Online Safety Audit - For parents / Foster Carers & Supervising Social Workers

Alex Clapson – V.2 22-01-18 [email protected] 07855 636535

Online Safety Audit

For Foster Carers & their Supervising Social Workers

mailto:[email protected]


Control Comments Date Completed

Parental filters

These control what online content can be accessed

through the internet. Parental filters can be applied at three levels:

1. With the Internet Service Provider (ISP)

Many ISP’s including Virgin, TalkTalk, Sky, BT provide free parental filters. Check – who is their ISP provider? Apply

free parental filter. 2. At the router – the box your computer connects

to the internet with

Some routers have inbuilt parental filters. Check if the router has this function – if yes, apply filters & time

controls. 3. On the device itself - laptop, mobile phone,

tablet, home computer / P.C. etc.

Have they installed parental control software & if yes, which one? If not, install software (There are many

available including: Net Nanny & ESET).

Internet time limits

Have time limits & restrictions been set?

If not, according to the age & needs of the child / young person, set a time limit for internet availability using the

parental filters – For example: 9am until 8pm

Password Security

Have separate passwords for:

Parental controls / filters

Banking

Online shopping

Social Media (Facebook etc.)

Email account/s Have the Foster Carers created separate safe passwords?

Explain the importance of keeping passwords private &

never sharing them. Identity theft is easy once the password is known. Have the Foster Carers discussed password security with the child?

Creating strong passwords is easy. Avoid the obvious: any

names within the household including pets. Use a made up word (not one found in a dictionary word) & include a mix

of UPPER case & lower case letters, numbers & symbols. There’s also a free password manager – see Lastpass Have the Foster Carers created strong passwords?

Unsupervised birth family contact

Once children are old enough to have access to Social Media through mobile phones, tablets, laptops etc. it is

almost impossible to prevent contact between birth families & children who are looked after.



Regular communication with children regarding their use of Social Media combined with being ‘friends’ with them online can help to keep them safe. Have the Foster Carers discussed the risks with the child?

Check the Care Plan to see what guidance it offers regarding contact. Are there any identified risks with unsupervised

contact? What other measures can be put in place?

Public Wifi

Most publicly available Wifi is not filtered (free Wifi in coffee shops, shops, hotels etc.). You will need to apply parental

controls on devices including tablets & mobile phones.

Separate family accounts

P.C. / Home computer – create separate accounts for each member of the household & apply filters for each user,

allowing them access to appropriate content. Have separate accounts been created?

Gaming devices

Many games machines including X-box, PSP / Play Station etc. are connected to the internet. Filters can be applied at the ISP or router level. Have filters been applied?

Not all online gaming is suitable for all ages. What steps have been taken to ensure that games are age appropriate?

Tablet devices

When used in the home environment, the home ISP /

router can be set to apply filters. ESET software includes mobile devices such as phones & tablets. Have filters been applied?

iPod Touch

This has internet access & may need filters applied. Have filters been applied?

Mobile phones

Mobile phone network providers will set up Parental Filters on request. Have Parental Filters been set up?

Webcams – including those on TV’s

If children have webcams on devices in their bedrooms

(including internet enabled televisions & computers), ensure that measures are in place to ensure that the cameras are turned off. Have webcams been turned off?

Communication

The best form of online safety. The Foster Carers need to

spend time with the child when they are online. What time have they allocated for online time with the

child?



Google Alerts Set up Google Alerts with the names of all members of the

household. When items are posted online about people

with that name, you will be notified. Have Google Alerts been set up?

Monitoring credential leaks

https://haveibeenpwned.com/ is a website which monitors credential leaks. Sign up for free with your email

address/es & receive an alert as & when they appear for trade on the darkweb. Cybercrime is becoming increasing frequent - criminals hack into a website & steal user

account emails & passwords. They then check if you have reused the password on a different website so that they

can gain access to your data including credit card & other personal details. The credentials are often sold on to other criminals for similar purposes.

Use the same website to check your email address to see if it has been stolen before. (Mine was stolen during the

Linkedin breach & Bitly breach & it was also traded in two different spambot leaks!) Is credential leaks monitoring in place?

Don't panic; ensure that passwords aren’t reused - anywhere. Have the Foster Carers created separate safe

passwords for each of their online accounts?

Anti-virus / Anti-spyware software

Anti-virus & Anti-spyware software can help protect

devices online from hacking / identity theft. Highly recommend - Comodo Anti-Virus – It’s free & is one

of the best out there (they also do a paid version with more whistles & bells but the free version is good enough for most people). Has Anti-virus / Anti-spyware software been installed?

Cyber Bullying & Online Safety Training

Discuss Cyber Bullying & Online Safety with the Foster

Carer. Has the Foster Carer attended Cyber Bullying training? Has the Foster Carer attended Online Safety training?

Signed: Social Worker

Signed: Foster Carer Date


https://haveibeenpwned.com/