Support for Parents, Carers and Young People
Parents play a vital role in helping children navigate the online world safely and positively.
Here is a list of recommended UK-based websites and resources, focusing on online safety and well-being, suitable for parents.
Essential Online Safety Resources for Parents
These organisations offer comprehensive advice, guides, and practical tools to help parents keep children safe online.
Thinkuknow (from CEOP Education)
Description & Key Focus:
A key resource for online child protection advice from the National Crime Agency. Includes age-appropriate guides, help for talking to children, and information on reporting online abuse.
Website link:
thinkuknow.co.uk
NSPCC
Description & Key Focus:
Offers extensive advice on a range of online safety topics, including grooming, cyberbullying, and understanding specific apps/games. They have partnered with O2 to offer a free online safety helpline for parents.
Website link:
nspcc.org.uk/onlinesafety
Childnet International
Description & Key Focus:
Provides resources to help children and young people develop positive digital citizenship. Focuses on digital resilience, setting ground rules, and understanding online rights and responsibilities.
Website link:
childnet.com
Internet Matters
Description & Key Focus:
A not-for-profit organisation offering expert advice, news, and practical guides for parental controls across devices, games, and apps. Excellent for addressing specific technical challenges.
Website link:
internetmatters.org
UK Safer Internet Centre (UK SIC)
Description & Key Focus:
Provides tips, advice, and resources to help keep children safe, responsible, and positive online. They coordinate the annual Safer Internet Day and have valuable parent guides to technology.
Website link:
saferinternet.org.uk
🛡️ Specific Online Well-being & Reporting Tools
These resources provide support for mental health, reporting harm, and practical guidance on popular platforms.
-
Net-aware (by NSPCC/O2): This site provides reviews of the most popular social media apps, games, and sites children are using, including their age ratings and how easy it is to report a problem.
-
Website: net-aware.org.uk
-
-
Parent Zone: Offers a wide range of expert advice and resources, including guidance on digital resilience, mental health, and screen time. They often collaborate with tech companies to create useful parent resources (e.g., Google's "Be Internet Legends").
-
Website: parentzone.org.uk
-
-
-
Ofcom (Children and Parents): As the UK's online safety regulator, their guides explain the new safety measures for tech firms and offer practical advice on what parents can do, especially regarding age-checks and safer content feeds.
-
Website: ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children
-
-
Shutterstock
-
Report Harmful Content: A dedicated service for reporting harmful online content (excluding illegal content, which should go to the police or CEOP). They provide advice on how to get content like cyberbullying, harassment, or threats removed.
-
Website: reportharmfulcontent.com
-
-
-
Here are some useful guides to controls and screen time
Your_childs_screen_time_-_parent_guide.pdf
Parental-Controls-booklet-2025.pdf
Wellbeing support
Leeds City Council and NHS Leeds Community Healthcare Helpline
Look here for details of a confidential helpline for young people https://leedscommunityhealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services-a-z/camhs/
MindMate: Sleep
We all struggle with our sleep from time to time however when this becomes a long-standing problem it can have a negative impact on our overall wellbeing. Although sleep difficulties are very common there are things that you can do to improve your sleep. https://mindmate.org.uk/top-tips-feeling-good/sleep/
Kooth
Kooth is a free, safe, anonymous, online mental health and emotional wellbeingservice, available to young people (aged 10-18). It is accessible 24/7, 365 days ofthe year.
Every Mind Matters
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/supporting-others/childrens-mental-health/
On the NHS Every Mind Matters you can help a child to have good mental health, including knowing how to talk to a child about their mental health, and when to spot signs they might be struggling. There are also self-care tips for you, to help you lookafter your mental health while caring for others, and you can find out how to get more support if you,your child or your family need it.
https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/young-people/well-being/services/time-leeds
Time for Young People
The Children’s Society, Time for young people, is a drop-in service and support space, offering support to young people who live and study in Leeds. Scan the QR code for information on opening times for accessing the hub and established community venues or telephone 0113 517 8000.
https://nationalcollege.com/parents
Free training & resources for parents & carers
Everything you need to bridge the knowledge gap in online safety, mental health & wellbeing, and climate education
Gain the confidence and skills to have age-appropriate, informed discussions with children to keep them safe, healthy and resilient to life beyond the school gates.