Digital Resilience - Sexting Safeguarding Training and more!
Headstart - 2025 Tech Positive Symposium
Wednesday 22 October 2025 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Venton Centre, Chapel Parc, Newquay, TR8 5AH
A one-day conference designed for professionals working with children and young people. The Digital Resilience Tech Positive Symposium explores how digital life shapes identity, relationships, and development—and how we can support young people to thrive online.
Rather than focusing on fear, this event highlights the positive potential of technology: connection, creativity, empowerment, and resilience.
You’ll gain practical tools and fresh insight into topics like:
- Digital Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
- Critical thinking in online spaces
- Digital risks and resilience
- Supporting young people with SEND in the digital world
Expert speakers include:
- Professor Andy Phippen – on digital wellbeing, data privacy, and the law
- Jonny Hunt – on inclusive RSE and digital intimacies
- Dr. Hayley Henderson – on safeguarding young people with SEND online
- Louisa Street – on youth-led research into the law and policy around sending nudes
Plus, hear directly from young people across Cornwall as they share how they’re using tech to support their wellbeing, relationships, and personal growth.
Whether you're a teacher, youth worker, social worker, or part of a safeguarding team, this event offers essential learning for anyone supporting children and young people in the digital age.
You can book your place through the Headstart Training page.
Please contact either Claire Wiltshire or Ness Little in the Headstart Team if you have any questions.
More information about online safety available on our website
Online Blackmail or Sextortion
In April the National Crime Agency issued an alert to education professionals following a considerable increase in global cases of financially motivated sexual extortion – a type of online blackmail widely known as ‘sextortion’ that involves the threat of sharing nude or semi-nude images or videos to extort money or force someone to do something against their will. Specialists from the NCA’s CEOP Education team produced the alert, which was issued to teachers across the UK click here for full story.
This briefing (September 2024) from the NSPCC shares children and young people’s experiences of so-called ‘sextortion’ and explores:
- how sextortion occurs and how it can escalate
- the impact on young people’s wellbeing
- how to spot the signs
- how to talk to young people at risk.
It also offers guidance for reporting and disrupting incidents of sextortion, should a child’s image ever fall into the wrong hands.
The Guardian have also recently published guidance on how sextortion fraud works and how to deal with sextortion scams.