UK Council for Child Internet Safety launches working groups
On March 26th 2009 Children's Minister Delyth Morgan 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 to take forward the recommendations made in 2008's Byron Review.
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."
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.
The launch of these groups will build on the work developed since the launch of the council to deliver on the
recommendations in the Byron Review. These include:
• 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 above groups and 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/