Statement of intent

North Tyneside Council Employment and Skills Service (E&S), wish to continually deliver high quality training. We strive to provide the best quality education in all delivery methods and recognise that online and distance learning play a part in the modern learning environment. We want to ensure that all learners have access to online lessons where required.

Through the implementation of this policy, we aim to address the key concerns associated with live online lessons, such as: systems and technology, safeguarding, conduct and accessibility.

This policy aims to:

Minimise the disruption to learners’ education and delivery of the curriculum.
Ensure provision is in place so that all learners have access to high-quality lesson content.
Protect learners from the risks associated with using an online lesson platform through the internet.
Ensure teachers and learners data remains secure and is not lost or misused.
Ensure robust safeguarding measures are in place during live online lessons.
Ensure all learners have the provisions required to take part in live online lessons.

1. Legal framework

1.1. This policy has due regard to all relevant legislation and statutory guidance including, but not limited to, the following:

Data Protection Act 2018
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
DfE (2020) ‘Safeguarding and remote education during coronavirus (COVID-19)’
DfE (2019) ‘Keeping children safe in education’
DfE (2017) ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’

1.2. This policy operates in conjunction with the following NTC E&S policies:

Data Protection Policy
Safeguarding Policy
Respect and Consideration Policy
Equality & Diversity Policy
E-Safety Policy
Code of Conduct
Technology Acceptable Use Agreement – Learners
Technology Acceptable Use Agreement – Staff

2. Roles and responsibilities

2.1. The Councillor is responsible for:

Ensuring that NTC E&S has robust risk management procedures in place.
Evaluating the effectiveness of the NTC E&S’s remote learning arrangements.
Reviewing the effectiveness of this policy on an annual basis in conjunction with the Head of Employment and Skills and the Senior Programme Manager.

2.2. The head of Employment and Skills is responsible for:

Ensuring staff, learners, guardians and employers adhere to the relevant policies at all times.
Ensuring that there are arrangements in place for identifying, evaluating and managing the risks associated with live online lessons.
Ensuring that there are arrangements in place for monitoring incidents associated with live online lessons.
Ensuring that NTC ALS has the resources necessary to carry out the procedures in this policy.
Reviewing the effectiveness of this policy on an annual basis in conjunction with the relevant councillor and communicating any changes to staff, learners, guardians and employers.
Arranging any additional training staff may require to support pupils with live online lessons.

2.3. Staff members are responsible for:

Adhering to this policy at all times during periods of live online lesson usage.
Reporting any safeguarding incidents and concerns to the Designated Safeguarding officers and asking for guidance as appropriate.
Taking part in training to meet the requirements of this policy, including training on how to use the necessary electronic equipment and software.
Reporting any defects on NTC E&S owned equipment used for live online lessons to ICT helpdesk.
Adhering to the Staff Code of Conduct at all times.
Teachers/Assessors will monitor and facilitate online chat facilities to enable appropriate discussion forums and a place to capture views on questions/case studies with minimal disturbance to the lesson.

2.4. The Programme Manager for Adults with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities (ALDD) and SEND is responsible for:

Liaising with ICT support to ensure that the technology used for live online lessons is accessible to all learners and that reasonable adjustments are made where required.
Ensuring that learners with EHC plans continue to have their needs met during live online lessons and liaising with the senior programme manager and other organisations to make any alternate arrangements for pupils with EHC plans and IHPs.
Identifying the level of support or intervention that is required while learners with SEND take part in live online lessons.
Ensuring that the live online lesson provision put in place for learners with SEND is monitored for its effectiveness while remote learning is undertaken.

2.5. The DSL is responsible for:

Attending and arranging, where necessary, any safeguarding meetings regarding live online lessons.
Liaising with the ICT support to ensure that all technology used for live online lessons is suitable for its purpose and will protect learners online.
Identifying vulnerable learners who may be at risk if they take part in live online lessons.
Ensuring that learner protection plans are enforced if vulnerable learners take part in live online lessons.
Identifying the level of support or intervention required while learners take part in live online lessons and ensuring appropriate measures are in place.
Assisting teachers with all live online lesson planning to ensure the correct safeguarding measures are in place.

3. Systems and technology

3.1. Staff will be told to only download software for live online lessons from a trusted source, e.g. Apple App Store, Google Play or the provider’s official website.

3.2. NTC corporate ICT support will research the best provider to use for live online lessons, taking into account ease of use, privacy measures and suitability for the purposes of live online lessons.

3.3. Staff will ensure privacy settings are adjusted appropriately on the provider’s site or application.

3.4. Staff will ensure their live online lesson service account is protected with a strong password, and will not autosave their password on any device.

3.5. Staff will ensure they test and understand the service before conducting their first live online lesson using the ‘test’ function, where applicable.

3.6. Staff will ensure they understand how to mute the microphone and turn off their camera on their device before their first live online lesson.

3.7. NTC E&S will ensure all learners due to attend live online lessons have access to equipment that will enable them to participate, e.g. a laptop and internet access, to ensure they do not fall behind their peers who do have access.

