Programme details

GAMBLING AND GAMING: Staying Ahead of the Game – Educating Young People To Prevent Harm

There are around 55,000 “problem” gamblers aged 11 to 16 in the UK, according to the National Audit Office, with a further 85,000 estimated to be at risk. Kev Clelland will explain the scale of the issue, its impact on young people and some of the ways it is being addressed, including the Young People’s Gambling Harm Prevention Programme. The session will also look at ways to prevent harm in diverse communities and among vulnerable groups including young female gamers and children in care.

Kev Clelland, Director of Strategic Alliance, The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust

DIGITAL LITERACY: Teaching young people digital awareness, safety and responsibility

Studies by the National Literacy Trust reveal that just two per cent of children have the critical thinking skills needed to tell fact from fiction online. This session will talk about the importance of digital citizenship and UK Youth’s role in delivering Be Internet Citizens, a programme created by Google, YouTube and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, which explains fake news and teaches participants how to recognise and react to hateful content online

Ndidi Okezie, Chief Executive, UK Youth

VULNERABLE CHILDREN: Panel Discussion 

This session brings together experts in the field of looked-after children, children with SEND and other particularly vulnerable groups to discuss the risks and opportunities they face online and what policy makers and professionals can put in place to protect them.

Carolyn Bunting, Chief Executive, Internet Matters
Jenny Simpson, Senior Lecturer at The University of Northampton and author of Twenty-first Century Contact: The Use of Mobile Communication Devices and the Internet by Young People in Care
Autumn Roesch-Marsh, Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Care Leaver Relationships, Mental Health and Social Media Project Lead, The University of Edinburgh
Derren Hayes, Editor, Children & Young People Now (Panel Chair)

Research by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner has exposed the gulf between children’s experiences online and the protections and preparation in place for them. Dame Rachel de Souza will talk about tackling internet porn and other harmful online content; what tech companies should be doing to protect children; and ways to ensure that children, young people, parents and carers have high access to quality advice and information on how to manage their online lives and relationships.

Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England

RADICALISATION: Multi-agency Responses to Risk of Radicalisation: Examples from Practice

This session will show key findings from research on how radicalisation is being addressed in children’s social care, commissioned by the Department for Education. The research involved consultation with local authority areas as well as national and regional stakeholders. The speakers will outline the prevalence, ideologies and influencers in radicalisation cases, including online and digital influencers and the role of multi-agency working. They will also give examples of good and promising practice in safeguarding responses to radicalisation.

Hannah Nickson, Principal Consultant, Cordis birght
Suzie Langdon-Shreeve, Principal, Cordis Bright

DIGITAL RESILIENCE: Adopting a resilience and risk mitigation approach to online harms for children and young people

Based on three years of research with young people, HeadStart Kernow has developed an online resilience tool with Bournemouth University to support professionals making safeguarding judgements following online harms disclosures by young people. The session will discuss the importance of youth voice in developing digital resilience approaches; how professionals can use the tool to help them make decisions about whether behaviour represents risk of harm; and how to respond from an evidence-based position.

Professor Andy Phippen, Bournemouth University
Ben Bolton, HeadStart Digital Lead, Cornwall Council
Louisa Street, Trainer, Headstart Digital Resilience Project

YOUTH WORK: Switching the Narrative on Social Media

Being an effective professional involves addressing all parts of a young person’s life, including their digital world. The Social Switch Project, co-delivered by Catch 22 and Redthread, is supporting young people to channel their creative skills towards positive outcomes. Kristina Andrulyte will talk about the project’s strengths-based approach; and how frontline practitioners can use existing knowledge and practice to understand the issues faced online and navigate young people towards more productive and creative online activity.

Kristina Andrulyte, Training and Curriculum Manager, The Social Switch Project

EARLY YEARS: Safeguarding children in the early years

Pre-schoolers are living in an increasingly digital world – according to Ofcom, 82 per cent went online in 2020, while around half of three and four year olds have their own tablet.  Some 45 per cent of parents say the benefits their pre-schoolers gain from being online outweigh the risks. Ken Corish will look at what can be done to mitigate those risks, and the resources available to support parents and early year practitioners.

Ken Corish, Online Safety Director, South West Grid for Learning