Diocese of Lichfield

Social Media and Youth People Guidance

This document forms guidance, and is designed to help and support PCCs in promoting good practice. If you need the policy of the Diocese of Lichfield in online communications, it is set out in the Email Signature Policy and Social Media Policy for LBDF employees, clergy and church workers.

These guidelines are designed to guide and help churches in:

…as we engage with others via Social Media

1.  Context

  1. Social Media are an integral part to how the majority of young people live and interact. The majority of young people have grown-up with access to this technology, and rely on it as a substantial method of communication and engaging with the world. For many young people, social media are ubiquitous, accessible from all their other arenas (home, school, youth club, etc). Social media have a significant impact on their social development.
  2. In areas of significant deprivation, only 40% of households have internet access. Social Media exclude young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds and cannot be the sole form of communication while internet access is not open to all.
  3. Just like other means of engagement and interaction (face-to-face conversation, phone calls, group meetings, written letters, banter, gossip in the local shop) it is a neutral environment with good and bad potential: relationships can be strengthened; encouragement, empathy, friendship, inspiration and joy shared; hasty and hurtful words regretted; bullying and crime committed; deceptions created. It has particular hazards and precautions which are the main concerns of this document.
  4. Social Media give scope for projecting image and presentation. Users choose who they want to be, and which parts of themselves they want to show to the world. Identity in the Social Media domain is inevitably a partial reflection of users. This has a knock-on effect in pressure to carefully manage one’s image, appearance and behaviour. Social Media is even used by some to fabricate new identities or impersonate others.
  5. Online Etiquette is a developing and ever-changing culture. Social Media brings into question private/public boundaries and values. Due to its nature, social media is both open to, and a forum for, abuse and bullying (including ‘fraping’ & ‘trolling’)

2.  Safeguarding

  1. With acknowledgement to the document, “’Protecting All God’s Children’ The Policy for Safeguarding Children in the Church of England”, and in accordance with good Safeguarding practise, we are committed to take all possible steps to protect young people from significant harm or risk when using the internet or any other form of technology.
  2. We also recognise the importance of establishing and updating procedures to ensure those engaged in this ministry are protected whilst they work with children and young people. These Diocese of Lichfield Guidelines on Social Networking in Youth Work will be reviewed every two years under the guidance of the Diocesan Safeguarding Committee.
  3. While these guidelines are a starting point, all youth workers are responsible for reading any policies approved by Diocesan Synod and their PCC regarding safeguarding and communication matters and must adhere to current policies.
  4. At the end of this document is a References section which relates to specific parts of these guidelines.

e.  While this document refers on the whole to youth workers, this is a broad definition that is equally useful to all leaders in churches who involve young people in their activities – music groups/choirs, sides-people, sacristy teams, flower rotas, bell ringers…

3.  Social Media & Youth Work

The Social Media environment is one context among many in which young people spend time; and one among many that is suitable for youth work engagement.

  1. Look Who’s Talking: As there is no guarantee about who will receive any communication, youth workers should assume that everything they write/post is in the public domain (even if it is through a private platform such as direct messaging, text or email). Young People aren’t always savvy about protecting their privacy settings or using passwords on their devices. Private and confidential information is not suitable for any electronic or online communication.
  2. A youth worker should always consider their role when engaging young people, especially in the virtual environment. In the main, Social Media can be used for promoting project profiles and events and/or as a setting for maintaining and developing existing youth work relationships. Projects and workers must be clear about the purpose of their Social Media interactions in order to discern best practice.
  3. A youth worker should consider their personal/professional boundaries when engaging with young people. What impact will information they share about themselves in the public domain have on the professional relationship, and how will this impact upon role-modelling? Professionals must also consider the opposite effect on integrity and holistic relationships when crafting or separating their public image. It may be helpful to have separate accounts for personal and work use - even if a youth worker is a perfect role model online, some of their friends may post unsuitable material on his/her personal profile.
  4. It is not appropriate for youth workers to have private non-work related contact with children and young people with whom they are engaged in ministry via Social Media.

4.  Safeguarding Relationships

Social Media raises ethical issues about the ways in which youth work engages young people. Youth workers should be clear about their intentions and their methods.

  1. A youth worker should decide on the appropriateness of actively following young people on Social Media, especially if access is available from the home environment either for worker or young person. Other adults within churches are advised not to make friend-requests of young people: let young people initiate online relationships of their choosing. There are benefits for young people in having trustworthy adult friends who may watch out for them, especially when friending a parent is ‘uncool’.
  2. If following/friending young people on Social Media, a youth worker should consider what to do with information they find. They may wish to confront online issues in the real world; but youth workers should be aware of the impact of observing and policing the Social Media environment may have on relationships and engagement.

c.  Youth workers (like all internet users) should be aware of and alert for situations that require (without alerting online parties) referral to Parish or Diocesan Safeguarding officers, social services, CEOP or the police.

