content creation, learning resources or programme development. AI and digital tools must not be used in a way that compromises safeguarding, confidentiality, privacy, dignity or professional judgement.

• Do not enter identifiable safeguarding information into public AI tools.

• Do not upload personal data, case notes, referral details, images of young people or sensitive family information into unapproved tools.

• AI generated content must be checked for accuracy, bias, tone and safeguarding risk before use.

• AI images or content must not misrepresent real young people, families or community events.

• AI must not replace professional safeguarding judgement or DSL decision making.

Street Lights community work may involve events, campaigns, live content and public storytelling. These activities must be risk assessed before delivery.

• Live streaming involving young people must be approved in advance and consented where required.

• Event locations must be considered carefully where postcode conflict or retaliation risk exists.

• Public posts must avoid exposing young people who may be at risk.

• Staff must have a plan for managing hostile comments, online threats or safeguarding disclosures during live activity.

• Content must be reviewed before publication where possible.

• Community campaigns must promote unity and must not increase fear or conflict.

Street Lights recognises the important role of parents and carers in keeping young people safe online. Where appropriate, the organisation will support families to understand digital risk, social media pressure, online conflict, grooming, digital reputation and emotional wellbeing.

• Parents and carers should be informed about online elements of programmes where relevant.

• Consent must be obtained where required for online sessions, media use and communication.

• Parents and carers should be signposted to support where online harm is affecting a young person.

• Where informing a parent or carer may increase risk to a young person, the DSL will follow safeguarding procedures and seek appropriate advice.

Street Lights will promote online safety awareness through induction, safeguarding training, supervision, programme planning and policy briefings.

• All staff, practitioners and volunteers should understand this policy before working with young people online.

• Those managing social media must understand safeguarding, consent, confidentiality and escalation procedures.

• Youth ambassadors should receive age appropriate guidance about safe representation, digital reputation and online boundaries.

• Training should be reviewed where new platforms, new programmes or new risks emerge.

Online safety concerns must be recorded clearly, factually and promptly. Records should include what happened, who was involved, platform used, date, time, evidence available, immediate action taken, who was informed and what follow up is required.

All safeguarding concerns must be reported to Phillip Chackochen, the DSL, in line with the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. Non safeguarding incidents must be managed in line with the Incident Reporting Policy, Complaints and Whistleblowing Policy or Data Protection Policy as appropriate.

Breaches of this policy may result in action under the relevant procedure, including supervision, retraining, removal of account access, suspension from duties, ending a volunteer or contractor role, disciplinary action, referral to statutory services, referral to police or referral to the Local Authority Designated Officer where appropriate.

This policy will be reviewed at least annually by the Board of Directors, with input from the DSL and relevant delivery leads. It will also be reviewed after serious online safety incidents, significant safeguarding concerns, changes in law or guidance, new digital platforms, new programme activity or significant organisational growth.

All staff, practitioners, volunteers, youth ambassadors, partners and representatives may be asked to confirm that they have read, understood and agree to follow this policy.

Approved by the Board of Directors of Street Lights Collective CIC.

Street Lights Collective CIC Presence. Power. Purpose.