Principles for providers of children’s residential care

Supporting young people’s online experiences

This guide contains nine principles to help social workers and other social work professionals support foster carers and children in residential care.

Following from our Principles for social work in children’s social care, this guidance focuses on how children can safely benefit from the digital space.

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Summary of principles

These principles focus on what service managers who provide children's residential care can do within professional practice, through supporting children and via supporting staff.

Within professional practice

These 3 principles relate to professional practice within residential care. They focus on:

Online safety policies
Training and updates
Online risks and benefits.

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Online safety policies

The first principle focuses on the online safety policies within professional practice. Policies should be achievable and consistent with regular updates. All staff should understand and enforce these policies, which are integrated within Safe Care plans.

Training and updates

The second principle highlights the importance of training staff. This will help them understand the digital risks, benefits and available support for young people. All staff need to access this training, including trauma-informed practice and therapeutic.

Online risks and benefits

The third principle focuses on the importance of incorporating online risks, benefits and support into working practice. Additionally, this should be considered a part of safeguarding.

Supporting young people in residential care

The next 3 principles focus on care-experienced children and how to incorporate their needs. They focus on:

Giving children a voice
Encouraging positive online engagement
Offering consistent support.

Giving children a voice

The fourth principle highlights the importance of not only giving children a voice but also listening to what they say. Online access is vital to many children and young people. As such, they should be able to share their perspectives and make their own choices where possible.

Encouraging positive online engagement

The fifth principle encourages support of young people to use the internet to support healthy relationships, develop digital resilience and engage safely with the digital space.

Offering consistent support

The sixth principle highlights the importance of consistent support between all those who support children. This helps avoid confusion as they’ll receive the same support and advice about their online world regardless of who they go to.

Supporting residential care staff

The final 3 principles focus on the support residential care staff need to support children. These principles focus on:

Awareness of online safety policies
Access to information and training
Understanding parental controls.

Awareness of online safety policies

The seventh principle focuses on the importance of understanding among residential care staff. They should understand their team’s online safety policies, procedures and routes for escalation. Following a Code of Conduct in a digital environment is key.

Access to information and training

The eight principle ensures residential care workers are supported to understand and access information, training and help. Staff therefore understand and can act on the risks, benefits and support for young people online.

Understanding parental controls

Finally, the ninth principle highlights the importance of residential care staff understanding parental controls. Additionally, they should have the confidence to discuss online risks, benefits and support with children in their care.