In time for the start of the new school year in September, the Securus extensive library of words and phrases has been reviewed and updated, with particular attention to Hate Speech in line with the latest Appropriate Monitoring Guidelines. We have therefore provided an updated version of our Monitoring Provider Response 2024, which can be found on the UK Safer Internet Centre website.
Appropriate Monitoring for Education settings
Substantive changes 2024
| Page | Section | Change | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | Inclusion – references to 2023 DfE Keeping Children Safe in Education | |
| 2 | Illegal Online Content | Inclusion – 'anyone at the school (including any system administrator' | For clarity to ensure that no one in a school can disable monitoring for illegal content |
| 3 | Inappropriate Online Content | Inclusion – Hate Speech | Addition of Hate Speech category |
| 6 | Filtering on Mobile phones | Inclusion – links to DfE standards and guidance | Further clarity and support for schools and colleges in England |
Schools and education establishments can be assured that students will be monitored for any activity relating to this concern, including all other topics in adherence within the KCSiE guidance 2024 and the implementation of a robust monitoring solution across ALL devices on the school network.
This includes iPads, Chromebooks, Laptops and workstations across ALL Applications, Browsers, Office 365, Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace.
Monitoring Content
Recognising that no monitoring can guarantee to be 100% effective, schools should be satisfied that their monitoring strategy or system (including keywords if using technical monitoring services) at least covers the following content:
| Content | Explanatory notes – Content or Communications that: |
|---|---|
| Illegal | Content that is illegal, for example child abuse images and unlawful terrorist content. It is important that safeguards for illegal content cannot be disabled by anyone at the school (including any system administrator) |
| Bullying | Involve the repeated use of force, threat or coercion to abuse, intimidate or aggressively dominate others |
| Child Sexual Exploitation | Is encouraging the child into a coercive/manipulative sexual relationship. This may include encouragement to meet |
| Discrimination | Promotes the unjust or prejudicial treatment of people on the grounds of race, religion, age, sex, disability or gender identity |
| Drugs / Substance abuse | Displays or promotes the illegal use of drugs or substances |
| Extremism | Promotes terrorism and terrorist ideologies, violence or intolerance |
| Gambling | Enables gambling |
| Hate Speech | Content that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation |
| Pornography | Displays sexual acts or explicit images |
| Self Harm | Promotes or displays deliberate self harm |
| Suicide | Suggest the user is considering suicide |
| Violence | Displays or promotes the use of physical force intended to hurt or kill |
If time constraints and resources are an issue, we offer the Securus Full Monitoring Service (FMS) where our team of safeguarding experts will monitor activity on behalf of the school. Call us on 0330 124 1750 or contact us for more information.