At ScopePress.uk we take an unwavering duty of care towards children, young people, schools, youth organisations, and any story that involves minors. This policy is directly overseen by Editor‑in‑Chief Nathan Brooks and Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead Ruth Donovan, operating under Rock Bay Media Ltd, a private company limited by shares registered in Gibraltar (company number 128512) at Suite 21, Portland House, Glacis Road, Gibraltar GX11 1AA. Every piece of editorial content that touches on under‑18s receives heightened scrutiny to prevent harm, protect privacy, and maintain the trust of our readers.
Who is responsible for safeguarding minors at ScopePress.uk?
Editor‑in‑Chief Nathan Brooks and Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead Ruth Donovan share direct responsibility for implementing and enforcing this safeguarding policy. Nathan Brooks (nathan.brooks@scopepress.uk) sets editorial standards for coverage involving minors, while Ruth Donovan (ruth.donovan@scopepress.uk) conducts pre‑publication reviews of all stories that name, image, or otherwise identify children or young people. They report to no commercial or editorial pressure that would override the protection of minors.
The publication’s parent company, Rock Bay Media Ltd, backs this policy with clear governance: no revenue or partnership arrangement may compromise the safeguarding of children. Any deviation from this rule is treated as a serious editorial breach.
What editorial care do we take when covering minors?
We avoid sensationalising minors, publishing unnecessary private details such as home addresses or school timetables, and using invasive imagery that could identify a child in a vulnerable situation. When a story legitimately involves a young person — for example, a school’s technology initiative, a youth‑led coding competition, or a cybersecurity campaign aimed at teenagers — we seek informed parental or guardian consent before naming or showing the child. If consent is not possible, we use first‑name‑only or anonymisation, depending on the context and risk assessment conducted by the Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead.
Photo and video selection is particularly careful: we avoid close‑ups of individual children unless absolutely necessary for journalistic value and always review the potential for later misuse or embarrassment. Our full editorial standards are detailed in our Editorial Policy.
How do we handle stories involving children and young people?
Every story that includes a minor under 18 — whether as a subject, source, or bystander — receives an additional editorial review from our Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead, Ruth Donovan. That review examines whether the child’s inclusion is necessary, whether the language is free of stereotyping or victimisation, and whether any data (such as school name, age, or family details) could lead to identification or targeting. Our team profiles are available on the Our Team page.
Privacy protections are equally strict. We never publish contact details or social media handles of minors, and we apply the highest data‑minimisation standards when covering education technology products, school broadband reviews, or gaming platforms used by children. Full privacy safeguards are set out in our Privacy Policy.
What should you do if you have a concern about content involving minors?
If you believe ScopePress.uk has published content that fails to protect a minor’s safety, dignity, or privacy, please contact us immediately. Concerns should be sent to complaints@scopepress.uk, which is monitored by Ruth Donovan and Nathan Brooks. We will acknowledge your email within one business day and respond with our findings within five working days. If the concern relates to a published article, we will temporarily restrict access to the content while we investigate. Our full Complaints Procedure explains the process in detail, including escalation to independent mediation if needed.
Parents, guardians, teachers, or youth workers are also welcome to contact our Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead directly at ruth.donovan@scopepress.uk for guidance before a story is published.
Our commitments
- We will always obtain informed parental or guardian consent before naming or clearly identifying a minor in any editorial content.
- We will not publish unnecessary private details — such as home addresses, school names beyond broad geographical relevance, or personal contact information — of any child or young person.
- Every story involving a minor must receive pre‑publication review by the Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead to assess risk and necessity.
- We will promptly investigate and address any safeguarding concern reported to complaints@scopepress.uk, with an initial response within one business day.
- We will ensure that commercial partnerships, affiliate links, or sponsored content never influence editorial decisions that affect the welfare or privacy of minors.