# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Consultation advice line for professionals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The consultation advice line is a quick way to get basic advice and guidance about local services and community support.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
AI CSAM Guides for Professionals | IWF & NCA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Download essential guides for professionals on understanding, identifying and responding to AI-generated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Developed by IWF & NCA.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Contents – Sussex Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures Resource

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sussex Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sussex Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures Resource

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sussex Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Safeguarding Snippet Term 5 2025 - Coercive Control

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Safeguarding Snippet Term 4 2025 - Site Security

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Overview

Schools are required by law to engage with pupils' parents in a number of different ways. They can find themselves caught up in disputes between a number of adults, each claiming to have parental responsibility for a particular child. They are also expected to navigate complex living arrangements, particularly for children who are living in social care, where parental responsibility can be confusing or unclear.

We've produced this guidance to help schools understand their obligations and duties in relation to the rights and responsibilities of parents, as recognised by education law. We use the terms:

must - where a school has a duty

can - where a school has a power (not a duty) under statutory or common law

should - for guidance on good practice

We use the terms 'resident' and 'non-resident' parent to distinguish between parents who do and do not live with a child.

This guidance should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law. We refer throughout to legislation that sets out schools' legal duties. Some primary legislation may have been amended since its publication. If you have any queries about the legislation referred to, you should contact your legal advisers in the first instance.

The welfare of the child must be a school's paramount consideration. If a parent raises a concern and you are unsure how to act, you should seek legal advice to ensure that the parent's rights and responsibilities are not infringed and the school's actions are compliant with education law.

We will review this guidance before September 2026, subject to any legislative changes.

Defining who is a parent

It is important that schools and local authorities are aware that parents may be recognised differently under education law and under family law. Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 states that, in relation to a child or young person, a 'parent' includes any person who is not a parent (from which can be inferred 'biological parent') but who has parental responsibility for or care of the child.

For the purposes of education law, the Department for Education ( DfE) considers a 'parent' to include:

all biological parents, whether they are married or not

any person who, although not a biological parent, has parental responsibility for a child or young person - this could be an adoptive parent, a step-parent, a guardian or other relative

any person who, although they are not a biological parent and do not have parental responsibility, has care of a child or young person

A person typically has care of a child or young person if the child lives with them either full or part time and they look after them, irrespective of what their biological or legal relationship is with the child.

Example A foster carer or a family-and-friends carer who does not have parental responsibility but has been delegated the responsibility for taking day-to-day decisions about the child.

If a person is not the biological parent of a child, does not have parental responsibility for the child, and the child no longer lives with them, it is unlikely they will be recognised as a parent. Any disputes about whether a person is a child's 'parent' within the meaning of section 576 of the Education Act 1996 are for the courts to decide.

DfE may also refer to a 'corporate parent' within statutory and non-statutory guidance. This term is used to describe local authorities and partner organisations that contribute to services provided to looked-after children, namely children who are the subject of a care order. A care order gives the local authority (the 'corporate parent') parental responsibility under section 33(3) of the Children Act 1989.

Understanding parental responsibility

In family law, under section 3 of the Children Act 1989, parental responsibility means all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority that a parent has in relation to the child.

A person with parental responsibility can make decisions about the child's upbringing and is entitled to information about the child. For example, they can give consent to their medical treatment and make decisions about their education. They also have the right to receive information about their health and education.

There are specific examples in general principles for schools and local authorities.

Who has parental responsibility

A child's birth mother (the person who carried the child) has parental responsibility unless it has been removed by an adoption order or a parental order following surrogacy.

If a child's father and mother were married to each other at the time of the child's birth, they each have parental responsibility. If the parents were not married to each other at that time, the child's father can gain parental responsibility:

by registering the child's birth jointly with the mother

by subsequently marrying the child's mother

through a 'parental responsibility agreement' between him and the child's mother that is registered with the court

by obtaining a court order for parental responsibility

If two female parents have a child through fertility treatment, the mother's female partner is treated in the same way as a father. She has parental responsibility if she is married to or in a civil partnership with the mother at the time of the treatment (or if the two women agree in writing that she will be the child's second parent). She can also acquire parental responsibility in the same way that a child's father can.

People who are not the child's biological mother, father or second female parent can also acquire parental responsibility.

Civil partners have parallel rights to married people in terms of parental responsibility. The same provisions for married people apply to them in terms of:

acquiring parental responsibility: adoption, agreement with their civil partner or by an order from the court

holding parental responsibility

A local authority (the 'corporate parent') acquires parental responsibility under section 33(3) of the Children Act 1989 if it is named when a care order is made in respect of a child.

Key effects of a father or second female parent acquiring parental responsibility

When a father or second female parent acquires parental responsibility, they:

become a 'parent' for the purposes of adoption legislation and can therefore withhold consent to an adoption

can object to the child being accommodated in local authority accommodation under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 and remove them from such accommodation (unless the child is over 16 and agrees to be provided with accommodation)

will automatically be a party to care proceedings

can appoint a guardian

can give valid consent for the child's medical treatment (subject to the competency of the child to give their own consent or object to the treatment being proposed)

have the right of access to the child's health records

can withdraw the child from sex education and religious education classes and make representations to their school concerning their education

must give their consent if the child's other parent seeks to remove the child from the jurisdiction

can sign the child's passport application and object to the granting of a passport

has sufficient rights in relation to the child to invoke the international child abduction rules

can consent to the marriage of the child, if the child is aged 16 or 17

Other ways to acquire parental responsibility

Parental responsibility can be acquired in other ways, including by:

adoption, after which only the adoptive parents will hold parental responsibility

prospective adoption, when parental responsibility is shared with other parties such as the local authority while the child is placed with the prospective adopter

obtaining a parental order following surrogacy

being a step-parent, through agreement with the child's mother and their other parent, if that person also has parental responsibility for the child, or as the result of a court order

being granted a child arrangements order determining who the child should live with or that a parent should spend time with the child but the child should not live with them

being appointed as a guardian or special guardian

being named in an emergency protection order - although parental responsibility in such a case is limited to taking reasonable steps to safeguard or promote the child's welfare

being the local authority named in the care order for a child

More than one person, and even several people, can hold and exercise parental responsibility for a child. The parental responsibility of one party does not necessarily stop simply because another person is also given it, although this can happen. Therefore, in some cases, several people may exercise parental responsibility on behalf of a child.

Parental responsibility is not given to a foster parent or a key worker in residential care, but it is essential that schools engage and work with these individuals, who are often the most influential and important people in the child's life. How a school engages with social workers and the birth parents of the child in each case needs to be defined locally, but it is an essential part of supporting the child's school and care environment.

Court orders and parental responsibility

Court orders under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, often called section 8 orders (as amended by section 12 of the Children and Families Act 2014) settle areas of dispute in relation to the exercise of parental responsibility or a child's care or upbringing, and can limit how an individual exercises their parental responsibility.

There are different types of section 8 orders, which can be made to address particular issues.

Prohibited steps order

A prohibited steps order imposes a specific restriction on the exercise of responsibility. This means that no step specified by the court that a parent could take in meeting their parental responsibility can be taken without the consent of the court.

Example One parent wants to take the child abroad for an extended period or prevent the child from attending a form of religious worship against the wishes of the other parent.

Specific issue order

A specific issue order gives directions for the purpose of determining a specific question that has arisen or may arise in connection with any aspect of parental responsibility.

Example An order allowing one parent to agree to a pupil moving school against the wishes of the other parent.

Child arrangements order

A child arrangements order sets out the arrangements for whom the child is to live with and when, and the arrangements for which parent they are to spend time or have contact with. It replaces the former residence and contact orders.

In line with their safeguarding duties, schools should ask parents to provide them with a copy of the most recent court order in place. However, a parent may first need to seek the permission of the court to share orders with a third party, including the school.

Care order

If a care order is in place, the role parents can play in their child's life and schooling may be limited by the local authority.

Schools should note that a court order limiting a parent's exercise of their parental responsibility does not necessarily prevent or restrict a school from carrying out its duties under education law.

Terminating parental responsibility

While such cases are rare, in very limited circumstances, the court can also make an order under section 4(3) of the Children Act 1989 to terminate parental responsibility that has been acquired. The exception to this is where parental responsibility was acquired through the marriage of the father or second female parent to the child's mother.

More information about court orders and pre-proceedings is available.

General principles for schools and local authorities

Anyone who is a parent, as recognised under education law, can participate in their child's education.

This is supported by the duty on the Secretary of State for Education, when exercising or performing all of their respective powers and duties under the Education Acts, to have regard to the general principle that pupils are to be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents.

