List of Polices
MOBILE PHONE AND CAMERA POLICY
Statement of intent
It is our intention to provide an environment in which children, parents and staff are safe from images being recorded and inappropriately used in turn eliminating the following concerns:
Camera Photographs taken for the purpose of recording a child or group of children participating in activities or celebrating their achievements is an effective form or recording their progression in the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, it is essential that photographs are taken and stored appropriately to safeguard the children in our care.
- Staff being distracted from their work with children
- The inappropriate use of mobile phone cameras around children
- Users bringing personal devices into nursery must ensure there is no inappropriate or illegal content on the device.
- All staff must ensure that their mobile telephones/devices are left in the office in the Mobile phone tin which is situated on the window sill in the office.
- Mobile phone calls may only be taken at staff breaks or in staff members own time and in the office or offsite.
- If staff have a personal emergency they are free to use the setting's phone or make a personal call from their mobile in the designated staff area of the setting, i.e. Office.
- If any staff member has a family emergency or similar and required to keep their mobile phone to hand, prior permission must be sought from the Manager or Deputy and the mobile phone should be placed on the Manager’s Table.
- Staff should ensure that the Manager has up to date contact information and that staff make their families, children’s schools etc. aware of emergency work telephone numbers. This is the responsibility of the individual staff member.
- All parent helpers/students will be requested to place their bag containing their phone in the office or another appropriate location and asked to take or receive any calls in the office area where their phone must remain.
- During group outings nominated staff will have access to the setting's nominated mobile phone, which is to be used for emergency purposes only.
- (The nominated device does not have a camera or video making facility)
- It is the responsibility of all members of staff to be vigilant and report any concerns to the Nursery Manager or Senior.
- Concerns will be taken seriously, logged and investigated appropriately (see allegations against a member of staff policy).
- The Manager or Leader in her absence reserves the right to check the image contents of a member of staffs mobile phone should there be any cause for concern over the appropriate use of it.
- Should inappropriate material be found then our Local Safeguarding Children’s board (LSCB) will be contacted immediately. We will follow the guidance of the LSCB as to the appropriate measures for the staff member’s dismissal.
Camera Photographs taken for the purpose of recording a child or group of children participating in activities or celebrating their achievements is an effective form or recording their progression in the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, it is essential that photographs are taken and stored appropriately to safeguard the children in our care.
- Only the designated nursery camera is to be used to take any photo within the setting or on outings.
- Images taken on this camera must be deemed suitable without putting the child/children in any compromising positions that could cause embarrassment or distress.
- All staff are responsible for the location of the camera; this should be placed within the lockable black cabinet when not in use.
- The camera must be locked away at the end of every session.
- Images taken and stored on the camera must be downloaded as soon as possible, ideally once a week only on the nursery computer.
- Images must only be down-loaded by the nominated senior members of staff, currently Doris Agyapong, Lilia Ravilova and Addisah Yeboah.
- If the technology is available, images should be downloaded on-site. Should this facility not be available, these may be downloaded off-site.
- A second member of staff should witness the images being erased from the business computer as soon as the images have successfully been printed.
- Photographs should then be distributed to members of staff (Key Person) to record in children’s learning journeys.
- Under no circumstances must cameras of any kind be taken into the bathrooms without prior consultation with the Manager or senior
- If photographs need to be taken in a bathroom, i.e. photographs of the children washing their hands, then the Manager or Leader must be asked first and staff be supervised whilst carrying out this kind of activity. At all times the camera must be placed in a prominent place where it can be seen.
- Failure to adhere to the contents of this policy will lead to disciplinary procedures being followed or instant dismissal.