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 2023
Updated	5 October 2021 23 November 2022 6 November 2023
Version History 5 October 2021	CEDoW Student Responsible Use of Technology Agreement updated
23 November 2022	Update to student image and/or work consent process; minor updates as per policy review cycle
6 November 2023	CEDoW Student Responsible Use of Technology Agreement updated

introduction and context

INTRODUCTION

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 systemic schools in the Diocese of Wollongong.

Policy is developed within the context of specific 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 exchanges 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 to CEDoW. It also supports schools to meet their compliance requirements with the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth).

EXPECTATIONS

It is expected that CEDoW Staff and Non-staff workers will take all reasonable measures to comply with 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 Policy
• CEDoW Emergencies and Critical Incidents Policy
• CEDoW Enrolment Policy
• CEDoW Maintaining Right Relationships
• CEDoW Obligation for Reporting to Police
• CEDoW Student Pastoral Care and Wellbeing Policy
• CEDoW Social Media Statement
• CEDoW Staff Relations Policy
• CEDoW Suspension, Expulsion and Exclusion of Students Policy
• CEDoW Supervision Policy
• CEDoW Work Health and Safety Policy

1 SOCIAL MEDIA FOR LEARNING AND WELLBEING

sCHOOLS MUST:

1.1	deliver the CEDoW Digital Citizenship Program to all students each year
1.2	maintain a register to demonstrate that each student has engaged in the CEDoW Digital Citizenship Program each year
1.3	ensure all Staff complete the CEDoW Digital Citizenship Program each year
1.4	provide the CEDoW Social Media Statement to workers who are engaged to provide services

workers MUST:

1.5	have a valid educational context when communicating and sharing content between students and parents/carers

teachers MUST:

1.6	address the ICT Learning Across the Curriculum aspect of the syllabus, which includes the use of social media, for the purposes of skill development and engagement in learning
1.7	ensure that when social media is used to achieve educational outcomes, no student is disadvantaged when access is unavailable or restricted

2 SOCIAL MEDIA AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION

sCHOOLS MUST:

2.1	ensure that where an official school social media presence is used for communication it is established, registered and maintained according to the *CEDoW Social Media Administration Procedure*
2.2	ensure each official school social media presence is compliant with the CEDoW Social Media Standards and has a link to the CEDoW Social Media Statement
2.3	use the Compass Event – Media Consent process in the CEDoW electronic Student Information System (eSIS) to contact parents/carers each year to:
	2.3.1	request the parent/carer provide consent or decline to provide consent to the use of their child’s image and/or works, and
	2.3.2	obtain and record the parent/carer’s response using the CEDoW electronic Student Information System (eSIS)
2.4	address any non-compliance with the CEDoW Social Media Standards as a result of the inappropriate use of, or content on, any social media that may negatively impact on CEDoW or any of its school communities:
	2.4.1	by students according to the *CEDoW Social Media Standards Non-Compliance (Students) Procedure*
	2.4.2	by workers according to the *CEDoW Social Media Standards Non-Compliance (Workers) Procedure*
	2.4.3	by parents/carers according to the *CEDoW Social Media Standards Non-Compliance (Parents/Carers) Procedure*
2.5	adhere to the *CEDoW Data Breach Response Procedure* when a suspected 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

workers 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, any social media that may negatively impact on CEDoW or any of its school communities
2.10	report a suspected data breach to the Principal/Supervisor according to the *CEDoW Data Breach Response Procedure*
2.11	participate in the investigation of a suspected data breach as requested

3 STUDENT USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

sCHOOLS MUST:

3.1	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
3.2	have processes in place for monitoring student interactions on each official school social media presence
3.3	adhere to the CEDoW Social Media Standards Non-Compliance (Students) Procedure when they are concerned about inappropriate use of, or content on, any social media that may negatively impact on CEDoW or any of its school communities

4 WORKERS' USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

sCHOOLS MUST:

4.1	address any non-compliance with the CEDoW Social Media Standards by workers according to the *CEDoW Social Media Standards Non-Compliance (Workers) Procedure*

workers MUST:

4.2	comply with the CEDoW Social Media Standards when using social media
4.3	not include students as friends on their personal social media
4.4	not follow students on social media
4.5	not interact on personal social media with known current students of CEDoW schools, unless there is a valid context or circumstance that has been approved by the Principal
4.6	not interact on personal social media with known former students of CEDoW schools, unless there is a valid context or circumstance
4.7	not use DoW email accounts for personal social media
4.8	not use their personal social media in a manner that negatively impacts their ability to meet their professional responsibilities and duties and/or negatively impacts on CEDoW or any of its school communities

5 PARENT AND COMMUNITY USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

sCHOOLS MUST:

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

CEDoW Social Media Standards Non-Compliance (Workers) Procedure

CEDoW Social Media Standards Non-Compliance (Students) Procedure

CEDoW Data Breach Response Procedure

Implementation