Catalyst Courses runs online courses and workshops for students aged 12 to 18 years.

 

Catalyst Courses is committed to: 

• ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people when using the internet or mobile devices to access our online lessons;

• providing Catalyst Courses staff with clear guidelines and training about online safety;

• ensuring that, as an organisation, we use common sense and operate within the law in terms of how we use the internet and online devices for teaching.

 

This policy applies to all individuals working for or with Catalyst Courses, and to all work and online activities undertaken.

 

We recognise that:

• there are risks associated with teaching online;

• we have a responsibility to ensure that all children, young people and adults involved in our organisation are protected from potential harm online while learning with Catalyst Courses;

• all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse;

• working in partnership with children, young people, their parents and/or carers is essential in promoting young people’s welfare and in helping young people to be responsible in their approach to online safety.

 

We will:

• provide clear and specific directions to Catalyst Courses staff on how to behave online through our guidance for online teaching document;

• support and encourage the young people attending our classes to show respect to each other online as well as offline;

• support and encourage parents and carers to do what they can to keep their children safe online;

• develop clear and robust procedures to enable Catalyst Courses to respond appropriately to any incidents of inappropriate online behaviour, whether by an adult or a child/young person;

• review and update the security of our information systems regularly;

• ensure that passwords are used effectively;

• record all online classes for safeguarding and teacher training purposes;

• ensure personal information about the adults and children who are involved in our organisation is held securely and shared only as appropriate;

• ensure that images of children, young people and families are used only after their written permission has been obtained, and only for the purpose for which consent has been given;

• examine and risk assess any new technologies before they are used within the organisation.

 

If online abuse occurs, the Catalyst Courses will respond by:

• following our clear and robust [safeguarding] procedures for responding to abuse (including online abuse);

• making sure our response takes the needs of the person experiencing abuse, any bystanders and our organisation as a whole into account;

 

Related policies and procedures: this policy statement should be read alongside our Safeguarding Policy.

 

September 2020