Under the Education and Inspections Act 2006, governing bodies of maintained schools must also have regard to any views expressed by parents of registered pupils.

Under the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005, all parents can also receive information about the child, even though the school's main contact is likely to be the parent with whom the child lives on school days.

Those who have parental responsibility for or care of a child have the same rights as biological parents to:

receive information, such as school reports

participate in statutory activities, such as voting in an election for parent governors

be asked to give consent, such as to the child taking part in a school trip

be informed about meetings involving the child, such as a governors' meeting on the child's exclusion from school

School and local authority staff must treat all parents equally, unless a court order limits a parent's ability to make educational decisions, participate in school life or receive information about their child. In most circumstances, the question a school must ask itself when making decisions is not just whether a parent holds parental responsibility but whether they are a parent under education law.

All parents also have legal obligations under section 7 of the Education Act 1996 - for example, to ensure that a child of compulsory school age receives a suitable full-time education.

If a parent's action or proposed action contravenes the school's ability to act in the child's best interests, the school should try to resolve the problem with the parent but avoid becoming involved in any conflict. However, there may be occasions when a school needs to decline requests for action from one or more parents.

In cases where schools cannot resolve the conflict between separated parents, they should advise the aggrieved parent to pursue the matter through the family court.

Information sharing

It is important that schools balance the requests of parents with their statutory duties. Having parental responsibility does not allow a parent to obstruct a school from carrying out its duties under the legislation.

Example A biological parent with parental responsibility informs their child's maintained school that they do not wish their child's step-parent, who does not have parental responsibility but does have care of the child, to receive educational information about the child. The school must inform the biological parent that they cannot comply with that request.

Under the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005, maintained schools are required to provide access to or copies of a child's educational record to parents on request. Therefore, if the school were to abide by the request of the biological parent, it would be in breach of its obligations under education law.

Information sharing legislation

Under the principles of the UK General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, a child or young adult can assume control of their personal information and restrict access to it from the age of 13.

However, until they reach the age of 18, their parent is entitled to request access to or a copy of their educational record even if they do not wish them to access it. Nonetheless, a parent is not entitled to information the school could not lawfully disclose to the child under the UK GDPR or to which the child would have no right of access under the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005.

A local authority with parental responsibility for a child is also entitled to inspect or receive a copy of the educational record of a child who is the subject of a care order.

Example A non-resident parent who has limited contact with their child contacts their school to find out how well they did in their exams. The child and the resident parent do not wish to share that information, and notify the school of this. The school refuses to release the information on the basis that the child is old enough to control access. It has therefore breached education law by failing to provide information to which the non-resident parent is entitled.

Note: GCSE results form part of the pupil's educational record and are therefore disclosable to a parent on request. The pupil's consent is not required. However, if a school considers that sharing this information could result in serious physical or mental harm to the pupil or another individual, it may decide not to release the results to the parent. In such a situation, the school and the affected parent may wish to seek independent legal advice.

For more information about UK GDPR, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information sharing and academies

Requirements of academies differ slightly and are derived from part 6 of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

Academies must provide a parent with an annual written report of a registered pupil's progress and attainment in the main subject areas unless the parent has agreed otherwise.

Informing non-resident parents

If a school does not know the whereabouts of a non-resident parent, it should make the resident parent aware that the other parent is entitled to be involved in their child's education and request that information is passed on.

If the resident parent refuses either to share information with the non-resident parent or to provide their contact details, if they have them, so the school can deal with them direct, the school can do nothing more. If the non-resident parent subsequently contacts the school and requests access to information, the school should provide it to that parent direct, after taking reasonable steps to satisfy itself that the individual is, in fact, the child's parent.

A school does not need to seek the consent of a resident parent before recording the contact details of the non-resident parent or sending them their child's educational information. It does not need to ask for a solicitor's letter from a non-resident parent as evidence that they are entitled to access this information. No court order is required before providing statutory information to any parent entitled to receive it.

Obtaining consent

If a school needs parental consent for extra-curricular visits and activities, a headteacher should seek the consent of the resident parent. Exceptions to this are when the decision is likely to have a long-term and significant impact on the child, or the non-resident parent has requested to be asked for consent in all cases.

If a school considers it necessary or has been asked to seek consent from both parents, it may wish to assume parental consent has not been given unless both agree. Such an approach ensures that the school has treated the views of each parent equally and will help safeguard its position in terms of exposure to any civil liability if, for example, the child is injured while on a school trip.

The school should avoid becoming involved in any disagreement between parents, but might want to suggest that, if they cannot agree, they seek independent legal advice about obtaining a prohibited steps order or specific issue order setting out exactly which decisions each parent can make in respect of their child.

Medical treatment: seeking consent following an accident or injury

A school may experience an issue when a child has had an accident and consent is needed for emergency medical treatment. Section 3 of the Children Act 1989 states that a person who does not have parental responsibility but nonetheless has care of a child may:

...do what is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child's welfare.

This allows a school to act 'in loco parentis' - that is, in place of a parent - or to seek consent from a parent who may not hold parental responsibility.

It would clearly be reasonable for a school to take a child who needs to have a wound stitched to hospital, but the parents - including the non-resident parent who has asked to be kept informed of events involving the child - should be informed as soon as possible.

Guidance on health and safety responsibilities is available.

Safeguarding

All schools must have regard to the statutory guidance on keeping children safe in education ( KCSIE), which explains what schools and their staff must and should do to safeguard pupils.

Safeguarding is defined in KCSIE as:

protecting children from maltreatment

preventing the impairment of children's mental and physical health or development

ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care

taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

KCSIE emphasises that everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding. School and college staff are particularly important, as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help for children so as to prevent concerns from escalating. They should consider at all times what is in the best interests of a child.

If a child is in immediate danger or at risk of harm, a referral should be made immediately to children's social care or the police, as appropriate. It will be for a school, on a case-by-case basis, to consider the level of information, if any, that is provided to parents when a referral has been made to children's social care.

All schools should have a designated safeguarding lead - a full job description for the role is provided in Annex C of KCSIE. Working with children's social care, that member of staff should generally lead on decisions about sharing information related to safeguarding concerns with a child's parent.

Information sharing should always be in the best interests of the child. It will be especially important that a school works closely with children's social care to consider next steps if it has reason to believe sharing information with a parent will potentially put a child at greater risk of harm.

Guidance about safeguarding and information sharing can be found in:

Pupils moving schools

In the case of separated parents, case law states that all those with parental responsibility must be consulted before important decisions are made, such as removing a child from their school, when they should leave the school or which new school they should attend.

Schools must still comply with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 when they receive a request to remove a child from the school register. However, there is no statutory obligation on a school to notify one parent if the other decides to remove their child - that responsibility rests solely with the separated parents.

Nonetheless, the child's welfare is paramount, so, if a school is aware that parents are separated and one parent decides to remove their child, staff may wish to ask that parent if the other has been informed and has agreed to this.

A school should avoid becoming involved in parental conflicts. If parents are unable to agree lines of communication between themselves on issues involving their child, they may wish to seek independent legal advice and explore other options. These might include referring the matter to non-court dispute resolution, such as mediation, or to the family court for adjudication.

Schools may consider it appropriate to make an early help referral. Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges at any point in a child's life. Where a child would benefit from co-ordinated early help, an early help inter-agency assessment should be arranged. Working together to safeguard children provides detailed guidance on the early help process.

Schools can also signpost parents to this guidance and other sources of support, such as Citizens Advice and Coram Children's Legal Centre.

Changing a surname

A change of surname is a private family law matter and should be resolved between parents. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for government policies relating to private family law. DfE retains policy responsibility for public family law.

If one parent seeks to change the surname by which their child is known, a school should ensure it does not do so without written evidence that the other parent, or anyone else who has parental responsibility for the child, has given their consent. It should source this evidence independently of the parent seeking to make the change.

Regulation 5(1)(a) of the Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2006 requires a school to record the full name of every pupil in alphabetical order in the admissions register. This means the child's full legal name and not any other name that the child is known by.

However, there may be circumstances where an informal name change has already been adopted in school and it would not be in the child's best interests to revert to a different name. In such circumstances, a school should decide what action to take, but the best interests of the child must be paramount.

Where a child is subject to a special guardianship order, there are particular considerations if a school receives a request to use a different surname. Section 14C(3) of the Children Act 1989 states that:

While a special guardianship order is in force with respect to a child, no person may cause the child to be known by a new surname... without either the written consent of every person who has parental responsibility for the child or the leave of the court. Schools must therefore decline requests from special guardians for a child to be known by a different surname unless the above criteria are met.

