Mobile Phones for Children in Care
Scope of this chapter
This guidance sets out the roles and responsibilities of children, carers, connected carers, residential staff, social workers, the Virtual School and professionals involved in the care of Children Looked After regarding the safe use of mobile phones and social media.
Children Looked After must be supported to enjoy the benefits of digital connectivity while being effectively safeguarded from harm.
This document applies to all types of homes, including foster care, kinship care, residential care and 16 plus supported accommodation.
Amendment
This chapter was added to the manual in May 2026.
Mobile phones and online platforms are an integral part of children's lives. For Children Looked After (CLA), digital communication can:
- Support time with family and friends;
- Reduce isolation;
- Enhance learning and independence;
- Provide a sense of safety and control.
However, unrestricted access to internet enabled devices can present significant risks (see details below), including:
- Online bullying;
- Grooming and exploitation;
- Unregulated contact from birth family;
- Exposure to inappropriate content;
- Image based harm (e.g., sexting, nonconsensual sharing);
- Harmful viral content and challenges;
- Location tracking and doxxing;
- Identity risks and fake accounts;
- Exposure to AI generated deepfakes;
- Financial exploitation through apps or gaming.
Children Looked After, particularly those with trauma, attachment difficulties or disrupted relationships, can be at increased risk.
Safe use requires clear expectations, consistent boundaries, and open conversations between carers, children and professionals.
Primary School-Aged Children
It is generally not appropriate for primary-aged children to have mobile phones.
Where an exception is agreed, this must be:
- Evidence based;
- Documented in the Placement Plan;
- Closely monitored;
- Not an internet enabled smartphone.
Secondary School-Aged Children
Most children in this age group have phones. Children Looked After should have equitable access, but only following:
- An assessment of individual risk;
- Agreement of clear boundaries;
- Inclusion of discussions that will be held between the child and carers in the Placement Plan;
- Appropriate monitoring by carers.
Appropriate privacy settings on the phone
Cyberbullying can follow children into their home environment and has been associated with serious emotional harm. Children in care are statistically more likely to be both victims and perpetrators.
Online grooming often appears supportive at first, before progressing to manipulation or exploitation. Children with trauma histories, low self-esteem or unmet emotional needs are particularly vulnerable.
Once shared, a child cannot control where an image is sent. This can lead to:
- Bullying;
- Exploitation;
- Blackmail;
- Criminal investigation.
Some apps and games include:
- Unmoderated chat functions;
- Location sharing;
- 'Friend' suggestions based on algorithms;
- Loot boxes, gambling-style mechanics;
- Livestreaming features that allow real-time contact with strangers.
Carers must monitor app usage and discuss risks openly.
Children should not disclose:
- School details;
- Their home addresses;
- Routines or locations;
- Full names (where unsafe).
Location services should be disabled unless explicitly agreed.
Children may encounter:
- Manipulated images;
- AI-generated explicit content;
- Fake identities.
Children may not recognise content as false.
There is no requirement for a formal mobile phone agreement. Carers and social workers should record all key discussions within the records and adhere to the below:
Carers are expected to:
- Engage in regular, open conversations about digital safety;
- Understand risks linked to specific apps and platforms;
- Monitor usage proportionately;
- Set clear and consistent expectations;
- Review privacy and security settings with the child;
- Encourage balance between online and offline activities;
- Challenge unsafe behaviour and report concerns promptly.
All carers should complete online safety training and seek support if unsure.
Social workers must ensure:
- Digital safety is recorded in the Placement Plan;
- Appropriate restrictions are agreed when needed;
- Family time via social media is risk-assessed;
- Carers have guidance on how to manage unsafe family time (see also Contact Between the Child, their Family and Others);
- The child's voice is central to decision making.
Whilst most family time is very positive for a child, unregulated digital family time can also be distressing or unsafe for a child, including when:
- Family members contact a child late at night;
- Messages are emotionally charged or coercive;
- Adults are under the influence;
- Family members encourage secrecy;
- A parent has provided a phone that cannot be monitored.
Carers must:
- Inform the social worker immediately;
- Document concerns;
- Support the child to feel in control of communication;
- Avoid punitive approaches that blame the child.
Where a phone from family cannot be safely monitored, it may need to be removed from use following multi-agency discussion (see section 8).
