| Date Created | Date 1st Review Date | Date Reviewed | Version | Next Review Date |
| November 2025 | November 2026 | 1 | ||
1. Policy Statement
Egham Park School is committed to the prevention of online sexual abuse and the protection of children and vulnerable individuals. All staff members in relevant roles (e.g., regulated activity with children, positions of trust, or those whose work involves processing user-generated content) have a duty to report any known or suspected instances of online sexual abuse or the discovery of CSAM to the appropriate authorities immediately. Failure to report may result in serious professional and legal consequences.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all employees, volunteers, contractors, and users of our online services (where applicable) who, in the course of their duties or use of our platform, become aware of:
- Disclosures of child sexual abuse by a victim or abuser.
- Witnessed child sexual abuse (including via webcam/live stream).
- Images, videos, or audio recordings constituting CSAM.
- Any other grounds for concern about a child’s safety from online crime or serious harm.
3. Definitions
- Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM): Any image, video, or pseudo-image depicting the sexual abuse of a child.
- Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): The person within the organisation responsible for managing and escalating child protection concerns.
- Regulated Activity: Specific activities involving close contact with children, such as teaching, healthcare, or social work, as defined in relevant UK legislation.
4. Reporting Procedures
4.1. Immediate Danger (Dial 999)
If a child is in immediate danger or a life is at risk, immediately dial 999 and ask for the police.
4.2. Reporting CSAM or Online Contact
If you encounter CSAM online or suspect illegal sexual contact between adults and children:
- Do not download, copy, comment on, or share the content further.
- Report the content or incident immediately to your DSL or local police force.
- Companies should also report CSAM to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which works to get illegal content removed from the internet.
- Users of a platform should be given clear, accessible reporting functions to flag such content or contact to the platform’s specialist team and the relevant authorities (e.g., CEOP, IWF).
4.3. Internal Reporting (For Staff/Volunteers)
All staff must inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) of any concerns as soon as reasonably practicable.
- Complete an internal incident report form, providing as much detail as possible (e.g., username/ID of alleged abuser, date, time, nature of concern, and any chat logs/evidence) without sending the illegal images themselves.
- The DSL will then decide on the appropriate action, which includes making a referral to local authority children’s social care or the police.
4.4. External Reporting (By the DSL)
The DSL is responsible for external referrals to:
- Police or Local Authority: When there are concerns about child sexual abuse.
- Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) command: The law enforcement agency for online child sexual exploitation and abuse reports.
- Internet Watch Foundation (IWF): For the removal of CSAM.
5. Protection for Reporters
Any person who makes a report in good faith, in line with this policy and their duty, will be protected. It will be a criminal offence for anyone to attempt to prevent a mandated reporter from complying with this duty.
6. Review This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure compliance with the latest legislation and best practices.