Parent governors

Schools must not restrict eligibility to nominate, vote or otherwise participate in parent governor elections to parents holding parental responsibility. Under the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012, a 'parent' includes not just those with parental responsibility but also biological parents and anyone who cares for a child.

Guidance on the roles and duties of governing boards is available.

Administration

In accordance with Regulation 5(1)(c) of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2013, a headteacher must ensure the:

names and addresses of all parents are included in the admission register

school register contains at least one telephone number by which to contact each resident parent in case of an emergency

Headteachers should therefore:

ask parents or guardians for the contact details - including names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses - of all parents when they register a pupil

ensure they note the details of any court order in a pupil's educational record

Such information will be necessary when decisions need to be made about who can give parental consent for an extra-curricular visit or should be contacted if the child is ill, as well as what to do in more difficult situations.

Example If a biological parent, rather than a foster parent, comes to collect a child in local authority care from school.

Schools should be mindful to protect parents' private data from any other party and to avoid accidental disclosure. This is particularly important, given that a parent may have been, or be at risk of being, a victim of domestic violence.

Example Annual attendance registers, commonly issued together with end-of-year reports, generally include a pupil's current address, so a school should be careful who it sends them to. Similarly, if the school copies one parent into what it has sent the other, it may disclose their private email address and correspondence.

A school needs to take the same care when providing information to foster parents and biological parents if a child is in care. There may be circumstances in which the foster parents' details must not be disclosed to the biological family as part of safeguarding the child.

Liaising with social workers

There may be occasions when a child's social worker will collect them from school. This needs to be by prior agreement with either their birth parent or foster carer, depending on the circumstances. A social worker should not enter school premises to collect a child to attend a care review or contact meeting without the prior agreement of a teacher, the birth parent or foster carer, and the child themselves.

A school may on occasion need to contact a social worker - for example, in regard to a child's health or absence from school. However, in most circumstances, the primary carer is best placed to have that conversation with the school and to report on the outcome to their social worker.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Understanding and dealing with issues relating to parental responsibility

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Schools are required by law to engage with pupils' parents in a number of different ways. They can find themselves caught up in disputes between a number of adults, each claiming to have parental responsibility for a particular child.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Schools are private property. People do not have an automatic right to enter. Parents have an ‘implied licence’ to come on to school premises at certain times, for instance:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mental health for children, teenagers and young adults

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find advice and support about mental health for children, teenagers, students and parents.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An eating disorder is a mental health condition where you use the control of food to cope with feelings and other situations.
Unhealthy eating behaviours may include eating too much or too little or worrying about your weight or body shape.

Anyone can get an eating disorder, but teenagers between 13 and 17 are mostly affected.

With treatment, most people can recover from an eating disorder.

Types of eating disorders

The most common eating disorders are:

anorexia nervosa - trying to control your weight by not eating enough food, exercising too much, or doing both

bulimia - losing control over how much you eat and then taking drastic action to not put on weight

binge eating disorder (BED) - eating large portions of food until you feel uncomfortably full

Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED)

A person may have an OSFED if their symptoms do not exactly fit the expected symptoms for any specific eating disorders.

OSFED is the most common eating disorder.
Find out more about OSFED on the Beat website
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

ARFID is when someone avoids certain foods, limits how much they eat or does both.

Beliefs about weight or body shape are not reasons why people develop ARFID.

Possible reasons for ARFID include:

negative feelings over the smell, taste or texture of certain foods

a response to a past experience with food that was upsetting, for example, choking or being sick after eating something

not feeling hungry or just a lack of interest in eating

Find out more about ARFID on the Beat website

Check if you have an eating disorder

If you or people around you are worried that you have an unhealthy relationship with food, you could have an eating disorder.

Symptoms of eating disorders include:

spending a lot of time worrying about your weight and body shape

avoiding socialising when you think food will be involved

eating very little food

making yourself sick or taking laxatives after you eat

exercising too much

having very strict habits or routines around food

changes in your mood such as being withdrawn, anxious or depressed

You may also notice physical signs, including:

feeling cold, tired or dizzy

pains, tingling or numbness in your arms and legs (poor circulation)

feeling your heart racing, fainting or feeling faint

problems with your digestion, such as bloating, constipation or diarrhoea

your weight being very high or very low for someone of your age and height

not getting your period or other delayed signs of puberty

You can read more about the symptoms of:

Warning signs of an eating disorder in someone else

It can be very difficult to identify that a loved one or friend has developed an eating disorder.

Warning signs to look out for include:

dramatic weight loss

lying about how much they've eaten, when they've eaten, or their weight

eating a lot of food very fast

going to the bathroom a lot after eating

exercising a lot

avoiding eating with others

cutting food into small pieces or eating very slowly

wearing loose or baggy clothes to hide their weight loss

Getting help for an eating disorder

If you think you may have an eating disorder, see a GP as soon as you can.

A GP will ask about your eating habits and how you're feeling, plus check your overall health and weight.

They may refer you to an eating disorder specialist or team of specialists.

It can be very hard to admit you have a problem and ask for help. It may make things easier if you bring a friend or loved one with you to your appointment.

You can also talk in confidence to an adviser from eating disorders charity Beat by calling their adult helpline on 0808 801 0677 or youth helpline on 0808 801 0711.

Getting help for someone else

It can be difficult to know what to do if you're worried that someone has an eating disorder.

They may not realise they have an eating disorder. They may also deny it, or be secretive and defensive about their eating or weight.

Let them know you're worried about them and encourage them to see a GP. You could offer to go along with them.

Read more about talking to your child about eating disorders and supporting someone with an eating disorder.

The eating disorder charity Beat also has information on:

Treatment for eating disorders

You can recover from an eating disorder, but it may take time and recovery will be different for everyone.

If you're referred to an eating disorder specialist or team of specialists, they'll be responsible for your care.

They should talk to you about the support you might need, such as for other conditions you have, and include this in your treatment plan.

Your treatment will depend on the type of eating disorder you have, but usually includes a talking therapy.

You may also need regular health checks if your eating disorder is having an impact on your physical health.

Your treatment may also involve working through a guided self-help programme if you have bulimia or binge eating disorder.

Most people will be offered individual therapy, but those with binge eating disorder may be offered group therapy.

Read more about the different treatments for:

Treatment for other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) will depend on the type of eating disorder your symptoms are most like.

For example, if your symptoms are most like anorexia, your treatment will be similar to the treatment for anorexia.

What causes eating disorders?

We do not know exactly what causes eating disorders.

You may be more likely to get an eating disorder if:

you or a member of your family has a history of eating disorders, depression, or alcohol or drug misuse

you've been criticised for your eating habits, body shape or weight

you're really worried about being slim, particularly if you also feel pressure from society or your job, for example, ballet dancers, models or athletes

you have anxiety, low self-esteem, an obsessive personality or are a perfectionist

you've been sexually abused

Find out more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read about the different types of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, including what possible causes and treatments available.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Beat provides Helplines offering support and information about eating disorders no matter where you are in your journey.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our aims are to:

Raise awareness of the diversity of voices, visions and similar experiences

Challenge negative stereotypes, stigma and discrimination

Help create more spaces for people of all ages and backgrounds to talk freely about voice-hearing, visions and similar sensory experiences

Raise awareness of a range of different ways to manage distressing, confusing or difficult voices

Encourage a more positive response to voice-hearing and related experiences in healthcare settings and wider society

Some of the things we do:

Sharing information and free resources through our website, social media, e-bulletin, newsletter and email information service

Engaging with the media to present realistic and hopeful perspectives on hearing voices and related experiences

Offering workshops, training and events - subject to resources

Supporting members who want to set up a Hearing Voices Group

Some of the things we don't do

Run groups directly (we provide guidance and networking opportunities for those who do run groups)

Provide crisis or long-term support (we connect people with available resources where possible). See Getting Help & Support for more info

Contact Us

If you would like to find out more about our work, become a member or get your self-help group listed on our website, please contact us at:

National Hearing Voices Network (HVN)
86-90 Paul Street
London
EC2A 4NE
Email: info@hearing-voices.org

Whilst we do our best to reply promptly, our email is managed by a small team of trained volunteers and we get more enquiries than we can often manage. If you need help in a crisis, please call 111. For less urgent help, see our getting help and support page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
National Hearing Voices Network - For people who hear voices, see visions or have other unusual perceptions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Raise awareness of the diversity of voices, visions and similar experiences Challenge negative stereotypes, stigma and discrimination Help create more spaces for people of all ages and backgrounds to talk freely about voice-hearing, visions and similar sensory experiences Raise awareness of a range of different ways to manage distressing, confusing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Depression And Me : Real Life Child Mental Health Experiences : Nip in the Bud

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to content

Watch the full video

Thinking of suicide?

