Doncaster Safety Net campaign shares safeguarding advice with professionals across the city
The next stage of a vital NSPCC-led online safety campaign in Doncaster was launched this week with a live performance of a specially commissioned play.
Professionals working with children and families across the city were invited to a conference at The Cast Theatre to find out more about Doncaster Safety Net – a 12-month multi-agency campaign providing resources and advice to professionals to help keep children safe in their digital world. Guests watched a live performance of The Net: Sam’s Story – a specially-commissioned stage show designed to share online safety tips with primary schools, which is being shared with hundreds of pupils in schools across the city.
The first stage of the campaign saw the NSPCC work with Doncaster Safeguarding Children Partnership to identify how an online safety campaign could best serve families in the town. The agencies then worked with young people in the area to create resources for their peers in schools and coordinated performances of Sam's Story in dozens of schools across Doncaster.
This week's event marked the next stage of the 12-month campaign with more than 100 professionals attending the Cast Theatre and watching a live performance of Sam's Story, which will go on to be performed to more schools across the town in coming weeks.
Professionals are also being invited to take part in workshops covering issues like sharing images, gaming, social media, mental wellbeing and parental controls. All of these workshops promote the fact you do not have to be a tech expert to help keep children safe online.
Gail Sayles, Local Campaign Manager for the NSPCC, said: “By supporting parents, carers and professionals to feel confident talking about online safety with children, Doncaster Safety Net will help young people know that they can always talk to someone about anything that is worrying them.
“It was brilliant to welcome so many professionals at the event this week, and the performance of Sam’s Story was very well-received. It’s an age-appropriate presentation which tells a simple but true to life story about a young girl who discovers the dangers of the online world.”
Speakers from Doncaster Safeguarding Children Partnership, Kooth and the NSPCC also gave presentations to the audience, as well as Rhiannon-Faye McDonald from the Marie Collins Foundation, who told the audience about her own experience of abuse.
Karen Seaman, from Doncaster Safeguarding Children Partnership, said: “Children’s voices are at the heart of everything we do, but the online world can be intimidating for adults, parents and carers who might not feel confident talking about it.
“This campaign aims to help adults realise that they don’t need to be a tech expert to help keep children safe online. By being curious and having open conversations with children by learning from these workshops, online resources and by listening to your child, you can help them stay safer online.”
To find out more about the Doncaster Safety Net campaign go to www.dscp.org.uk/parents-carers or email [email protected]