Mobile phone use can support wellbeing by promoting connection, but may also contribute to:
- Sleep disturbance;
- Anxiety and "fear of missing out" (FOMO);
- Reduced concentration;
- Social comparison;
- Exposure to distressing content.
Carers should establish healthy digital routines, including:
- Phones out of bedrooms at night, to be agreed between the carer and child;
- Agreed screen free times;
- Promoting hobbies and offline activities;
- Modelling good digital boundaries themselves.
Children need clear, age appropriate guidance and supportive boundaries to use mobile phones and online platforms safely. Carers should:
- Talk regularly with children about their phone and online use;
- Explain reasons for any boundaries;
- Check in about experiences, friendships and concerns;
- Adjust expectations as the child matures or risks change.
Key points should be recorded in routine placement notes.
Ongoing dialogue should cover:
- Safe behaviour, privacy and reporting concerns;
- Online contacts and handling unsafe messages;
- Apps used and associated risks (chat, livestreaming, location);
- Appropriate times and places for phone use;
- Balancing online/offline time and wellbeing;
- Managing family time where risks exist;
- What to do if something online is upsetting.
Conversations should be supportive and non-judgemental.
Children should be helped to understand:
- Caring for their device;
- Managing data and costs;
- Scams, in-app purchases and financial risks;
- Protecting personal information;
- When online behaviour creates risk.
This promotes safer, more independent decision-making.
Boundaries must be:
- Reasonable, explained and proportionate;
- Consistent yet adaptable as needs change.
Overly strict or blanket rules can harm trust, increase stigma and reduce disclosure.
No formal mobile phone agreement is required.
Carers should record key discussions; social workers should consider digital safety in planning and reviews; the child's views should be captured throughout.
Children should be supported to access the online world safely and responsibly. Over restricting or blocking access can be emotionally harmful, as it may lead to feelings of exclusion, isolation, or being "different" from peers. For Children Looked After-who may already experience inequality or stigma-being cut off from digital spaces can increase anxiety, reduce social connection, and negatively affect wellbeing.
Any restrictions must always be proportionate, justified, and centred on the child's safety and emotional needs.
Children may have mobile phones where it is assessed they can use them safely, without posing risk to themselves or others.
A phone may be temporarily removed where necessary to:
- Prevent harm;
- Stop bullying, exploitation, or unsafe contact;
- Address misuse of the camera function;
- Manage repeated or serious breaches of agreed boundaries;
- Respond to behaviour that creates a safeguarding concern.
Any consequence must be:
- Proportionate;
- Time limited;
- Explained clearly to the child;
- Reviewed promptly;
- Recorded in line with behaviour management procedures.
Restrictions must never punish normal adolescent behaviour or be used as a default response.
Where possible:
- Decisions should be discussed with the child's social worker and/or supervising social worker (SSW) before action is taken;
- Carers should record the rationale for the decision;
- The child's views should be captured and considered.
In exceptional circumstances-where there is an immediate risk of:
- Harm to the child or others;
- Property damage;
- A potential offence.
In these situations, carers may remove the device without prior consultation. The child's social worker/Supervising Social Worker must be notified as soon as possible and within 24 hours.
If a device is lost, deliberately damaged, traded, loaned or given away, it will not be automatically replaced.
Children should be supported to understand the financial and practical responsibilities associated with owning a device.
This can be discussed further with the supervising social worker.
Children should be supported to learn:
- Budgeting for mobile phone use;
- Understanding data usage;
- Avoiding in-app purchases and scams;
- Responsible online spending;
- Digital footprints and reputation.
This prepares them for adulthood and reduces placement conflict.
Training for Foster Carers:
Fostering Digital Skills: Course for foster carers | Internet Matters - A CPD-certified online learning course designed specifically for foster carers.
Useful Websites:
CEOP - Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command - CEOP provides direct reporting for concerns about online grooming or exploitation, as well as guidance for parents, carers and professionals.
CEOP Education - Age-appropriate resources and education materials to help children and carers understand online risks and how to stay safe.
Childnet International - Offers practical resources for children, carers and educators on safe internet use.
NSPCC Online Safety - General online safety advice, platform-specific guidance and support for parents and carers.
Get Safe Online - Free, independent, user-friendly advice on safeguarding against online threats.
Last Updated: May 21, 2026
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