Smoothwall by Qoria

15/06/2026

The UK has today announced a ban on social media for under-16s.

The plans set out stronger age verification on platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. They also propose blocks on livestreaming and stranger contact on gaming sites, and a minimum age for romantic chatbot companion apps.

It's a significant moment. But will a ban, on its own, keep children safer online?

Tim Levy, Managing Director of Qoria (Smoothwall's parent company), has watched this question play out before. Drawing on first-hand learnings from Australia's ban, he shares why removing access is rarely the whole answer. And why real protection takes more: age-appropriate safeguards, the right tools in parents' hands, and genuine accountability from platforms.

Read Tim's full statement here... https://hubs.la/Q04lnbs20

09/06/2026

A fresh new Monitor experience is here!

We've been working behind the scenes to bring you a brand new, refreshed Monitor interface - built to help DSLs and safeguarding teams move faster and respond to safeguarding alerts with clarity and confidence.

Same trusted platform. A smarter way to use it.

Want to see it in action? Book a short walk through with our friendly team: https://hubs.la/Q04kFwPw0

01/06/2026

DSLs know how much difference it makes to catch a safeguarding concern early.

But more and more of those concerns now begin online, where the early signals are harder to see.

Without digital monitoring, DSL Helen McKay told us, "you're almost waiting for those signs to be visible." By then, a vulnerable student may already have gone unnoticed.

You can listen to Helen's experience of using digital monitoring to transform safeguarding as a series of short podcast clips.

In them, she shares her first-hand experience of:

📢 Adapting to a safeguarding landscape that keeps shifting
📢 Spotting the earliest signs that a student may be at risk online
📢 How digital monitoring supports compliance
📢 A time when early insight helped her support a highly vulnerable student

It's an honest, practical listen for any DSL who hasn't tried monitoring yet, or who's finding their current system isn't keeping up. Listen to Helen's advice for fellow DSLs, free today.

https://hubs.la/Q04jwbQY0

21/05/2026

Ofcom has said TikTok and YouTube are still “not safe enough” for children, highlighting ongoing concerns about how harmful content is surfaced to younger users.

Key findings from the report include:
➡️ Content feeds continue to expose children to harmful material, despite existing safety measures

➡️ Age restrictions are not being effectively enforced, with 84% of 8-12-year-olds using platforms intended for over-13s

➡️ Platforms are being challenged not only on moderation, but on why harmful content is being recommended in the first place

At Smoothwall, we see the importance of this every day. Effective safeguarding relies on visibility, early identification of risk, and the ability to intervene - not simply restricting access.

As regulation evolves, the focus must remain on how these measures are implemented in practice, ensuring meaningful protection for children and young people online.

Read more via the link in the comments.

Some of the biggest social media and gaming platforms have committed to new steps to better protect children online.

This includes:

🙅‍♂️ stronger protections to stop unwanted contact from strangers
🆕 making sure children’s safety is considered upfront before new features are introduced.

But there’s still more to do.

🔴 Nearly 3 in 4 children still see harmful content online
🔴 84% of 8–12s are using services meant for over-13s

We'll be stepping up scrutiny of platforms, and have announced plans to drive further change and hold platforms to account.

20/05/2026

In further education, safeguarding concerns are getting harder to spot.

Why? Because they often emerge first, and sometimes only, in digital spaces - where what young people do, say and share isn’t always visible.

Some college DSLs rely on web filtering to see the signs of students at risk, but this technology cannot spot the majority of threats students face online.

And if left unseen, these risks can quickly escalate…

Meet Liam and Tamara.

Both are at risk.
Both need support.
Both face very different outcomes.

Read their stories 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04hhJKm0

08/05/2026

The DfE requires schools, colleges and MATs to review their monitoring systems at least once every academic year — but what should that review actually include?

This article provides DSLs with a complete rundown of when and how to review your monitoring system.

You’ll learn:

✅ Who is responsible for reviewing monitoring systems
✅ The key situations that should trigger a review
✅ The essential checks every monitoring review should include

Make sure your school’s approach is effective, compliant, and fit for purpose.

Read the full article here 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04fR1Ry0

06/05/2026

Only a portion of online risks impacting students will be seen and stopped by your web filter.

If you can’t see what’s happening beyond the search bar, you’re getting a limited picture of safeguarding risks in your setting.

This means serious issues like…

Bullying
Violence
Racism
Self-harm
Suicidal ideations

…Can escalate without anyone noticing.

Our new 2-minute check-in will help you understand how visible students at risk really are in your setting.

Simply answer 12 questions to understand:

✔️ The specific digital spaces you should be able to see
✔️ Where you’re doing well and the potential gaps that need to be addressed

Complete your check-in now - https://hubs.la/Q04fBZdM0

01/05/2026

📢 LIVE WEBINAR | See The Signs: The Serious Safeguarding Risks Going Unnoticed in FE Colleges - And How to Uncover Them

📅 Thursday 19th May | 3pm – 4pm GMT

In further education, safeguarding risks are changing and it’s getting harder for DSLs to spot concerns early. Or even spot them at all.

In this session, Kay Burton-Williams (BMet College) and Smoothwall’s Chantelle Doyle-Sopp explore the real online risks going unseen in some Further Education settings.

They’ll show why these risks present such a challenge for DSLs and how digital monitoring is helping colleges to spot them early and keep students safe.

What you’ll take away:

✔️ Real examples of serious risks that are going unseen
✔️ The two issues holding some colleges back from early risk detection
✔️ Kay’s experience of enhancing safeguarding with digital monitoring
✔️ Why digital monitoring is now critical in colleges and how it works

For DSLs juggling rising expectations with limited time, this session brings clarity to what’s being missed and what you can do next.

Book your place now - https://hubs.la/Q04f5q_r0

21/04/2026

Safeguarding risks like bullying, violence and suicidal ideations now appear first (and sometimes only) online.

DSLs need visibility across digital spaces to be able to fulfill their duties - which is why digital monitoring is now essential.

Steve Goad, Assistant Principal (SENDCO) & DSL and Steve Downing, Director of IT at Tyne Coast Academy explain how digital monitoring helps them work quickly and confidently to keep their students safe online.