Social Media Policy

Policy

DOCUMENT DETAILS

Document Owner	Office of the Director
Approval Date	20 February 2019
Release Date	02 April 2019
Compliance Date	01 February 2020
Review Date	01 December 2021
Updated	NA

introduction and context

INTRODUCTION

Education Policy in Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) is developed to support the implementation of consistent and comprehensive practices to guide quality Catholic learning and teaching in the systemic schools of the Diocese of Wollongong.

Education Policy is developed within the context of documents and frameworks. These include:

CONTEXT

Social media is used in Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) to help create vibrant Catholic school communities of faith and learning. In this context, social media is any form of online presence used in a valid educational context that facilitates inclusive relationships, contemporary communities and multi-directional interactive exchange of information, conversation or activity. Users of social media are required to manage their digital footprint by interacting responsibly and ethically, in line with our Catholic ethos, respecting the dignity of all involved.

This Policy has been developed to support CEDoW, schools and staff to minimise the reputational risk of individuals, schools and/or CEDoW. It also ensures that schools meet their compliance requirements with the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth).

EXPECTATIONS

It is anticipated that schools and staff take reasonable measures to meet all expectations of this Policy.

The Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) Social Media Policy must be implemented in conjunction with the following policies and documents where relevant:

• CEDoW Staff Responsible Technology Use of Technology Policy
• CEDoW Student Responsible Use of Technology Agreement
• CEDoW Code of Conduct in the Protection of Children and Young People
• CEDoW Complaints and Grievances Policy and Procedure
• CEDoW Emergencies and Critical Incidents Policy
• CEDoW Enrolment Policy
• CEDoW Knowledge Management Policy
• CEDoW Maintaining Right Relationships
• CEDoW Obligation for Reporting to Police
• CEDoW Student Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Policy
• CEDoW Social Media Statement and Standards
• CEDoW Staff Relations Policy
• CEDoW Suspension, Expulsion and Exclusion Policy
• CEDoW Supervision Policy
• CEDoW Work Health and Safety Policy
• Catholic Schools NSW Privacy Compliance Manual

1 SOCIAL MEDIA FOR LEARNING AND WELLBEING

sCHOOLS MUST:

1.1	deliver the CEDoW Digital Citizenship Program to all students each year
1.2	ensure all Staff complete the CEDoW Digital Citizenship Program each year
1.3	provide the CEDoW Social Media Statement to personnel (including volunteers and contractors) who are engaged to provide services

teachers MUST:

1.4	ensure there is a valid educational context when communicating and sharing content between
	1.4.1	teachers and students
	1.4.2	teachers and parents/carers
1.5	address the ICT Learning Across the Curriculum aspect of the syllabus, which includes the use of social media, to ensure skill development and engagement in learning
1.6	ensure that when social media is used to achieve educational outcomes, no students are disadvantaged when access is unavailable or restricted

2 SOCIAL MEDIA AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION IN SCHOOLS

sCHOOLS MUST:

2.1	ensure that where an official school social media presence is being used for communication, they are established, registered and maintained according to the *CEDoW Social Media Administration Procedure*
2.2	ensure each official school social media presence has a link to the CEDoW Social Media Statement
2.3	obtain consent each year from parents/carers for the use of a student’s image and created works in any media form using the Consent Form for Use of Student’s Image and/or Work
2.4	address any noncompliance to the CEDoW Social Media Standards:
	2.4.1	by students according to the *CEDoW Social Media Standards Noncompliance (Students) Procedure*
	2.4.2	by Staff according to the *CEDoW Social Media Standards Noncompliance (Staff) Procedure*
	2.4.3	by parents/carers according to the *CEDoW Social Media Standards Noncompliance (Parents/Carers) Procedure*
2.5	adhere to the *CEDoW Notifiable Data Breach Procedure* when a potential notifiable data breach has occurred on any official school social media presence
2.6	take measures to remove any unofficial school social media presence that is being used for communication on behalf of the school and/or implies an affiliation with CEDoW or any of its school communities
2.7	report promptly to CEDoW, any content on social media that may negatively impact on CEDoW or any of its school communities

STAFF MUST:

2.8	adhere to the CEDoW Social Media Administration Procedure to establish, register and maintain each official school social media presence
2.9	report promptly to the Principal when they are concerned about inappropriate use of, or content on:
	2.9.1	any official school social media presence
	2.9.2	any social media, that may negatively impact on CEDoW or any of its school communities

3 STUDENT USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

sCHOOLS MUST:

3.1	maintain a register to demonstrate that each student has engaged in the CEDoW Digital Citizenship Program each year
3.2	ensure each student and parent/carer is provided with and signs the CEDoW Student Responsible Use of Technology Agreement at the commencement of each year
3.3	ensure there are processes in place for monitoring student interactions on each official school social media presence
3.4	ensure that each official school social media presence is compliant with the CEDoW Social Media Standards
3.5	adhere to the CEDoW Social Media Standards Noncompliance (Students) Procedure when they are concerned about inappropriate use of, or content on:
	3.5.1	any official school social media presence
	3.5.2	any social media, that may negatively impact on CEDoW or any of its school communities

4 STAFF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

sCHOOLS MUST:

4.1	ensure that each official school social media presence is compliant with the CEDoW Social Media Standards
4.2	address any noncompliance to the CEDoW Social Media Standards by Staff according to the *CEDoW Social Media Standards Noncompliance (Staff) Procedure*

STAFF MUST:

4.3	comply with the CEDoW Social Media Standards when using social media
4.4	ensure that students are not included as friends on their personal social media
4.5	not follow students on social media
4.6	ensure they do not interact on personal social media with known current or former students of CEDoW schools for at least five years after the student has completed school, unless there is a valid context or circumstance and that has been approved by the Principal
4.7	ensure that the necessary privacy settings are in place on their personal social media
4.8	ensure that DoW email accounts are not used for personal social media
4.9	ensure personal use of social media does not negatively impact on their ability to meet professional responsibilities and duties and/or negatively impact on CEDoW or any of its school communities

5 PARENT AND COMMUNITY USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

sCHOOLS MUST:

5.1	ensure the CEDoW Social Media Statement is clearly accessible on each official school social media presence
5.2	provide parents/carers with the CEDoW Social Media Statement at enrolment and the commencement of each school year
5.3	advise parents/carers of each official school social media presence approved by the school, to the exclusion of all others
5.4	advise parents/carers of the expectation to seek permission from the Principal to establish a social media presence that is in any way associated with the school
5.5	advise parents/carers of the expectation not to post content on social media of other students without the express consent of their parents/carers
5.6	advise parents/carers of the expectation to promptly notify the school of inappropriate use of, or content on:
	5.6.1	any official school social media presence
	5.6.2	any social media, that may negatively impact on CEDoW or any of its school communities
5.7	adhere to the *CEDoW Social Media Standards Noncompliance (Parents/Carers) Procedure* when they are concerned about inappropriate use of, or content on:
	5.7.1	any official school social media presence
	5.7.2	any social media, that may negatively impact on CEDoW or any of its school communities

Procedure

CEDoW Social Media Administration Procedure

CEDoW Social Media Standards Noncompliance (Parents/Carers) Procedure

CEDoW Social Media Standards Noncompliance (Staff) Procedure

CEDoW Social Media Standards Noncompliance (Students) Procedure

CEDoW Notifiable Data Breach Procedure

Implementation