Are you, or is a young person you know, not coping with life? For confidential suicide prevention advice contact HOPELINE247.

My whole way of thinking has changed. I feel positive about my future and the people around me. I'm now looking forward to the future and helping others just like me!

Thank you so much for the incredible support PAPYRUS and HOPELINE247 has given me. You helped me in that moment and it kept me alive.

I intend to continue to fundraise for and promote PAPYRUS. I am so proud and humbled to be involved with a wonderful charity, and to have received the support that I have.

Having been personally bereaved by suicide I understand the importance and need for our charity. I am surrounded by others who are as passionate as I am about saving lives.

* All feedback is provided by people who contact PAPYRUS. All feedback has full consent of the user and the user remains fully anonymous. Some feedback may have been adapted to keep the users anonymity.

Our latest news

Stay up to date with PAPYRUS; our news section is regularly updated with helpful advice and guidance, as well as information about our upcoming events and campaigns. If you have any questions or queries please get in touch.

Our upcoming events

Please see below some of our upcoming and exciting events including fundraisers and charity events we will be attending. For more information please get in touch.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PAPYRUS UK is a charity for the prevention of young suicide (under 35) in the UK | Call PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141 Now

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learning about Children's Mental Health through Film

Nip in the Bud is regularly adding new FREE resources - short films and fact sheets - to raise mental health awareness among primary school staff, teacher trainees, anyone working with children, parents, carers and young people.

Early intervention is key, so the negative impacts of these conditions can be 'nipped in the bud' and so reduce the risk of them becoming entrenched. Our films cover Expert Information on different conditions, Real Life Experience, Emotional Wellbeing and Coping with the Aftermath of Covid.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nip in the Bud | Child Mental Health Resources for Parents and Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nip in the Bud® works with mental health professionals of the highest standing to produce FREE short evidence-based films and fact sheets to help parents, educationalists and others working with children to recognise potential mental health conditions. The goal is to increase the prospects of early intervention and to avoid those conditions becoming more serious in later years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This page:
To search this page, use your browser's "find" function.

Scroll down to access the worksheets by clicking on the document image - no tool or download programme is required other than your normal PDF reader.

Other Pages
For specific condition or approach, find via Problems or Solutions pages.

© These documents are for therapy purposes only and must not be commercially exploited.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free Downloads 2 - CBT Worksheets | Get.gg - Getselfhelp.co.uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This page: To search this page, use your browser's "find" function. Scroll down to access the worksheets by clicking on the document image - no tool or download programme is required other than your normal PDF reader. Other Pages For specific condition or approach, find via Problems or Solutions pages.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Coronavirus info

The way you get support from us will be different for a while, but we are still here. We'll do everything we can to help you stay safe. We'll be doing appointments over the phone for now.

In an emergency call the police on 999.

Find the latest information on coronavirus from the NHS and GOV.UK.

How we can help

We offer support to anyone aged 16+ who has been affected by domestic abuse and violence.

Domestic abuse can affect everyone differently. It is any physical, psychological, emotional or economic abuse by someone close to you. It includes stalking and harassment, forced marriage, so-called 'honour crimes' and female genital mutilation.

If you would like guidance or support around domestic abuse, we're here to help.

We take referrals from professionals, or you can get in touch yourself. If your needs aren't right for our service, we can help you find the support you need.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The way you get support from us will be different for a while, but we are still here. We'll do everything we can to help you stay safe. We'll be doing appointments over the phone for now. In an emergency call the police on 999.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
East Sussex refuge service - East Sussex 1Space

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Getting help in East Sussex - Find local groups and services to support you, your family and friends.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is A Non Molestation Order? | Jason Hadden MBE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
My Girlfriend Tortured, Stabbed and Starved Me | This Morning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 3 planets model from WHAT DOESN'T KILL ME

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to content

We use cookies to improve your experience on our website, but if you are worried that your device may be monitored you should exit the website immediately and clear your cache. Cookie settings CLOSE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Domestic Violence & Abuse · Emergency Injunction Service

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A free, fast emergency injunction service to survivors of domestic violence regardless of their financial circumstances, race, gender or sexual orientation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ESCC Sudden Death and Suicide Prevention training

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Helpline for Mental Health | SOS Silence of Suicide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We are a suicide prevention charity that offers a helpline for mental health and emotional wellbeing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Training Home - Grassroots Suicide Prevention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Training with Grassroots Suicide Prevention Our training teaches the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to support those at risk of suicide. We work with organisations across the UK to deliver our life-saving training in suicide prevention, mental health and self-harm. Find a course Who we train FAQ Contact us Find a course → Training options Read More...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Charity supporting male victims of domestic abuse through a helpline, directory of local services and general information on the website.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Struggling with an eating disorder? Caring for someone who is? Beat is here to support you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Advice for professionals on how to make a Prevent referral if you are concerned about someone expressing extreme beliefs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) take place, their aims and learning briefings from recent DHRs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is Sarah's Law?

Sarah's Law, or the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme allows parents, carers and guardians to ask the police to tell them if someone has a criminal record for child sexual offences.

If police checks show the individual has a record for child sexual offences, or other offences that might put the child at risk, the police will consider sharing this information.

The police will only consider telling the person best placed to protect the child - usually a parent, carer or guardian - if the person being checked has a record of child sexual offences or other offences that indicate they may pose a risk to a child. The police will disclose information only if it is lawful, necessary and proportionate to do so in the interests of protecting the child, or children, from harm.

How do I put in an application?

You can do this in person at your local police station or by calling 101.

What happens when an application is put in?

The police will assess if the person named in the application is a threat to the children based on previous child sex abuse convictions.

If the subject has convictions for sexual offences against children, poses a risk of causing harm to the child concerned and disclosure of this is necessary to protect the child, this information will be given to the those who are the immediate care givers for the child e.g. a parent, carer or guardian. Disclosure may not always be to the original applicant.

Checks should be completed to ensure that there is no immediate risk of harm to the particular child or children within 24 hours of the report.

Will the subject know they are being checked out, and who asked for the check?

No they will not be told that they are being checked out unless a disclosure takes place. If a disclosure does take place the subject may be informed that someone is going to receive a disclosure about them.

If you are worried that your child might be at risk of abuse, there is lots of information on the Parents Protect website.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sarah's Law, or the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme allows parents, carers and guardians to ask the police to tell them if someone has a criminal record for child sexual offences. If police checks show the individual has a record for child sexual offences, or other offences that might put the child at risk, the police will consider sharing this information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme is a police policy giving you the right to know if your partner has an abusive past

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Professor Jane Monckton-Smith OBE and her team are leading homicide specialists providing clients with high-quality, professional and confidential services in coercive control, stalking and homicide cases. Internationally recognised as an expert in her field, Jane provides a range of consultancy services and training for professionals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPDATED 19/09/2024 Killed Women Count - Older Women

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Music Football Fatherhood | For dads who want more open conversations around fatherhood - Music.Football.Fatherhood - open conversations around fatherhood

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A collection of pre-recorded webinars on subjects including autism, eating disorders, anxiety, sleep and managing self harm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the UK, a woman is killed by a man every three days and in recent years we have seen a frightening rise in hatred of women and misogynistic views. Education is a key to addressing this and it has to begin early. Headteacher Sarah Wordlaw advises how

Image: Adobe Stock

Misogyny is a dislike of, contempt for or ingrained prejudice against women. This is a safeguarding issue which affects all, irrespective of their gender.

The word has evolved to encompass the more widely held attitudes and behaviours that relegate women to subordinate positions and maintain the power imbalance which characterises male/female relations.

To quote the final report of the Working Group on Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland: "It is these attitudes - and the conduct which flows from them - which prevent us achieving genuine equality." (Kennedy, 2022)

Official statistics tell us that, in the UK in 2023, a woman was killed by a man every three days.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting Headteacher Update and reading some of our content for professionals in primary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tackling misogyny in the primary school - Headteacher Update

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the UK, a woman is killed by a man every three days and in recent years we have seen a frightening rise in hatred of women and misogynistic views. Education is a key to addressing this and it has to begin early. Headteacher Sarah Wordlaw advises how

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Understanding the issues and risks

Schools are increasingly concerned about the impact of online influencers that promote misogynistic rhetoric. This content can be permissive of: discriminatory behaviours and attitudes (including racist, antisemitic, homophobic, transphobic, and misogynistic attitudes); sexual harassment and abuse; abuse in relationships; and victim-blaming narratives.

