Your family's safety matters deeply to us

Bright Steps is here to provide guidance, resources, signposting, activities and community support for families. We want every family using Bright Steps to feel respected, protected and listened to.

We are committed to:

• Putting children and young people's safety first
• Keeping Bright Steps parent and carer-led
• Making sure children do not create accounts or manage profiles themselves
• Keeping family information private and protected
• Giving parents and carers control over what they share
• Zero tolerance for bullying, grooming, exploitation, hate, harassment or harmful behaviour
• No direct child-to-child or adult-to-child private messaging through Bright Steps
• Reviewing and removing harmful or unsafe content
• Taking reports and concerns seriously
• Signposting families to emergency, safeguarding, health or support services when needed

Bright Steps is not an emergency service, medical service, school, local authority, diagnostic provider or crisis helpline. If someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services straight away.

Bright Steps believes children's information should be handled with extra care. Where child-related information is collected, we aim to:

• Only collect information that is necessary for the feature or support being provided
• Avoid collecting children's full names, addresses, school names or unnecessary identifying details
• Avoid using children's photos unless clear parent/carer consent has been given and there is a genuine reason
• Keep parent/carer control over what is added, edited or removed
• Avoid making sensitive child information publicly visible
• Keep support needs, diagnoses, communication needs and family circumstances private unless the parent/carer chooses to share them
• Allow parents or carers to request deletion of information where possible
• Never sell children's data
• Never share children's data with advertisers or marketing companies
• Store information securely and handle it in line with UK GDPR and data protection expectations

Parents and carers should avoid posting information that could identify a child publicly, including addresses, school details, phone numbers, private images, location details or sensitive family information.

Bright Steps may include links to charities, services, professionals, resources, groups or organisations that may be helpful to SEND families. A listing, link or sponsor mention does not automatically mean Bright Steps has medically, legally or professionally endorsed that provider.

We aim to avoid promoting services that:

• Claim to cure autism, ADHD, neurodivergence or SEND
• Use fear, shame or pressure to sell services
• Make unsafe medical claims
• Encourage harmful behaviour management
• Exploit vulnerable families
• Lack professional boundaries
• Promote discrimination, abuse or unsafe practice

Families should always check a provider's qualifications, registration, insurance, safeguarding procedures, reviews and suitability before using any service.

Bright Steps can share information and signpost support, but we cannot provide emergency mental health care.

• If someone is at immediate risk of harm, call 999.
• If urgent mental health help is needed but it is not an immediate emergency, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option.
• For emotional support, children and young people can contact Childline on 0800 1111.