Download Guidelines for youth workers engaging with youth using internet

St Johns Church guidelines for youth workers
engaging with youth using internet, email, mobile
phone and social networking.
These guidelines relate to communication between youth workers and youth
using internet, email, mobile phone and social networking. For many young
people they use these methods of communicating all the time. When used
effectively and safely they can be extremely effective tools to help connect, build
relationship, organise events and inspire youth.
These guidelines are designed to clarify the necessary boundaries and create
accountability to safeguard both the youth worker and the young people.
The aim is to promote "visible" communication. These guidelines explain how to keep
the same boundaries, and follow same safeguarding practice as in the physical world.
Safe guarding policies promote that one to one conversations with youth
happen in full site of others. You would not go and visit a young person in their
bedroom or their house when they are alone. It’s sobering to consider this in the
context of communication via email, social network sites and texts, which can mostly
be made in private.
Youth workers communicating with young people via the internet, social networking or
mobile phone must be CRB checked and have read St Johns young people’s
safeguarding policy.
What and how we communicate:
The youth team has around 10 youth workers involved. Not every youth worker
needs to communicate with youth or their parents over internet, email, mobile phone
and social networking. Your level and method of interaction should mirror the
relationship that you have with the youth (i.e. a youth worker leading a Sunday
morning session can build relationship at church on Sundays and at youth events).
Those who lead the youth work, are involved in specific projects and will need greater
levels of communication with both parents and youth.
Between youth workers and parents:
 The youth minister and youth assistant communicate via group emails with
parents. These emails are usually about practical arrangements. Parents can
RSVP one-on-one to the worker and do not need to copy the group in.
 The above also occasionally communicate via text. This is generally to confirm
meeting times / to say they are running late / plans have changed. Text is
generally used when communication is urgent and is not about discussing
concerns.
Between youth workers and youth:
 There is a facebook group ‘Legacy’, which is a closed group for youth and all
youth workers. Youth and youth workers personally choose whether to join the
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group. The group is used to communicate about events and have conversation.
All members of the group see the messages.
All of the youth leader team can use all methods of communication with the
youth. They can also opt out of using any of the methods of communication.
Primarily communication is around arranging gatherings, but it is also used to
provide support and build relationship with the youth.
Between youth and youth workers:
 The facebook group. As above.
 Texts and e-mails used, and phone calls when necessary.
 Youth may need to or want to contact a youth leader via internet, phone, social
network. Primarily communication is to arrange gatherings, but it may also be
to ask for support.
General recommendations:
 Communication should be from a specific account/address known to the young
people, parents or guardians.
 One-to-one communication between a worker and a young person should
predominantly happen face to face in full site of others.
 Youth must be made aware of these guidelines by the youth leader. They will also
know what their own guidelines are.
 Clear and unambiguous language should be used in all communications. Avoid
abbreviations that could be mis-interpreted.
Mobile Phones:
 Parents, youth workers, youth worship leaders and youth can opt out of
communicating via text.
 When communicating try to send group texts and communicate that this is a group
text – i.e. “hi everyone”
 Texts that raise concerns should be saved and passed on to the appointed youth
leader at St Johns. Conversations raising concerns should be discussed and
written up as soon as possible.
 The content of a text needs to be brief and unambiguous.
 Youth workers should not encourage an exclusive text relationship.
Email:
 Parents, youth workers and youth can opt out of communicating via email.
 Parents can opt out of group email messages by request.
 Emails that raise concerns should be saved and passed on to the appointed youth
leader at St Johns. Concerns should be discussed as soon as possible.
 In the guidelines for youth, they will be made aware that the appointed youth leader
at St Johns has access to the conversations.
 Do not use video or Voice messenger.
Facebook & Social Networking Sites:
St Johns Church agrees with the Facebook terms and conditions that a young
person should be 13 years or older to join Facebook.
If you are on facebook and use it to connect with St Johns and the youth consider that
parents and the youth are looking up to you and will often follow you for inspiration,
guidance, and hope. On the other hand, others will follow you to get an inside track to
see whether you fit their mold of an acceptable youth worker. Like it or not, the reality
of facebook is that a you are always watched closely!
 Parents, youth workers and youth can opt out of communicating via facebook.
 Youth workers with personal social networking accounts should customise their
privacy settings in order to maintain the boundaries between their personal lives
and youth work. They should avoid uploading inappropriate personal information.
 The best way of engaging is through the group page. This page is closed, and not
open to the general public. The youth leader appointed by St Johns should retain
administrative rights and moderate the group, only sharing those rights with a
supervisor and other trusted workers.
 Avoid private conversations and messaging youth where possible. Try to keep
messages public and for all to see. If a youth wants to talk to you about an issue or
a problem, try to do it face to face in full site of others.
 If you upload pictures of youth you must (1) have written permission of parents and
verbal of the youth (2) keep your privacy settings to the photo/album limited to
sharing in the group page (3) do not tag youth, allow the youth to tag themselves.
 Any content that raise concerns should be saved/printed and passed on to the
appointed youth leader at St Johns. Concerns should be discussed as soon as
possible.
 Workers should only accept friend requests for this profile from young people
known to them, that they have met offline.
Implementation
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Communicate policy to parents and add to the church website policy
section
Communicate this to the young people, holding a session about their
use of facebook/media to communicate with others.
Come back and review the policy regularly and communicate to the
youth at different times throughout the year.