Online Safety First Aid (OSFA). A National Training Programme on Media Literacy and Mental Health
stem4
The Online Safety Act, passed into law in 2023, marks a significant stride towards the UK developing the safest online environment for young people. stem4’s pioneering Online Safety First Aid training, endorsed by Ofcom, redefines education by empowering parents, carers, educators, service leaders and professionals working with young people with the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to support young people to thrive online.
A circular relationship exists between young people’s online lives and mental health; amidst positives (learning, connecting and creativity), they can find regulating their use difficult, are exposed to content harms, for example on self-harm and suicide, are vulnerable to negative connections through radical forums and cyberbullying, experience body image pressures, are influenced by disinformation, and impacted by algorithms.
Our programme offers innovative, comprehensive content to adults supporting young people, that offers new, youth-focussed perspectives and insights, challenging existing approaches. It demonstrates measurable impact on knowledge, skills, and behaviours; is accessible and inclusive; focusses on the importance of digital parity; is developed and delivered by leading clinical experts; is solution-focussed, agile and focuses on scalability and reach.