February 2020

1st February 2020

We are supporting Children's Mental Health Awareness Week (3rd - 7th February).  Set up by children’s mental health charity Place2Be, the week shines a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. This year’s theme is Find your Brave. 

Please help us to raise awareness of the importance of supporting children and young people's mental health during the week.

Following on Children's Mental Health Week, a parent of Western Road has kindly shared the resource below which may be helpful when speaking with your children.  It's a top ten tips for parents when addressing their child's mental health and wellbeing.
BBC Own It App - Online Safety Week February 2020
At the ESCC Safeguarding Conference, Catherine McAllister, Head of Editorial Standards and Safeguarding at Children’s BBC presented on the recently launched Own it App. This innovative app is downloaded on to a child’s phone and will actively monitor the content of their social media interactions. This is not an app which allows parents to spy on their children, instead it will prompt children to reconsider the use of harmful language in messages or provide signposting to support if a child indicates they are distressed. It’s a really clever piece of software: have a look at the link for more information https://www.bbc.com/ownit
 

Within the presentation Catherine spoke about the following three concepts:

• Digital Natives

• Digital Footprint

• Independent Digital Citizens

 

Children do not know a world without the internet and smart phones so in that respect they are digital natives. This may give the impression that they know what they’re doing with technology but demonstrably they do not! Digital footprint speaks for itself. The app is aimed at supporting children to become independent digital citizens.

At the moment the app only picks up on harmful language, such as children saying they hate someone or that that wish they were dead etc. In time the BBC want to develop the app to identify the ‘language of resistance’ to identify when children may be being coerced or pressured into things, so that the app can then signpost towards speaking with an adult or seeking support elsewhere.

 

Goldilocks

The text 'Goldilocks' was also launched at the Safeguarding Conference as it highlights the need to consider what is posted online. Please do read the text to find out more.