The Foster Care Co-operative (FCC) are hosting their own conference, on the subject of e-safety for children.

The conference, entitled ‘Your Child’s Digital World’, will be a showcase of good practice, training and awareness on everything cyber – but with vulnerable children in mind.

Young people’s online world encompasses social media, gaming and a host of apps. With smart phones and tablets giving them easy access to these cyber tools, it begs the question: how truly safe are they?

Let’s be clear.  Developers who create these tools for our children don’t intend for them to be used maliciously, or invade a person’s privacy.  It is unfortunately down to external threats who take advantage of the fact that these games, apps and online resources are being accessed by children.

The ‘Your Child’s Digital World’ conference aims to look at these potential risks and threats, along with general e-safety for vulnerable children and young people in care. Organised and presented by FCC’s e-safety specialist and supervising social worker, Lynn Findlay, the event will take place on Tuesday 5th February 2019, at The Carlton Park Hotel, Rotherham from 9.30am-4.30pm.

As well as being a Senior Supervising Social Worker at FCC, Lynn Findlay delivers training programmes and writes a monthly blog on online safety issues called ‘Understanding your child’s digital world’. She has also written articles for regional and national publications such as The Guardian.

There are a number of speakers confirmed for the conference.  Cath Knibbs, the UK’s leading Cyber trauma consultant, therapist and researcher, will be a keynote speaker.  Cath writes extensively about children’s cyberspace engagement and contributes to an online safely magazine for schools called #DITTO.  She also presents at national and international conferences including those organised by The Centre for Child Mental Health (CCMH), NSPCC and The Marie Collins Foundation. She is currently writing her second book.