The steps you will need to take to promote safety will vary depending on how you are using social networks. Below is a non-exhaustive list of elements you may want to consider.

• Are all staff and volunteers aware of what they should do if they have concerns about young people’s online safety?
• Is your choice of social networking tools is age-appropriate (e.g. don’t encourage under 13s to use Bebo - as the terms of service don’t allow this).
• Are all moderators of content CRB checked.

…using social networks to extend your work, or share it online (for example):

• Have you negotiated and agreed ground rules with the group for what they can and can’t share online?
• Are group members aware of the support available to them if they come across things which concern or worry them online?
• Are you actively monitoring online discussions about your work or project to be able to identify and respond to any issues that might arise?

• Do you have informed consent from young people for their images, videos or other content to be used online?
• Do you need, and have, consent from parents or guardians for the same?
• Have you talked to young people about how posting content which involves them could reveal information about them online?
• Have you checked that if this content is linked to young people’s profiles that it won’t reveal information they don’t want revealed and that young people know how to use their privacy settings?

• Have you got a clear policy that sets out which staff members can and can’t interact directly with young people online, and who they can and can’t interact with?
• Have you got ways for young people to verify the identity of the profiles they will be interacting with on social network sites (check you are official)?
• Does your identity (profile / page) in the social network clearly state who you are?
• Have you thought about how you connect with young people? Using ‘friend requests’? Groups? Or pages? Does this allow you to see young people’s profile information? If so - is this appropriate and have you got informed consent for this from young people?
• Are you actively monitoring online discussions to be able to address any issues that arise?


• Have you checked out the safety features of the platform?
• Are you inviting young people to join the platform to interact with you? Or only interacting with young people already using the platform? 


• Have you looked for relevant guidance and codes of practice for this form of platform? This might include guidance from the Home Office Taskforce on Child Internet Safety.

• Have you looked at the Safe and Effective Social Network Site Applications paper?