3.8. Staff will ensure streaming and online chat functions are monitored for adult learners and where appropriate in certain ALDD or SEND groups this function is disabled for learners. Tutors should always be able to control this feature.

4. Safeguarding

4.1. Staff will always have due regard for NTC’s Child Protection and E&S’s Safeguarding Policy whilst conducting live online lessons.

4.2. The planning of live lessons will be carried out in conjunction with support of Programme Managers.

4.3. The NTCE&S will ensure the system used for live online lessons does not have a minimum age requirement above the age bracket of learners attending the lesson.

4.4. Learners will be reminded not to share private information through the live online lesson system by the teacher.

4.5. The teacher will remind learners not to respond to contact requests from people they do not know when using systems for live online lessons.

4.6. Learners should refer to Safeguarding/Prevent procedure for guidance on who to contact, of the reporting lines, should they see or hear anything inappropriate during live online lessons.

4.7. Staff will ensure all video and phone calls are not set to public

4.8. Staff will be reminded of their safeguarding obligations, and they will report any incidents or potential concerns to a safeguarding officer in line with the NTCE&S’s Safeguarding Policy.

5. Personal data

5.1. Staff will have due regard for NTC’s GDPR/Data Protection Policy at all times whilst conducting live online lessons.

5.2. NTCE&S will obtain consent from Learners/employers to conduct any live online lessons via email.

5.3. NTCE&S will communicate the details of how to access the live online lesson and any additional information regarding online learning to learners and employers via email.

5.4. NTCE&S will obtain consent from guardians if any images or identifying information about any 14-16 learner may be used during the live online lesson, e.g. by using video conferencing, via email.

5.5. Staff will ensure data is only transferred between devices if it is necessary to do so for the purposes of live online lessons, e.g. to report anything serious that has taken place during the online lesson.

5.6. Any data transferred between devices will be suitably encrypted. Where this is not possible, other data protection measures will be in place, such as using initials of learners instead of full names.

5.7. When recording a live lesson is necessary, prior permission will be acquired from learners in writing via email and all members of the live lesson will be notified before the lesson commences via email, and again once they have joined the live online lesson.

6. Learner conduct

6.1. ALDD/SEND learners will have an adult in the room with them through any live online lessons and if a member of staff believes this is appropriate, this will be applied to any curriculum area.

6.2. Learners will be reminded that they should not be taking part in live online lessons if they are in an inappropriate setting, e.g. a bedroom.

6.3. Learners will be reminded not to record live online lessons on their devices.

6.4. Learners will be reminded not to speak during live online lessons unless they are prompted to do so or have a question about the lesson.

6.5. Learners will be reminded to adhere to NTCE&S’s Respect and Consideration Policy at all times during live online lessons, as they would during a normal classroom teaching.

7. Staff conduct

7.1. Staff will be required to re-read the Staff Code of Conduct prior to carrying out live online lessons to ensure they understand their responsibilities with regards to conduct during live online lessons.

7.2. Staff will only use NTC or NTLP – provided email addresses and phone numbers to communicate with learners when conducting live online lessons.

7.3. Staff will only use NTC-owned devices for conducting live online lessons, where possible.

7.4. Staff will not share personal information whilst conducting live online lessons.

7.5. Staff will conduct live online lessons with appropriate surroundings, e.g. sitting somewhere with a neutral background.

7.6. Staff will communicate with learners within NTCE&S office hours as far as possible (or within hours agreed with NTCE&S to suit the needs of learners/employers).

7.7. Staff will only communicate and conduct live online lessons through channels approved by the Head of Employment and Skills or Senior Programme Manager of NTCALS.

7.8. Staff working with ALDD/SEND learners will not commence online lessons until at least one other member of staff is in the live lesson ‘room’, and never without confirmation that at least one other colleague is aware that the live online lesson is taking place.

8. ALDD Learners and/or learners with SEND

8.1. NTCE&S will ensure learners with SEND receive any additional support with live online lessons where needed, e.g. from an additional member of staff within the live online lesson via phone call.

8.2. Staff will be sensitive to the needs of any learners who may be sensitive to certain topics or issues that may arise during live online lessons.

8.3. The E&S senior managers, teacher and ALDD/SEND Programme Manager will consider whether one-to-one lessons are appropriate in some circumstances for ALDD learners or learners with SEND.

8.4. Additional measures will be considered for ALDD learners or learners with SEND to mitigate the risk of learners falling behind their peers in terms of education, e.g. text transcripts being used in video lessons.

9. Monitoring and review

9.1. The Senior Programme Manager, ALDD/SEND Programme Manager and DSL will review the measures outlined in this policy quarterly to ensure it reflects the most up-to-date circumstances of NTCE&S’s online learning provision.

9.2. The Head of Employment & Skills and governance of NTCE&S will schedule a review of the effectiveness of this policy annually.

9.3. Any changes to this policy will be communicated to relevant stakeholders, including learners, staff, guardians and employers.