Online Safety and Acceptable Use Policy

Section 1Purpose and scope

Being The Cure provides internet-connected devices and connectivity at its activities, operates online systems holding children’s data, and communicates with families digitally. This policy sets out the charity's online safety arrangements for staff, volunteers and children. It includes the acceptable use rules that apply to everyone.

It applies to staff, volunteers, trustees, contractors and children, on BTC devices and on personal devices used for BTC purposes, at BTC activities and when working remotely.

Section 2The four areas of online risk

• Content: being exposed to illegal, harmful or inappropriate material, including pornography, material promoting self-harm, and extremist content.
• Contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other people, including adults posing as children and those seeking to groom or exploit.
• Conduct: personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of harm, including sending nudes and semi-nudes and online bullying.
• Commerce: risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing and financial scams.

Section 3Artificial intelligence and manipulated images

Images and video that have been digitally altered, or generated using artificial intelligence, including deepfakes, are treated in exactly the same way as photographs. An AI-generated nude or semi-nude image of a child is child sexual abuse material and creating or sharing it is a criminal offence. Any incident is reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately and handled under the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy; nobody views, copies, forwards, prints, stores or deletes the imagery, and nobody asks a child to.

Where AI tools are used in BTC’s work, no personal data about a child, family, volunteer or member of staff is entered into a public or consumer AI service. Content produced with AI assistance that will be published or sent to families is reviewed by a person before it goes out.

Section 4Filtering, monitoring and devices

• Where BTC provides internet connectivity to children, filtering appropriate to their age is in place.
• Children use BTC devices under supervision and for the purpose of the activity only.
• Staff and volunteers do not use personal devices to photograph or film children, to contact children or families, or to store BTC data.
• BTC accounts are protected by strong, unique passwords and, where the system supports it, multi-factor authentication. Accounts are not shared. Access is removed on the day a person leaves.

Section 5Acceptable use — staff, volunteers and trustees

• Use BTC systems for BTC purposes, lawfully, and in a way that would not embarrass the charity if it became public.
• Never attempt to access, create, store or share material that is illegal, pornographic, extremist, discriminatory or harassing.
• Communicate with children and families only through BTC channels; never befriend or follow a child on a personal account.
• Report any accidental access to inappropriate material, any suspected breach, and any lost or stolen device, to the CEO immediately.
• Do not install software on BTC devices, bypass filtering, or share credentials.

Section 6Acceptable use — children

• Use devices only for the activity, and only when an adult says you can.
• Tell an adult straight away if you see something online that worries or upsets you. You will never be in trouble for telling someone.
• Be kind online. Do not say anything to or about another person online that you would not say to their face.
• Do not share your own or anyone else’s personal information, photographs or passwords.

Section 7Breaches

A breach by a member of staff or volunteer is dealt with under the Disciplinary and Grievance Policy or by ending the placement, and where it concerns a child it is dealt with under the Managing Allegations Policy. A breach by a child is dealt with under the Behaviour Policy, proportionately and with regard to any special educational need or disability, unless it is a safeguarding matter, in which case the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy applies.