The entry point for young people's first engagement with such content can often seem quite superficial, but social media algorithms can then lead them to increasingly problematic and extreme content.

This all comes at an age when young people may be particularly insecure and vulnerable to persuasive narratives. For example, much of this content taps into insecurities about body image and agency. The focus on money, success and power also plays on financial and status insecurities that may lead to risky and even illegal behaviours.

Women and girls in particular are put at risk by narratives that normalise sexual harassment and abuse, promote unhealthy relationship behaviours and victim blaming. Similarly, the sharing of homophobic and transphobic content by some influencers can inform behaviour and attitudes towards LGBT+ young people in schools. Toxic masculinity is also harmful and restrictive to boys and men. Promoted stereotypes contribute to existing narratives that restrict and undermine help-seeking - especially in relation to mental health and emotional wellbeing. Some online spaces even direct young people towards other harmful content, including content that promotes self-harm and suicide.

In some extreme circumstances, boys can also become radicalised via involvement in forums and communities that promote and celebrate violent behaviours, including rape, child abuse and terrorist acts.

PSHE education should primarily be used as preventative education, providing a foundational understanding from an early age about healthy relationships, respect, self-esteem, digital literacy, economic wellbeing, critical thinking, and recognising and challenging negative influences. And, importantly, it should explore the links between these areas. This is crucial for safeguarding and building resistance to problematic narratives (as well as the influencers and algorithms that deliver them so effectively).

Of course, education is only one part of the solution, but it is a key part. There are essential efforts - for example through the Online Safety Bill - to make aspects of the digital landscape safer for children, but technical solutions must be complemented by human solutions that emphasise respect, equality and diversity.

Read on for advice on how to cover these issues through PSHE education, including recommended teaching resources.

Teaching about these topics safely:

Avoid focusing the lesson on specific influencers, websites or groups that promote harmful attitudes. This is important, as you cannot assume even the most popular influencers are known by all pupils. Speaking about a specific influencer or influencers might prompt suggestions from students of additional less well known influencers, and encourage those previously unaware to check them out - thereby providing a potentially inspiring role model and affecting how advertising and algorithms influence their future viewing. Speaking in general terms also helps pupils to understand that this advice applies to any problematic influencers in future, not just those currently causing concern.

This should be delivered by appropriately trained, prepared teachers using safe, effective materials: Anyone teaching this complex content should be given the training and pedagogical understanding to teach it safely and well.

Establish a safe learning environment: establishing a safe learning environment with pupils before teaching takes places is crucial.

Relevant guidance and training:

Addressing these issues through KS1 and KS2 PSHE education

Tips for laying the foundations at key stages 1 and 2:

With younger pupils, the aim is to develop respectful attitudes by focusing on learning that supports inclusion and belonging rather than covering specific types of discrimination, such as misogyny.

At key stage 1 this might include exploring how everyone is equal and deserves to be treated with respect. Also, recognising and celebrating people's similarities and differences.

This may extend to learning about stereotypes in early key stage 2, including gender stereotypes and how these can be unfair.

Then at upper key stage 2, pupils could explore how these stereotypes can have negative effects on a person's behaviour, aspirations, and feelings about themselves.

Teaching should also reflect younger children's early experiences online and begin to develop digital literacy skills to identify trusted sources, false information, and negative influences.

This will all help to prepare pupils for more specific learning about discrimination (including discrimination based on gender) in the later primary years and in secondary school, as they access digital platforms with increasing independence.

Statutory guidance at primary phase:

These topics are included in the DfE statutory Relationships and Health Education guidance for KS1 and KS2 as follows:

Relationships education
Respectful relationships

the importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs.

that in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including those in positions of authority.

what a stereotype is, and how stereotypes can be unfair, negative or destructive.

Online relationships

that people sometimes behave differently online, including by pretending to be someone they are not.

that the same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to face relationships, including the importance of respect for others online including when we are anonymous.

how to critically consider their online friendships and sources of information including awareness of the risks associated with people they have never met.

how to report concerns or abuse, and the vocabulary and confidence needed to do so.

Health education
Internet safety and harms

why social media, some computer games and online gaming, for example, are age restricted.

that the internet can also be a negative place where online abuse, trolling, bullying and harassment can take place, which can have a negative impact on mental health.

how to be a discerning consumer of information online including understanding that information, including that from search engines, is ranked, selected and targeted.

where and how to report concerns and get support with issues online

Developing this learning through PSHE education at key stages 3, 4 and 5/post-16:

Statutory RSHE can help schools to address this as part of their wider PSHE education curriculum as it addresses a range of topics, including treating each other respectfully; online and media influences; identifying discrimination; and seeking support, including in relation to radicalisation.

While the statutory guidance does not extend to post-16 settings, schools and colleges are encouraged to support students by offering these subjects. The PSHE education Programme of Study outlines what can be covered at key stage 5/post-16.

The statutory RSHE guidance gives schools an outline of what they need to cover, and the important knowledge that pupils should acquire, but PSHE education must also equip pupils with the skills and attributes to apply this understanding in the real world.

The PSHE education Programme of Study (KS1-5) and Programme Builders exemplify how to integrate the statutory content into a comprehensive PSHE education programme.

Statutory guidance at secondary phase:

These topics are included in the DfE statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education guidance for KS3 and 4 as follows:

Relationships & Sex education
Respectful relationships, including friendships

how stereotypes, in particular stereotypes based on sex, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability, can cause damage (e.g. how they might normalise non-consensual behaviour or encourage prejudice).

that in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including people in positions of authority and due tolerance of other people's beliefs

the legal rights and responsibilities regarding equality (particularly with reference to the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010) and that everyone is unique and equal

Online and media

their rights, responsibilities and opportunities online, including that the same expectations of behaviour apply in all contexts, including online

about online risks, including that any material someone provides to another has the potential to be shared online and the difficulty of removing potentially compromising material placed online

what to do and where to get support to report material or manage issues online

the impact of viewing harmful content

The statutory guidance also requires that young people are made aware of 'relevant legal provisions when relevant topics are being taught', including:

violence against women and girls

extremism/radicalisation

hate crime

Health education
Mental wellbeing
how to critically evaluate when something they do or are involved in has a positive or negative effect on their own or others' mental health
Internet safety and harms

the similarities and differences between the online world and the physical world, including: the impact of unhealthy or obsessive comparison with others online (including through setting unrealistic expectations for body image), how people may curate a specific image of their life online, over-reliance on online relationships including social media, the risks related to online gambling including the accumulation of debt, how advertising and information is targeted at them and how to be a discerning consumer of information online.

how to identify harmful behaviours online (including bullying, abuse or harassment) and how to report, or find support, if they have been affected by those behaviours.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2022 statutory guidance

The statutory KCSIE guidance stresses that 'schools and colleges play a crucial role in preventative education' and that this is most effective in the context of a whole school approach that 'creates a culture of zero tolerance for sexism, misogyny/misandry, homophobia, biphobic and sexual violence/harassment'.

Regarding the curriculum, KCSIE outlines the importance of 'a planned programme of evidence-based RSHE delivered in regularly timetabled lessons and reinforced throughout the whole curriculum' and that 'such a programme should be fully inclusive and developed to be age and stage of development appropriate'.

KCSIE lists the areas of statutory RSHE of key importance to safeguarding. These are also particularly relevant to addressing toxic masculinity and misogyny in the classroom:

healthy and respectful relationships

boundaries and consent

stereotyping, prejudice and equality

body confidence and self-esteem

how to recognise an abusive relationship, including coercive and controlling behavior

the concepts of - and laws relating to - sexual consent, sexual exploitation, abuse, grooming, coercion, harassment, rape, domestic abuse, so called 'honour'-based violence such as forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and how to access support, and

what constitutes sexual harassment and sexual violence and why these are always unacceptable

The KCSIE guidance also reminds us that all schools are subject to the Prevent duty, meaning they must have: 'due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism' and that 'The Prevent duty should be seen as part of schools' and colleges' wider safeguarding obligations'. KCSIE advises that 'designated safeguarding leads (and deputies) and other senior leaders in schools should familiarise themselves with the revised Prevent duty guidance : for England and Wales, especially paragraphs 57-76, which are specifically concerned with schools (and also covers childcare)'.

