All councils are committed to ensuring the best possible access to their services,
to ensure parity, economy of scale and, of course, democratic freedoms.
This means that considerations need to be given as to how all users are able to access services,
that they are protected and that risks are mitigated. But as you have seen within these short videos,
the scope of online risks and harms is enormous and the potential impact on individuals,
communities, public authorities and others is significant.
Meaningful intervention requires a collaborative approach and whilst the Online Safety Bill should have a positive impact,
we cannot rely on technical solutions to wholly prevent what are largely behavioural issues.
And furthermore, whilst the Online Safety Bill initially targets those tech companies which have the most impacts on our daily lives,
any service provider, including public authorities,
should give due consideration to a number of aspects to ensure they are delivering the most appropriate and cost effective services.
And some of these aspects would include things like awareness.
Do elected members, officers and frontline staff such as social care, children's and adult services and other professionals,
do they have a good up-to-date understanding of online risks and harms?
This is the cornerstone, the one aspect that affects all others and is fundamental to any service delivery,
without which priority areas cannot be established,
and meaningful interventions put in place.
Scrutiny and challenge: do elected members offer scrutiny and challenge in relation to programme and project development and online harms?
Are the right questions being asked and are there effective risk mitigations in place?
Collaboration: Is there effective collaboration between teams, including multi-agency teams?
As mentioned previously, almost any behaviour can be enacted online.
Is this taken into account and recorded appropriately to inform future initiatives and interventions?
Funding: is funding allocated to those priority areas and services?
Do initiatives and interventions have a positive impact? And are they cost effective?
Service delivery: When providing access to information or engaging with constituents via third-party platforms,
for example Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, the platforms will become bound by the statute in the Online Safety Bill.
However, it would be best practice for elected members and officers to understand the Bill,
and to risk assess the use of these platforms. Equally any in-house platforms should be risk assessed in relation to the content,
the method of engagement and, importantly, moderation to ensure that engagement is not counter-intuitive to the Bill.
And then finally corporate parenting: For example looked after children will get access to not only services online,
but will most likely be given one or more devices which could be owned by the local authority.
How are children taught about keeping themselves safe online? What settings have been used to prevent access to unsuitable content?
Though the Online Safety Bill does not specifically tackle issues around councillors' personal responsibilities and behaviours,
there are significant reputational risks that all councillors will want to be aware of.
Councillors should be accountable and adopt the behaviours and responsibilities associated with the role.
And this also applies in the online context.
Modelling behaviour in the online world is crucial to promote best practice,
and to protect elected members individual reputations and that of their councils.
And councils will want to avoid promoting or assisting in any risk,
for example ensuring that they're not promoting mis or disinformation or deploying any bullying tactics.
Councillors should seek support from social media or communications professionals if they need to,
and should promote and signpost credible sources of support and information to others.
The Local Government Association have developed a range of guidance to support councillors in their online communications, and this can be accessed via their website.