Monday 28th March 2011 - Published by Robert Trigg - Communications Executive

Keeping an Eye on Vulnerable Web Users

Children, young people and vulnerable adults could be safer online thanks to a new internet safety workshop launched for care professionals.

Foster carers, social workers, health visitors and children's care home staff are all set to benefit from the workshop, launched by internet safety group Eye PAT.

The workshop has been designed to give care and health professionals an understanding of how they can keep youngsters and adults safe when on the internet and using mobile phones. Social networking, contacting birth families, child sex abuse laws, gaming and “sexting” are amongst the topics explored on the course.

According to Eye PAT, children in care can be more susceptible to online grooming, while young people who have been abused can also use cyber-bullying as a release for anger. As a result, the workshop covers how to recognise when a young person is being cyber-bullied and where to go for help.

Eye PAT Director Penny Steinhauer, designed the course drawing on her own experiences of adopting a child as well as more than 20 years’ experience in internet safety and IT training.

Penny said: “All fostering and care agents need to train foster parents and staff to recognise and deal with internet safety issues for children. Eye PAT has been running successful and informative internet safety sessions for more than two years, with the new workshops being attended by, amongst others, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Children’s Services Department.”

The course is already proving to be a hit.

One workshop attendee said: “I work with vulnerable young people in care and post- care up to the age of 21. To be able to sit down with a young person to help them see the potential risks from using the internet using the suggested visual aids will be very powerful with young people.”

Eye PAT's Internet Safety Guide

Eye PAT's Internet Safety Guide