Teaching resources and related learning

Teaching about consent and healthy relationship behaviours counters messages that normalise unhealthy relationship behaviours. See:

This teaching should be linked to learning about mental health and emotional wellbeing in both primary and secondary phase, as influencers prey upon young people, with challenges relating to their self-esteem and mental health. See:

Some influencers combine discriminatory content with messaging about the importance of acquiring wealth and material possessions. This messaging is often aimed at those experiencing or concerned about unemployment or financial difficulties. It is therefore important to ensure that the economic wellbeing aspects of your PSHE education curriculum help young people to recognise pathways to careers, identify strategies to support their financial wellbeing in the future and to challenge economic misinformation presented by influencers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Addressing misogyny, toxic masculinity and social media influence in PSHE education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Advice for schools on addressing the impact of online influencers who promote misogynistic rhetoric and other discriminatory behaviours and attitudes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our mission is to prevent violence against women and girls by addressing its root causes. We work with men and boys to change long-established, and harmful, attitudes, systems and behaviours around masculinity that perpetuate inequality and violence.

Our work is preventative; we want to stop violence before it starts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our mission is to end men's violence against women, once and for all. We work with men and boys to challenge cultures that lead to harassment, abuse and violence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dr. Tamasine Preece urges schools to "create opportunities for children and young people to understand the origins of gender norms and gender stereotypes."

While many children are exposed to misogyny that reinforces gender stereotypes online, the issue is an historical one that existed well before the internet.

"Even to this day it can be difficult for many men and women, or boys and girls, to break these stereotypes." For men and boys, they may feel pressured to act a certain way or fit into a certain role. For instance, many men and boys are called out if they cry or if they take the surnames of their spouses when they marry.

This toxic masculinity contributes to issues like homophobia and misogyny in schools among other forms of hate both online and offline.

Similarly, talk about how misandry (the opposite of misogyny), the hate against men, helps reinforce these same things.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Misogyny in schools - Guidance for teachers | Internet Matters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Misogyny in schools -- Guidance for teachers from Internet Matters provides top tips and resources to tackle misogyny online and offline.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out about our free, online parenting webinars and courses in East Sussex, including help with behaviour and anxiety.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Equality Wheel Poster - Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Developed to define a non-abusive relationship, the Equality Wheel works in coordination with the Power and Control Wheel. This poster is 20"w x 22"h.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rosie Duffield MP Speech on Domestic Abuse

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A whole school approach mobilises the whole school to promote student and staff wellbeing and address mental health issues. It ensures your school considers mental health and wellbeing in each area of school life.

Free support for all schools and colleges

The MHEW in Education Team offer the following support:

Helping you develop and implement whole school approaches to mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Providing training to identify pupils with mental health problems and set up appropriate support. There is training for Senior Mental Health Leads or whole school and college staff in INSET days or staff meetings.

Help to audit mental health practice and make achievable MHEW action plans.

Sharing good practice and developing resources in response to current mental health themes.

Auditing MHEW

Audit your provision using a tool such as the:

Contact us to discuss plans to improve your social, emotional and mental health areas of the tool.

Mental health policy support

We can help to develop or review your mental health policy. This ensures it meets Department for Education and Public Health England guidance.

Training for whole setting staff

We encourage all school staff and governors to be aware of mental health and know:

when support may be needed

how to access support

We can help determine your training needs and deliver packages on mental health themes to all school staff.

Parent and carer support

We offer:

Workshops on mental health and wellbeing, or semi-structured coffee mornings, for parents and carers. These take place in your setting.

Bespoke support for settings to develop whole school approaches to engaging and working with parents and carers.

Me & My Mind team (Mental Health Support Team)

The Me & My Mind service, known nationally as the Mental Health Support Teams, work with many schools to offer mental health support. The team provide short-term support for children aged 7 to 17 with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

We also work with school senior mental health leads to develop their whole school approach plans.

Download a List of Me and My Mind host schools [15.2 KB] [docx]

- Me and My Mind Team

Me and My Mind Parent and Carer Practitioner Offer

Me and My Practitioners can support your school to develop ways of engaging parents and carers to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

In addition, the practitioners can complement the schools plans by delivering mental health themed workshops or coffee mornings.

Contact mhst.info@eastsussex.gov.uk to request this support.

Contact us

Me and My Mind host schools and colleges

Contact your link Senior Mental Health Practitioner:

Email: mhst.info@eastsussex.gov.uk

All other schools and colleges

Contact the MHEW in Education Team:

Email: mhew@eastsussex.gov.uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Support for all schools with mental health and emotional wellbeing audits, policy, training and resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Providing tools to help tackle debt and financial difficulties.

We recognise that budgeting when you're on a low, or no income can be incredibly difficult and stressful. That's why our foodbank has launched a debt project called 'Money Life' to enable people who are struggling with financial difficulties to access expert help.

This help includes :

debt management plans

debt relief orders

help managing or avoiding debt

help setting a budget

We are working with Community Money Advice and are licensed with the Financial Conduct Authority

Back to More Than Food

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Providing tools to help tackle debt and financial difficulties. We recognise that budgeting when you're on a low, or no income can be incredibly difficult and stressful. That's why our foodbank has launched a debt project called 'Money Life' to enable people who are struggling with financial difficulties to access expert help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Help with money and debt - Lewes and Eastbourne Councils

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are many organisations that can offer help if you have problems with money or debt

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Find out what support is available to help with the cost of living. This includes income and disability benefits, bills and allowances, childcare, housing and travel.

Check benefits and financial support you can get

Answer a few questions to find out what support you might be able to get to help with living costs if you live in the UK. Check benefits and financial support you can get.

Scams

You may get calls, emails or messages that are pretending to be from a government service or an energy bill support scheme. If you get a message asking for your personal details (for example, bank details or passwords) this could be a scam. Report anything you think is suspicious.

Support available in England

This guide covers cost of living support available in England.

Support with income

Find out what support is available to help increase your income. This includes the Cost of Living Payment, Universal Credit and Carer's Allowance.

Support with bills and costs

Find out what support is available to help with bills and costs. This includes support with utility bills, support from your local council and Council Tax Reduction.

If you're 60 or over

Find out what support is available if you're 60 or over. This includes Pension Credit, discounted travel and how to check your State Pension.

If you're disabled or have a health condition

Find out what support is available if you're disabled or have a health condition. This includes disability benefits, the Disability Cost of Living Payment and support with prescriptions and health costs.

Childcare and maternity costs

Find out what support is available with childcare and maternity costs. This includes free childcare hours and free school meals.

Managing money

Find advice for managing money, including budgeting advice and debt support.

If you're finding things difficult

Find support if money worries are impacting your mental health or you're affected by domestic abuse.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out what support is available to help with the cost of living: income and disability benefits, bills and allowances, childcare, housing and travel.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Eating difficulties, disordered eating and eating disorders - Sussex Health & Care

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) toolkit | Czone

Skip to main content

Overview

An overview of the EBSA guidance and how to use it.

What is EBSA?

Increase knowledge of what EBSA is and the prevalence in East Sussex and Nationally.

Assessing

Information and tools for assessing the risk of EBSA, in collaboration with the child/young person and their family.

Whole school approach

Information and tools for preventing, identifying and addressing mental health and emotional wellbeing using a whole school approach

Post-16

Information and guidance for supporting EBSA in Post-16 Education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) toolkit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Emotionally based school avoidance toolkit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Allegations about adults who work with children - the LADO

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The LADO deals with allegations about adults who work with children. If a child is at risk of significant harm, you should go straight to SPOA.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Advice for professionals on what help can be accessed for children and teenagers who are having problems with drugs, alcohol and substance misuse.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
East Sussex Under 25s Substance Misuse Service - East Sussex 1Space

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Getting help in East Sussex - Find local groups and services to support you, your family and friends.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Prevent duty - preventing extremism | Czone

Skip to main content

Related information

Government guidance

Prevent duty for schools and childcare providers

A child or young person may be vulnerable to pressure to hold extreme views

By law, all registered childcare providers (early years and later years) are subject to the Prevent duty. This duty is under section 26 of the Counterterrorism and Security Act 2015.

Paragraphs 57-76 of the Act concern schools and childcare providers. The Prevent Duty requires them to have "due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism".

Preventing extremism and radicalisation safeguarding policy [234.0 KB] [doc]

Government strategy on terrorism

Prevent is part of Contest - the government strategy to address terrorism. The strategy involves many people - services, local authorities, organisations and partners - working together to protect the public.

Prevent aims to prevent terrorism by stopping people:

becoming terrorists

supporting terrorism or violent extremism

Definition of extremism and British values

The government has defined extremism in the Prevent strategy as "vocal or active opposition to fundamental British Values".

