Social Media Toolkit 2022-2023

The core guidance document explores a range of frequently asked questions and contains supporting material to enable education leaders to consider the best approach for their setting and to ensure safe and appropriate use of social media.

These questions include:

• “Why do educational settings need to consider using social media tools?”
• “How can my educational setting make the use of social media safer?”
• “What should I do if a member of the community posts something negative online about my setting?”
• "How can leaders and managers work with parents/carers running unofficial social media communication channels?"

The Social Media Toolkit contains advice which can be shared with staff if they are using social media professionally, as well as a useful checklist for official and tools which can be adapted by educational settings to identity and explore potential benefits and risks.

The toolkit also contains the following resources which can be used and adapted by settings:

• template letters for parental engagement and awareness
• template disclaimers for use on Social Media sites
• template Acceptable Use Policies for staff and parent run official social media channels
• FAQ guides relating to help leaders consider safe use of popular social media websites (Facebook Pages, Facebook Groups, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter).

The Social Media Toolkit contains a range of practical suggestions for settings to consider as part of their long term safeguarding and engagement approaches and will provide leaders with guidance and tools which can scaffold and evidence their decision making with regards to the official use of social media within their setting.

The resources within the toolkit are in line with national education safeguarding requirements and recommended best practice and signposts to a variety of national support available.

The resources can and should be adapted by settings to reflect their own local context and will enable leaders to provide appropriate information to staff, children and parents/carers which should help ensure that safeguarding their community online remains a key priority.