Welsh Government guidance

They aim to support the development and review of online safety policies and procedures as an integral part of everyday safeguarding practice. General online safety information and advice is available as well as support with specific issues.

Enhancing digital resilience in education: An action plan to protect children and young people online

The action plan, outlines our commitments for keeping children and young people safe online and provides details of the progress the Welsh Government is making against each strategic action within our plan, including what has been delivered to date.

Online safety: Five key questions for governing bodies to help challenge their schools and colleges to effectively safeguard their learners

This guidance outlines what governors should look for when reviewing the school or college’s online safety policies and procedures and support available.

Cyber security in schools: questions for governing bodies and management committees

This guidance for governing bodies and management committees has been produced to help improve a school's understanding of its cyber security risks.

Online safety toolkit for early years practitioners

This online safety toolkit includes guidance and exemplar policies and templates that can be amended to meet the needs of the provision. See also the How we use technology safely poster, which is intended to be displayed at early years provisions.

Early Years practitioners: using cyber security to protect your settings

This guidance outlines how to protect sensitive information about your setting and the children in your care from accidental damage and online criminals.

Live-streaming safeguarding principles and practice for education practitioners

This guidance outlines key considerations for safe practice when live-streaming if required to support remote learning.

Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: Responding to incidents and safeguarding children and young people

This guidance is aimed at the designated safeguarding person (DSP), headteachers and senior leadership teams and outlines how to respond to an incident of sharing nudes or semi-nudes. 

Challenging victim blaming language and behaviours when dealing with the online experiences of children and young people

This guidance is aimed at professionals in education settings working with children and young people. It aims to help them better understand, recognise and respond to victim blaming language and behaviour within their settings when discussing or responding to the online experiences of children and young people.

Advice for schools on preparing for responding to viral online harmful challenges and hoaxes

This guidance for schools provides advice on understanding and responding carefully to online viral challenges and hoaxes to ensure learners are kept safe online.

Practices and principles for schools' use of social media

This guidance aims to support schools and education settings in Wales to plan their approach to using social media in a safe, professional and positive way as part of school communications.

Keeping learners safe

This statutory safeguarding in education guidance provides information for local authorities and governing bodies on their duties and advice on arrangements that should be in place to safeguard children. Section 7 specifically relates to keeping learners safe and secure online.

Rights, Respect, Equality 

This suite of guidance provides statutory guidance for both governing bodies of maintained schools and local authorities to help address and prevent bullying in education settings in Wales. The suite also includes advisory guidance for children, young people and their parents/carers to help those affected by bullying, outlining rights and responsibilities.

All Wales Practice Guides

These practice guides and support should be used in conjunction with the Wales Safeguarding Procedures.

Safeguarding children from Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE): this includes abuse related to County Lines and other forms of criminal exploitation.

Safeguarding children from child neglect: this includes information about the different forms of child neglect and ways in which these might be hidden.

Safeguarding children from Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE): this includes information about spotting the signs that a child is being sexually abused through exploitation.

Safeguarding children affected by domestic abuse: this includes information about harm to children, the need to support non-abusing parents, child or adolescent on parent violence and abuse and peer relationship abuse.

Safeguarding children from harmful practices related to tradition, culture, religion or superstition: this includes Honour Based Abuse such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Forced Marriage for children (up to 18) and child abuse linked to faith or belief.

Safeguarding children where there are concerns about Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB): this includes information about how to understand what constitutes harmful sexual behaviour in children, including online harmful sexual behaviour.

Safeguarding children who go missing from home or care: this includes information about how to decide if a child should be reported as missing and how to respond.

Safeguarding children from online abuse: this includes information on online grooming, online sexual abuse, online harmful sexual behaviour and online radicalisation.

Safeguarding children who may be trafficked: this includes information about the different reasons why children might be trafficked and specific reporting duties and support related to this form of abuse.

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children: guidance for professionals, which includes advice on placement, healthcare, education, language support and the asylum process.