These British values are defined as:

democracy

the rule of law

individual liberty and mutual respect

tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

Their definition of extremism includes calls for the death of members of our armed forces.

Find out how to report radicalisation or extremism.

Related information

Government guidance

Was this page helpful?

Click or tap the rating which best represents your experience.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Prevent duty and government strategy on terrorism for schools and childcare providers in East Sussex.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out everything you need to know about drugs, their effects and the law. Talk to Frank for facts, support and advice on drugs and alcohol today. | FRANK

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Safeguarding Snippet Term 3 2025 - Attachment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
MindJam | Empowering and Supporting Young People

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Through online 1-to-1 sessions, MindJam provides mentorship and guidance to young people to support their emotional needs and SEN identity through positive, non-judgemental and low-demand sessions. We are proud to be an approved provision for many local authorities around the UK and work with the schools, specialist provisions, NHS.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
MindJam | Empowering and Supporting Young People

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Through online 1-to-1 sessions, MindJam provides mentorship and guidance to young people to support their emotional needs and SEN identity through positive, non-judgemental and low-demand sessions. We are proud to be an approved provision for many local authorities around the UK and work with the schools, specialist provisions, NHS.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Talking about death with your little one

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When someone close to you dies, it can be difficult to know how to explain to young children. See how one parent has learnt to talk openly about ‘why Mummy died’ in a way that makes sense to his children.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to content

Menu

We're often told there's a set timeline for grief. The growing around grief model challenges this idea.

What does 'growing around grief' mean?

Growing around grief is a model created by grief counsellor Lois Tonkin. Tonkin came up with the model after speaking to a client about the death of their child. The woman told Tonkin that at first grief filled every part of her life. She drew a picture with a circle to represent her life and shading to indicate her grief. It was all consuming.

She had thought that as time went by the grief would shrink and become a much smaller part of her life. But what happened was different. The grief stayed just as big, but her life grew around it. There were times where she felt the grief as intensely as when her child first died. But there were other times where she felt she lived her life in the space outside the circle.

Why is the idea of 'growing around grief' helpful?

This view of grief does not tell someone that their grief will go away in time. You will never be 'over it'. It acknowledges that there will be some days where you feel grief as strongly as you did when the person first died. But there will also be days when you are able to move on with other parts of your life. Sometimes people feel guilty about this, as if it is disloyal to the person who has died.

The 'growing around grief' model shows how we can still grieve the loss of our loved one while carrying on with our own lives. It shows that we can grow a new life which includes the loss. If you're finding grief overwhelming, we're here to help.

We're here to support you while you're grieving. Find out the ways we can help.

About Cruse

We help people through one of the most painful times in life - with bereavement support, information and campaigning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Growing around grief | Cruse Bereavement Support

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What does it mean to grow around your grief? And how is this a helpful way of looking at the grieving process?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to help bereaved children understand grief

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It can be difficult for bereaved children to understand grief, so here is an easy way to help them understand what has happened to them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
charity bereavement child death grief loss baby stillbirth miscarriage suicide young people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Children's understanding of death at different ages

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Safeguarding Snippet Oct 2024 Online Safety

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by Will Earp & Matt Rosser, South West Grid for Learning (https://swgfl.org.uk/)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TestFiltering.com: Verify your Internet is Filtered | Test Filtering

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TestFiltering.com enables you to check that your internet filter is working correctly without having to access harmful or illegal content manually. We work with specific partners to host test URL’s on various lists and have test pages hosted where they will be blocked.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service

To help further understand the issues affecting young people and the professionals working with them, the home office commissioned the ' Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service' operated by SWGfL in partnership with the Marie Collins Foundation.

The service which provides telephone and email support to professionals has responded to over 600 cases relating to queries and incidents of harmful sexual behaviour amongst young people. A range of children's professionals have been in touch with the helpline such as; school staff and senior leaders, social workers, medical professionals, and care assistants.

As well as providing expert advice to those getting in touch, over the 10 months of operation, the service has gathered a wealth of knowledge and understanding about incidents of harmful sexual behaviour and what support professionals need to respond appropriately.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Harmful Sexual Behaviour in School Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A set of resources for handling Harmful Sexual Behaviour within a school setting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by South West Grid for Learning (https://swgfl.org.uk/)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ProjectEVOLVE resources each of the 330 statements from UK Council for Internet Safety's (UKCIS) framework "Education for a Connected World" with perspectives; research; activities; outcomes; supporting resources and professional development materials.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"There is nothing so practical as a good theory." This famous quote by social psychologist Kurt Lewin challenges the idea that theories and concepts are less useful than empirical findings. A review of the outcomes of EU Kids Online, whose research now informs CO:RE, revealed that even more cited than the results of its 2010 pan-European survey of 25000 children, the first of its kind, was its 3 Cs classification of online risks.

The 3Cs - of content, contact and conduct risks - were originally developed to answer obvious yet puzzling questions such as - "what online risks are we talking about?" and "why should policymakers take action, what's the problem?" The idea was to disaggregate specific risks, with their different causes and consequences, and to broaden the public agenda beyond the then predominant focus on pornography, grooming and cyberbullying (all of which are important, but so are other risks).

When Uwe Hasebrink, who leads CO:RE, recently quoted Lewin, he went on to explain the importance of the:

Constant cycle between theoretical reflection, empirical observations, testing empirical observations, considering implications for policy and practice, and back to theory again.

It is timely to update this classification, given the variation in its use, the emerging risks in the digital environment, and our growing understanding of children's experiences of online risks of harm. Hence, we propose a new classification of online risk, launched today in a new report, part of the CO:RE Short Report series on Key topics.
Download the full report here.
A new classification of online risk - the 4Cs

The new CO:RE 4Cs classification recognises that online risks arise when a child:

engages with and/or is exposed to potentially harmful CONTENT;

experiences and/or is targeted by potentially harmful CONTACT;

witnesses, participates in and/or is a victim of potentially harmful CONDUCT;

is party to and/or exploited by a potentially harmful CONTRACT.

Updating the 4Cs of online risk.

The 4Cs classification also distinguishes between aggressive, sexual and value risks, as this is helpful in retaining a balanced view of the range of risks that children can encounter. We note that risks to the values that shape childhood and society are increasingly prominent. In addition to the 4Cs, the new CO:RE classification recognises important cross-cutting risks, notably to children's privacy, health and fair treatment. These risks, we suggest, can occur in relation to any and all of content, contact, conduct and contract risks.

Importantly, it should be noted that, although some risks are particularly cross-cutting in nature, many of the online risks to children intersect and hybridise, depending on the circumstances, and more so as the digital environment evolves. Hence the classification and its exemplars are offered here as a way of organising and opening up further investigation, rather than as implying that risks are simple or disconnected.

So, to revisit the classification with an open mind, and to benefit from the practical insights of European child safety professionals who manage awareness-raising campaigns, law enforcement interventions, helplines and more, in November 2020 we joined a training meeting of Insafe and INHOPE. We asked them:

(1) To identify familiar and emerging online risks affecting children across Europe and consider whether these are common or specific to different countries

(2) To consider whether classifications of online risk are useful and what purpose they might serve, as well as the strengths and shortcomings of available classifications.

In terms of practice, they told us that risk classifications are useful for:

Identifying the range and diversity of risks, including emerging risks.

Making comparisons and capturing trends across risks and across time/contexts.

Systematically communicating results and priorities to both expert and lay audiences.

Highlighting the need for resources, budget and training.

Classifying the types of risks reported via input from helplines and complaints mechanisms.

Targeting planning, interventions and awareness-raising campaigns.

Mapping evidence to risk categories and identifying evidence gaps.

In terms of theory, that called for a fourth C: contract. And they deliberated over the idea of cross-cutting risks. After reflecting on this, we went back to the drawing board, recalling also what we had learned from empirical research, and from feedback from policy makers over the years. We agree with the idea of 4Cs, and while we love how the original scheme prioritised children's agency, reluctantly we also now recognise the power of the digital environment, and the businesses who design and promote it, to impact on children in ways that are often beyond their control. Hence, we propose the revised definition of the 4Cs.

Understanding online risks is vital if stakeholders are to work together for a better internet. But so too is understanding online opportunities. The ways in which children engage with content, experience contact, participate in conduct and are party to contract online are also worth exploring further. Since we have long known that risks and opportunities go hand in hand, we will explore this next.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Cs of online risk: Short report & blog on updating the typology of online risks to include content, contact, conduct, contract risks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"There is nothing so practical as a good theory." This famous quote by social psychologist Kurt Lewin challenges the idea that theories and concepts are less useful than empirical findings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These findings are significant but also complex. As such, there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to keep children safe from online harms.