  1. A youth worker should consider the environment in which communication occurs. Recorded and/or public communication is considerably safer than unrecorded/private conversations (both online and in the ‘real world’). Most Social Media tools have the capacity to save direct/private messages, although they should be stored carefully (in line with Data Storage policies).
  2. Youth workers should make their line manager, youth group leader or supervisor aware that they are using electronic communication, and ideally this must be set up as part of a group communication and not on an individual basis.

5.  Parental awareness and consent

  1. Parental consent for using electronic forms of communication is essential and should be included in annual consent forms or by letter with a return slip agreeing to the use of specific forms of communication. The consent form must outline what means will be used for communication and what you will be communicating.
  2. It is important to explain this policy and practice to parents and carers and seek to ensure they are aware and are happy with the use electronic communication and what types of electronic communication are being used.

6.  Language

All language should be appropriate and where possible ‘standard responses’ should be used. (if you have sent an email out containing event details and receive a reply asking for further details, create a standard response with additional details so that all young people receive the same information). Workers and volunteers should take great care over the language used so as to reduce any scope for misinterpretation. When sending communications such as text messages or emails workers should not use inappropriately informal language as this can often be misunderstood and lead to further complications.

7.  Hours of communication

Other than for exceptional reasons, youth workers should not contact children or young people using any form of social media outside normal daytime hours; be sensitive to avoid communicating with young people during the normal hours of the school day.

8.  Facebook and similar social networking sites

a.  Youth workers should NOT have children or young people for whom they have ministerial responsibility added as ‘friends’ to their personal social networking page. A dedicated Facebook Group, or other similar medium, should be established, with at least two authorised administrators who should also be authorised workers, specifically for the use of a project or youth group: to which only recognised members of that group can be admitted; and only if they are over the required minimum age limit for such a group. (The minimum age for Facebook is 13 years.)

b.  Youth workers should only use this agreed social networking account for contact with children and young people with whom they are working. This should be an account that is set up specifically for this purpose on behalf of a group rather than an individual (i.e. use project accounts, never personal accounts). The security setting for which should be of the highest appropriate level and the group closed to membership of all but those for whom the group is intended.

c.  It is possible to set up a group via your personal Facebook account but ensure that your personal settings are secure and have limited viewing. It is possible also to set the Facebook group privacy settings so they can’t see the profiles of others who have joined. (Look under Account, Privacy settings on Facebook). Youth workers should not use their personal social networking or instant messaging accounts for contact with children and young people.

d.  Youth workers should seek to ensure that their personal profiles on any social networking sites should be set to the highest form of security to avoid young people accessing personal information or seeing any pictures of a personal nature.

e.  Each social networking platform needs understanding before engaging with young people using it. For example, the Snapchat platform is becoming very popular among students allowing instant messaging and photos to be shared while partying while saving embarrassment the following morning as the platform deletes content as soon as it is viewed. This immediate deletion of content makes it unsuitable for Youth Work and professional contexts as it removes all means of accountability and protection.

9.  Definitions and notes relating to this document

a.  A child or young person is anyone under the age of 18 years old and designated as a minor under statute law.

b.  A worker, children’s and or youth worker, youth pastor, youth minister, church officer or other minister is anyone appointed by or on behalf of the Church or parish to a post or role, whether they are ordained or lay, paid or unpaid. As defined in paragraph 1.27 of Protecting All God’s Children:

  1. ‘Internet’ communication specifically refers to the use of: Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and any other web sites of a similar nature.
  2. ‘Email’ communication specifically refers to the use of: Emails including written text and/or pictures sent from personal or work accounts.
  3. ‘Text’ communications relate to SMS messages sent between mobile phones and online group messaging programs.

c.  Where consultation with a worker’s line manager is advised in this document, it may be more appropriate to inform another colleague as well as the line Manager. It is good practice to have a communication policy that all are aware of and adhere to.

d.  With regards to young people who have left the group or are now over the age of 18 yrs, please use discretion with regards to this policy and seek advice where necessary.

10.  References

  1. This Policy works in conjunction with the document “Protecting All God’s Children” The Policy for Safeguarding Children in the Church of England; and also with the safeguarding policy for children and vulnerable adults approved by the Parochial Church Council of the Parish of Bushbury.
  2. In addition this document was formulated from the following supporting documents:

Methodist Children Youth – Internet, email, texting communication guidelines. The Methodist Church
Social Networking Services & Social Media. Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Using Social Networking Services and Social Media. Children Protection in Sport Unit.
Best Practice: Social Media and Electronic Communication with Young People. Netball England.
Streetspace Social Media & Electronic Communication document. Frontier Youth Trust
Parish of Bushbury Social Networking Policy

  1. There are numerous resources online and in print about about safe use of the internet including Dr Bex Lewis’ Raising Children in a Digital Age (Lion Books 2014)
  2. Many local councils / police are delighted to lead seminars on e-safety for parents.
  3. There are sources that say more about photos & social media (see http://bigbible.org.uk/2013/04/how-should-churches-handle-photos-online/ for example)

Last updated: 11/3/2014 SCJ

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