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Safeguarding Refresher

Training

Academic Year 2025-2026

Safeguarding is everybody’s business

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TRAINING AGREEMENT & SELF CARE

Talking about child abuse can be a distressing and sensitive issue. Please ensure that you look after yourself and colleagues if you are affected by the training.

Confidentiality.

Respect each other’s views.

Please switch your phones to silent.

Time keeping.

Please ask questions – no question is a silly one!

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What’s coming up?

Changes in statutory guidance

Harm Outside the Home and Safer Connections

Online Safety

Safer Working Practice

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Online Safety

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Protecting children from harms online

Platforms must now demonstrate how they are effectively:
Identifying and protecting child users

Configuring algorithms to block harmful content

Preventing inappropriate adult-child interactions

Tackling emerging harms such as NCII and digitally altered sexual imagery

As you may be aware the Online Safety Act has now come into force. It is aimed at making social media platforms more accountable to protect children and young people from accessing harmful content.

The purpose of the Act:

Designed to make the UK “the safest place in the world to be online.”

Protects both children and adults from illegal and harmful online content.

Applies to user-to-user services, search engines, and pornography services, even if hosted outside the UK.

Platforms must prevent children from accessing harmful or age-inappropriate content.

Services must conduct Children’s Access Assessments and implement age assurance measures.

Illegal content duties:

Platforms must:

Mitigate risks of illegal content appearing.
Remove illegal content swiftly.
Operate a complaints process.

New criminal offences have been introduced:

Encouraging or assisting serious self-harm
Cyberflashing - when someone sends an unsolicited sexual image—usually of genitals—to another person without their consent, using digital means
Sending false information to cause harm
Threatening communications
Intimate image abuse
Epilepsy trolling - when someone deliberately sends flashing images—such as GIFs or videos—to a person with epilepsy, knowing it could trigger a seizure.

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Discussion Point – 5 minutes in groups

What types of AI are you aware of?

What do you understand about your settings policies and procedures around the use of AI?

Where might children come into contact with AI?

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�What does AI stand for?�a) Automated Interface�b) Artificial Intelligence�c) Advanced Internet�d) Applied Innovation��Which of the following is a potential risk of using AI in schools?�a) Improved lesson planning�b) Bias in decision-making�c) Enhanced student engagement�d) Faster marking��What is the best way to ensure AI tools are used safely in school?�a) Let students explore freely�b) Follow school policies and training�c) Use AI only for marking�d) Avoid AI completely��

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�What does AI stand for?�a) Automated Interface�b) Artificial Intelligence�c) Advanced Internet�d) Applied Innovation��Which of the following is a potential risk of using AI in schools?�a) Improved lesson planning�b) Bias in decision-making�c) Enhanced student engagement�d) Faster marking��What is the best way to ensure AI tools are used safely in school?�a) Let students explore freely�b) Follow school policies and training�c) Use AI only for marking�d) Avoid AI completely��

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Artificial Intelligence Guidance - CEOP

To support the launch of this vital new resource on AI-generated child sexual abuse material, CEOP have created a social media pack featuring suggested messaging and supporting visuals for use online and in newsletters - helping you raise awareness and share guidance with your networks.

DOWNLOAD SOCIAL MEDIA PACK

CEOP have developed some guidance and a social media pack to support raising awareness of and responding to AI-generated Child Sexual Abuse Material sometimes referred to as (CSAM)

Overview

Generative AI can create realistic images, videos, and text. While it offers educational and creative benefits, it also introduces serious risks to children’s safety—especially through the creation and misuse of AI-generated CSAM.

The key risks identified:

AI-generated CSAM: AI can be used to create indecent images of children, including modifying existing photos to appear sexualised (“nudifying”).
Bullying and Harassment: AI tools are being used to bully, sexually harass, and groom children.
Blackmail and Extortion: AI-generated images may be used to threaten or manipulate children and families.
Exposure to Harmful Content: Children may encounter inappropriate or illegal content through algorithms or peer sharing.
Misinformation: AI can spread false or misleading information that affects children’s beliefs and wellbeing.

The legal and safeguarding implications:

Creating or sharing AI-generated CSAM is a criminal offence, even if the image is not of a real child.
The law aims to protect children, not criminalise them—especially in cases where young people share images of themselves.
Viewing or sharing harmful content is always a safeguarding concern, regardless of intent.

The impact on children of AI generated CSAM:

It’s important to remember that

Children may feel scared, confused, or ashamed.
Harmful content can influence behaviour, self-image, and relationships.
Some children may actively seek out harmful content due to underlying issues.