We believe the following actions, however, could support stakeholders as they create safer environments.

Use a family-centred approach

Most children tell us that their parents are the first place they go for support. Moreover, parents often know their children best, including what is and isn't appropriate or them online. As such, policymakers need to focus more on the significance of the relationships between these relationships.

Reduce children's experiences of harm online

Two-thirds of children report experiencing harms online, therefore pointing to a need for focus and determination from all of us, including tech companies, Government and regulators, parents and teachers.

Additionally, while a focus on the most serious harms is important, we also need to tackle everyday harms that can have a significant overall impact on children's wellbeing.

Understand the importance of media literacy

One of the best ways of reaching parents and children about online safety is through schools. However, not every school benefits from the expertise, curriculum and resources needed for quality online safety education.

Government, and the Department for Education in particular, need to ensure all children leave school with the skills needed to flourish and function in a digital world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Children's wellbeing in a digital world - 2024 report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Children's digital wellbeing: 2024 report | Internet Matters. This report highlights impacts of screen time on health and family time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This report looks at media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 3-17.

It also includes findings on parents' views about their children's media use, and how parents of children and young people aged 3-17 monitor and manage their children's use. The report provides a comprehensive picture of children's media experiences in 2023 as a reference for industry, policymakers, academics and the general public.

The Communications Act 2003 and Online Safety Act 2023 place responsibilities on Ofcom to promote, and to carry out research into, media literacy. This report forms part of our wider Making Sense of Media programme.

Childrens Media Literacy Report 2024 (PDF, 7.45 MB)

Plant a Rhieni: Adroddiad ar agweddau a defnyddo'r cyfryngau 2024 (PDF, 1.28 MB)

Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2024 - interactive data

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2024

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This report looks at media use, attitudes and understanding among children and young people aged 3-17.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
East Sussex - Online Safety in 2024 – the UK perspective - 3rd Oct 2024

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NHS Food Scanner app - Healthier Families

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
See healthier swaps and bring food labels to life with the NHS Food Scanner from Better Health. Click for download links or to find out more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Oral health - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out about promoting oral health as part of the early years foundation stage (EYFS).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Internet Watch Foundation - Eliminating Child Sexual Abuse Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Working to protect those sexually abused in childhood and make the internet a safer place by identifying & removing online child sexual abuse images & videos.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Are you being bullied?

If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small.

Visit Childline

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you being bullied? If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small. Visit Childline

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you've experienced or witnessed harm online we can help. Report Harmful Content can help you to report harmful content online by providing up to date information on community standards and direct links to the correct reporting facilities across multiple platforms

Under 18?
Click here for child friendly advice Get advice on how to report abuse and harassment in sport
Close popup boxes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Designed and Developed by South West Grid for Learning (https://swgfl.org.uk/)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Report Harmful Content - We Help You Remove Content

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Helping anyone who comes across harmful content online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Enquiries regarding threats to school or staff reputation and good standing as a result of action online. Typically, a school may get in touch with the helpline after discovering a page on a social network that is using the school name and/ or logo but is not owned or controlled by the school. The page will be a cause of concern as it' posting inappropriate and often abusive content, damaging the school's online reputation. The helpline is able to help manage the online content as well as provide additional advice an support to look at the situation holistically.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Professionals Online Safety Helpline - UK Safer Internet Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A helpline dedicated to support all professionals working with children and young people with any e-safety issues.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As a young person, you are the main target of Safer Internet Day, but that does not mean you are a passive recipient of the collective effort towards the promotion of a better internet that takes place every February. In fact, there are a wealth of opportunities for young people to make their voices heard on matters relating to their safety and wellbeing in the online world, from contacting your national Safer Internet Centre or Safer Internet Day Committee and getting involved in their youth participation schemes, to becoming an advocate of Safer Internet Day on social media by sharing your experience of the digital environment and your aspirations for a better internet - take a look at our social media plans for inspiration. You can also be the change you want to see in the (online) world by being kind and respectful to others online, by protecting your online reputation and that of others, and by seeking out positive opportunities to create, engage and share online.

Parents and carers, you play a crucial role in empowering and supporting children and young people to use digital technologies responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. Indeed, parental influence, guidance and education have a significant and long-lasting impact on children's safety and wellbeing in the online world. Therefore, there are plenty of ways for you to participate in Safer Internet Day, whether it is by ensuring an open dialogue with your children, educating them to use digital technologies safely and positively, or acting as digital role models. To help you achieve that, you may want to have a look at the SID resource gallery, where you'll find a range of resources to use with your children, from information sheets on various online opportunities and risks to conversation starters and even games, which are available in a variety of languages and for a variety of age groups. If you would like to find out more about specific actions and resources in your country, you can get in touch with your local Safer Internet Centre or Safer Internet Day Committee.

As a teacher or educator, there are various ways in which you can get involved in Safer Internet Day. Firstly, the most important way is to raise awareness - talk to your colleagues to plan whole-school actions, and provide a real focus with a day, week or even a month of safer and better internet activities. If you're looking for resources to support you in this, check out the SID resource gallery. Here, you'll find a range of resources from assembly and lesson plans, to printable games to use in the classroom, in a variety of languages and for a variety of age groups. You may also wish to make contact with your local Safer Internet Centre or Safer Internet Day Committee to find out about specific actions in your country. They may also be able to assist with more targeted resources. If your school has a social media account, you can support SID by tweeting and posting about your actions, and sharing our posts too. You can find suggested posts, visuals and covers in our social media plans.

As a representative of an organisation and industry, you are in a direct position to design, shape and adapt the platforms, services and content children and young people interact with on a daily basis. In doing so, you have the power to make a safer and better internet a concrete reality. You may get involved in Safer Internet Day by creating and promoting positive content and safe services online - to support you in doing so, we have designed a best practice guide on positive online content for children which you may find useful. You may also participate in Safer Internet Day by empowering your youngest users to respond to any issues by providing clear safety advice, a range of easy-to-use safety tools, and quick access to support if things do go wrong. Finally, we also encourage you to express your support for Safer Internet Day by posting about your actions on social media and by sharing our posts. You can find suggested posts, visuals and covers in our social media plans which will be published in the autumn of each year as we countdown to the day.

Policy makers and politicians can promote a safer and better internet by putting in place the conditions for the emergence of a culture in which all stakeholders are encouraged and empowered to make the choices that will guarantee that children and young people have the best possible online experiences. As a representative from policy, you may support Safer Internet Day by (re)affirming the need to provide opportunities in the national or local curriculum for children and young people to learn about online safety, digital and media literacy, by ensuring that parents and carers have access to appropriate information and sources of support, and that industry is encouraged to self-regulate its content and services. To make a long-lasting change to the digital environment, you also need to take the lead in governance and legislation in order to ultimately ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people through effective child protection strategies for the digital world.

Every February, Safer Internet Day is an opportunity for millions of people around the world to raise awareness of children and young people's online safety and wellbeing. For this reason, media outlets can truly help multiply the global reach of Safer Internet Day by using this occasion as an opportunity to explore the importance of online safety and digital literacy for children and young people in your media production. To support you in doing so, for each campaign we develop a range of promotional materials - to begin with, take a look at the Safer Internet Day key messages. As the day approaches, we'll provide an infographic and other media assets, and publish a number of news articles about Safer Internet Day celebrations and activities around the world. If you would like to become an advocate of Safer Internet Day, have a look at our social media plans, which are full of inspiration for posts and visuals to lend your support to the day.

Tuesday, 7 February, marked the 20th edition of the global Safer Internet Day under the motto "Together for a better internet". More and more schools, parents and young people contact Child Focus' helpline for questions about online safety or call specialised centres to guide them in their media use. Professionals and parents need tips and tools to assist children and young people in their digital exploration.

Safer Internet Day (SID) has become a global landmark event in the online safety calendar with 2023 being its 20th year. Safer Internet Day is an EU wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people.

iSIGURT.al, the national platform for a safe internet in Albania, which also functions as the national line for children's internet safety, is a national service established by CRCA/ECPAT Albania in 2015. It has as its main mission the reporting and removal of harmful materials on the internet, social networks and online media that contain sexual violence against children and adolescents, bullying and extreme violence against children and young people, as well as the language of hate crimes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Home - Safer Internet Day - BIK Community

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Safer Internet Day (SID) is organised by Insafe in February of each year to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people in Europe and across the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Childnet - Family Agreement - online safety