Children's Minister Announces Members of Child Internet Safety Groups
UK Council for Child Internet Safety launches working groups to take forward the Byron Review recommendations -
Children’s Minister Delyth Morgan today announced the membership for four groups of professionals tasked with taking forward the work of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS).
Formed in September 2008, UKCCIS is a forum of over 100 stakeholders who have been busy laying the groundwork for the UK’s first ever Child Internet Safety Strategy.
The Council has established four working groups to take forward priority actions over the coming year and leading the groups will be four respected senior figures from the world of child internet safety.
Children’s Minister, Delyth Morgan said: “Firstly I would like to thank the chairs for heading up the groups who will drive forward this Government’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of Professor Byron’s review. I am also grateful to the many stakeholders who have offered their services free of charge to take forward the work of each group."
“These groups will enable us to swiftly carry forward the work urgently needed to ensure children and young people are rightfully protected from harmful material contained within new technologies and media.”
Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said;
“I am pleased these four new working groups on the UK Council have been established to drive forward the UK’s first ever Child Internet Safety Strategy and would like to thank the four experts who have agreed to lead this vitally important work.
“We can be proud of the UK’s reputation for delivering child protection online but we should never be complacent. By working in partnership we can intensify our efforts to protect young people.”
The working groups are as follows:
Industry standards:
Chaired by Amanda Jordan, Chair and co-founder, Corporate Citizenship
Aim: To develop clearer common standards (in the form of codes of practice or other guidelines) that are adopted, monitored and consistent with EU partners and are widely recognised as good practice.
Better education:
Chaired by Niel McLean, Executive Director, Becta
Aim: To ensure that children, families and the children’s workforce have access to consistent and comprehensive support and information that improves their knowledge, skills and understanding of internet safety.
Video games:
Chaired by Brian Leonard, Retired Director at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, previous roles included responsibility for the Byron Review
Aim: To ensure that children and young people have a safer gaming experience and parents are aware of the issues, and support mechanisms around gaming.
Public information and awareness:
Chaired by Clive Michel, Head of Communications and Public Awareness, Child Exploitation & Online Protection (CEOP)
Aim: To develop a comprehensive and joined-up public awareness campaign on internet safety for children and families based on consistent messages which forms the basis of the one stop shop for all aspects of internet safety.
Further details of the members of each working group can be found on the council’s website at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/ukccis/
The launch of the working groups will build on the work that has been underway since the launch of the council to deliver on the recommendations in the Byron Review. These include commissioning:
• the development of the Know IT All e-safety resource for primary teachers with TDA and Becta;
• an assessment by Trading Standards on the enforcement of the existing law on underage games sales;
• research to ‘map’ the public’s online behaviour in terms of identifying sources of online safety advice that will support the establishment of a ‘one stop shop’;
• and providing in kind and financial support to CEOP in promoting Safer Internet Day 2009.
Further details on the work of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety including regular newsletters on progress can be found at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/ukccis/