A mobile phone is a huge part of a young person’s life. It is how they chat with friends, listen to music, and feel connected. For children in foster care, a smartphone can also be an important way to stay in touch with birth family members and keep a sense of identity.
At the same time, having a phone comes with real risks, from cyberbullying to encountering inappropriate content or people online. Keeping a child safe requires a careful balance. We want to protect them from harm without making them feel isolated or cut off from their peers, which can easily damage trust.
The Upcoming Under-16 Social Media Ban
You’ve probably seen the recent news about the government’s plans to ban social media for anyone under 16. It was announced on the 15th of June, with Parliament set to vote on it later this year and the new rules expected to come into force by spring 2027.
It’s a massive change, but meanwhile, children are still using their phones today. Whether it’s group chats or messaging, devices are simply a big part of modern life.
Practical Steps for the Home
Whatever happens with the law in the future, the day-to-day boundaries we set at home right now are still our best way to keep children safe. With that in mind, here is a practical guide to help you manage mobile phone safety in your home, ensuring your foster child can use their phone safely.
- Check the Care Plan First
Before setting any household rules around phones, it is essential to look at the child’s specific Care Plan and risk assessments.
- Understand their history: For some young people, mobile phones or social media may have been involved in past difficult experiences or exploitation.
- Manage contact safely: The Care Plan will outline exactly who the child is allowed to contact (such as birth parents or siblings) and how. If you ever notice unapproved or upsetting contact happening through their phone, it is important to document it and let your supervising social worker know straight away.
- Agree on House Rules Together
Setting boundaries works best when it is a conversation rather than a list of demands. Sitting down together to agree on how phones are used helps set clear expectations from the start.
- Phone-free times: Agree on moments when phones are put away, such as during family mealtimes.
- Bedtime routines: Consider having all devices, including your own, charged downstairs or in a communal area overnight. This helps encourage better sleep and stops unsupervised late-night scrolling.
- App downloads: Make it clear that downloading new apps or buying extras inside a game needs permission first, so you don’t get hit with unexpected costs.
- Practical Safety Settings
While technology cannot replace open conversation, a few simple settings on the device can provide peace of mind:
- Turn off location sharing: Many apps automatically attach a location to photos or show exactly where a person is in real-time. Check the phone’s settings to ensure “location services” are turned off for social media apps.
- Keep accounts private: Work with the young person to ensure their social media profiles are set to “private” so only approved friends can see their posts. Remind them only to accept requests from people they actually know in real life.
- Protect their privacy: Make sure they understand not to post photos that show recognisable details, like the front of your house or their school uniform.
- Build a Culture of Trust
The best safety tool you have is a child’s willingness to talk to you when something goes wrong. If a young person sees something upsetting, gets a nasty message, or makes a mistake online, they need to know they can come to you without getting into trouble.
- Avoid taking the phone away immediately: If they tell you about a problem, try to stay calm. Reacting by instantly confiscating the phone can teach them to hide things from you in the future.
- Show them how to block and report: Teach them how to use the block and report buttons on their favourite apps, and reassure them that they always have the right to block anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable.
A Note on Privacy
Completely unmonitored phone use is rarely safe for a vulnerable young person, but secretly spying on their messages can break down the vital bond of trust between you. Instead, aim for open supervision; ask them about the videos they like, play games together, and keep conversations about staying safe a normal, everyday part of family life.
For further advice or to update a placement’s risk assessment regarding phone use, reach out to the team at Banya.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
