2. Equipping Social Workers and Health
Professionals with Online Safety
Vicki Green
Principal Social Worker
South Gloucestershire

3. The professional task
Professionals working with vulnerable young
people and their families, if they are to
accurately assess need and develop plans and
strategies to improve outcomes and minimise
risk, must be able to understand the context
in which the children and young people are in
living in.

4. Assessment
CHILD
Safeguarding
and
Promoting
welfare
Family and
Environmental factors

5. The problem

6. To bridge this gap professionals need:
• Knowledge to increase understanding of the
different types behaviours online that may
cause harm to children and young people
• Knowledge to enable them to recognise
warning signs and identify symptoms
• The language and skills to talk to young
people about their online world, behaviours
the nature of their relationships

7. The solution
• Training to build professional confidence
• Practitioners toolkit containing
– Evidence based research and information on impact
– Signs and indicators to consider
– Questions to be asking to identify
• whether the online activity of children and young people is putting
them at risk
• whether the online activity of parents/carers has an impact on
their parenting capacity
• whether parents/carers are equipped to safeguard their children
online

8. The results of the pilot launch