Help build TRUST with our safe phone toolkit

If your child is about to get their first phone or a new device, then it’s a great idea to plan ahead for how they will use it safely. The NSPCC have created this toolkit to make it easier for your family to feel confident about starting this journey together.

Keeping your kids safe on their phone

Trust is important when getting a first phone - parents need to be able to trust their kids with a phone, and kids want to feel trusted by their parents. To feel confident about a child’s safety when using their first phone, it is all about building this trust together - as a family.

The NSPCC’s toolkit will lead you through all the important aspects of trust with their handy acronym:

T

Talking about safe phone use

R

Recognising rights to safety online

U

Using online safety and wellbeing tools

S

Support when facing challenges online

T

Talking about online safety going forward

Exploring the different the sections of the acronym T.R.U.S.T will give you and your child opportunities to start conversations around their first phone to make it an enjoyable and safe experience. When you’re ready to make a start, go to T - Talking about safe and healthy phone use.

After you’ve worked your way through each section of the toolkit activities, it’ll be time to set up a family phone pledge - this is your chance to agree some rules and boundaries together for how your child uses their new phone.

Your family phone pledge

Now you’ve started on your journey of building trust together, it’s a great time to set up a family phone pledge. This is a chance for you to agree some rules and boundaries together for how you will use your new phone.

Every family is different and there’s no one set of rules which will work for all. This guide will help you create a personalised agreement that works for your family. You’ll use what you have learned throughout the NSPCC trust toolkit to decide what your main priorities are as a family and how you’ll make sure that you all feel confident taking this first phone journey together. Remember this journey is all about trust, so being open and honest should be at the heart of your agreement.

Making your family phone pledge

Take a look at our top tips below to help get you started and visit Vodafone’s Digital Family Pledge to record your agreement.

Top tips for making your pledge

1. Make it work for your family

Remember that your pledge is about your family and what makes you comfortable. Think what’s important to you, who’s in your family and how you use phones to connect with each other.

2. Regular conversations

The key to building trust and helping to keep safe online is agreeing to approach regular conversations together - think about a time and place to talk. You can do this in person or using your phones.

3. Healthy boundaries

Agree clear rules about how your child will use their first phone. Do this together so your child gets to input and feel part of the decision making. Think about the kind of apps they’ll have and who they’ll speak to.

4. Don’t forget to think about the phone number

As well as thinking about how the phone will be used, make sure you agree who your child’s phone number can be shared with.

5. Think about digital citizenship

It is helpful to talk specifically about how your child will engage with other people when using their phone. This could include what’s ok to share online as well as how to treat others.

6. Revisit your places of support

It is really important that your child knows how to get help if they ever need it when using their phone. You can put these in your pledge and save key numbers in your child’s phone.

After you’ve completed the toolkit and made your family pledge, it’s important to keep talking and working together so your child continues to use their new phone safely.
For more helpful tips and advice, check out our Digital Parenting Hub.

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Frequently asked questions