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SURGE DIGITAL SAFEGUARDING POLICY

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Surge is committed to keeping all workers and participants safe when working online and communicating via digital channels.  This policy provides guidelines for online safety for all Surge employees, the Board, work placements and anyone working on behalf of Surge and should be read along with the Young People & Vulnerable Adults’ Policy and Computer Use Policy.  Participants/ artists should be sent the Digital Guidelines – Code of Conduct before starting the online session.

 

ONLINE ACTIVITY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE:

  • The links to the online sessions will be kept private and only sent to participants taking part in the session.

  • When the session is to be held via zoom there will be a password set up and the waiting room function activated.

  • Members of staff will use high security settings of the selected platform to minimize the risk of third parties gaining access to sessions.

  • The function where participants can private message other participants should be switched off – participants should only be able to private message the hosts (staff delivering the session).

  • Each online session will have a minimum of 2 members of staff present, e.g. a Surge staff member + a member of staff from the partner organisation.  In the case that there is only 1 member of staff present, the session will be recorded.

  • Where digital sessions are being delivered to young people there should be no adult present from outwith Surge or the partner organisation unless there is prior agreement.  

  • Where digital sessions are being delivered to a mixed age group and include young people and/or vulnerable adults, one staff member must have a PVG certificate.

  • When communicating with young people via digital platforms, staff members will use official accounts and ensure that the personal numbers of young people and freelancers are not shared.

  • Staff members should be in a neutral area where nothing personal or inappropriate can be seen or heard in the background.

  • Staff members need to be present before young people are invited to join an online meeting.

  • When the meeting ends the staff member should eject each young person until only the lead staff member remain and then close the call, thus ensuring no-one is left alone with a young person and no young people are left in a shared digital space unsupervised.

  • Surge requires written parental/ carer consent from participants under the age of 18 before taking part in a digital project.  Parents must provide a contact phone number and be made aware that Surge will contact them in an emergency situation or in the case of inappropriate behaviour by the young person.  

  • In situations where one to one mentoring or creative development work takes place between a young person and a staff member, prior permission from parents/carers will be required and the meeting must be recorded.

  • All meetings that are recorded require all participants’ consent, regardless of their age, prior to the recording taking place. Participants under the age of 18 will require parent/carer permission for this recording. Staff members must be specific about the reason for the recording and the way the recording will be used.

  • All parents/carers will be informed of the platforms to be used and the dates and times of sessions and the adults who will be in these platforms. 

  • Any young person who breaks the agreed code of conduct will be removed from the platform by staff members and parents/carers will be informed. 

  • All participants of digital projects will be required to provide an emergency contact to Surge prior to starting the project.

 

SHARING WORK CREATED ONLINE 

When sharing work created online Surge will take the following steps: 

  • Gain parent/carer consent for their child to be photographed and videoed for those under 18 years.

  • Share the final edits with the young people and their parents/carers before sharing publicly when under 18 or deemed at risk/requiring additional support.

  • No use of a child/young person’s surname in photography or video content.

  • Only use images of children/young people in suitable clothing to reduce the risk of inappropriate use. 

  • Only share content through official accounts. 

  • If, for whatever reason, a parent/carer or young person under 18 is unhappy with the use of content, then Surge will not share the content.

 

 

Written – 13.08.20 KV

Updated 23.09.20 KV

Reviewed 24.10.23 KV

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