Our programme prioritises face-to-face activities. Children’s phones, smartwatches with communication or camera functions and personal gaming devices stay switched off or appropriately restricted and stored during sessions, unless an individual medical, accessibility or agreed communication arrangement applies. Parents contact children through the duty number. Staff explain the arrangements before attendance.

No one may record another child or worker without authorisation. Cameras and recording are prohibited in toilets and changing areas. Children are not punished for needing an assistive or medical device. Any temporary safekeeping of a device is logged and it is returned through a clear handover.

Staff use approved devices and club accounts for work. They do not message children privately, follow them through personal social accounts or use disappearing messages for club communication. Contact goes through parents and authorised systems. Personal devices are not used to store children’s information or photographs.

Where a planned activity uses the internet, the manager checks age suitability, privacy settings, supervision and suitable filtering or monitoring. Children are not required to open personal social-media accounts or disclose unnecessary personal details. Staff explain how to report unwanted contact, upsetting content, bullying or pressure to share images.

If harmful content or contact is discovered, stop the exposure, support the child and alert the safeguarding lead. Preserve appropriate factual evidence securely without forwarding illegal imagery, asking children to resend it or conducting an intrusive investigation. Seek police or specialist advice where necessary. Parents are informed where safe and appropriate.

We assess new apps and connected devices before use. Any online service specifically offered to children requires an additional privacy and safeguarding review; the public parent-facing website is not approval to launch child accounts, chat features or online learning platforms.