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New resource funded by £25k from Morrisons Foundation

A brand new technology training room for foster carers and adopters to learn the skills they need to safeguard the children in their care has been opened by leading UK children’s charity Barnardo’s. The room is based in the North East Fostering and Adoption office, in Lumley Court in Chester-le-Street .

The equipment and training will allow foster carers and adopters to work with confidence around social media applications and websites, such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. It will help Barnardo’s staff demonstrate the risks and issues around the internet effectively and get the safeguarding message across to some of the most vulnerable young people in the North East.

Alison Rowland, Assistant Head of Business Family Placement East, said: “It is great to have this resource available to spread this vital message. All children can be at risk of sexual exploitation when going online and interacting with strangers, even if they have a supportive home environment. What can start as an innocent and harmless chat with a ‘friend’, can very quickly develop into a dangerous relationship with devastating consequences.

“That’s why it’s crucial carers can make the children they foster or adopt aware of the dangers online and explain how to keep themselves safe. I’d like to thank the Morrisons Foundation for supporting us to help us keep some very vulnerable young people safe online.”