If you're visiting our website for help and advice about something that you don't want anyone to know about, these tips will help you keep your visit private. The Childline website has more details about how to protect your personal info, as well as advice about staying safe online.
The 'Hide Site' button
On a desktop, every page on our website has a blue 'Hide page' button on the right-hand side. When you click, you'll be immediately taken to Dorset HealthCare's apprenticeships website. This feature isn't available on mobile phones or other devices.
You can use this button to hide what you are doing quickly if you're using a computer in a public place, or somewhere that someone might see which website you are visiting for example.
Remember someone can still click on the back button on your browser to see which site you were visiting, so if you want to hide your visit completely, you should close your browser by clicking on the 'X' button in the top right-hand corner of your page and clear your internet history and cookies.
Private browsing
Private browsing is when you tell your internet browser not to save any history, cookies or temporary files for one session. A session is the time you spend on a website each time you visit. It covers your tracks whilst you browse instead of you having to delete everything afterwards.
Use it if you want to visit websites like ours or Young Minds, Childline in private but don't have the time, or often forget to delete your history afterwards.
Google Chrome
In Google Chrome private browsing is called 'Incognito mode'
- Click the spanner icon on the browser toolbar.
- Select 'New incognito window' from the list or use Ctrl+Shift+N on your keyboard.
- A new window will open with a 'secret agent' icon in the corner. You can continue browsing as normal in this new window.
- Once you have finished your session, close the window and this will automatically erase any browsing information.
Firefox
- Before your visit, click on 'Tools' in the menu bar.
- Select 'Start Private Browsing' from the list.
You can also do this quickly by typing Ctrl+Shift+P together on your keyboard. To stop Private Browsing, select 'Tools' again and then 'Stop Private Browsing' or typing Ctrl + Shift + P again.
Internet Explorer 8 and 9
- Click on the cog icon on the browser toolbar.
- Select 'Safety' then click on 'InPrivate Browsing'. You can also do this by clicking Ctrl+Shift+P on your keyboard.
- A new window will open with an 'InPrivate' indicator. You can continue browsing as normal in this new window. Make sure to visit our website in this window if you want to hide your visit.
- Once you have finished your session, close the window and this will automatically delete any browsing information.
Top tips for staying safe online
- Use privacy settings to control who sees your information (see above). But don't count on them. Once information is posted online, it's out of your control
- Tell an adult you trust if anything makes you feel upset, scared or uncomfortable
- Don't meet up with people you've met online - not everyone is who they say they are.