Policy

Nursery camera, mobile phone and recording device use policy

Updated on 10 May 2023

Nursery policy for the use of recording devices to ensure that we safeguard the children in our care.

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I have the right to be protected from being hurt or badly treated: Article 19, UNCRC

All children have these rights: Article 2, UNCRC

Adults must do what’s best for me: Article 3, UNCRC

This policy refers to all information storage devices including cameras, mobile telephones and any recording devices including tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches.

At The University of Dundee Day Nursery Ltd we promote the safety and welfare of all children in our care. We believe our staff should be completely attentive during their hours of working to ensure all children in the nursery receive good quality care and education. To ensure the safety and well-being of children we DO NOT ALLOW staff to use personal mobile phones or smartwatches during working hours.

We require our staff to be responsible and professional in their use of social networking sites in relation to any connection to the nursery, nursery staff, parents, or children. We ask parents and visitors to respect and adhere to our policy.

At The University of Dundee Nursery Ltd we recognise that photographs and video recordings play a part in the life of the nursery. We ensure that any photographs or recordings (including CCTV) taken of children in our nursery are only done with prior written permission from each child’s parent and only share photos with parents in a secure manner. We obtain this when each child is registered, and we update it on a regular basis to ensure that this permission still stands.

We ask for individual permissions for photographs and video recordings for a range of purposes including use in the child’s learning journal; for display purposes; for promotion materials including our nursery website, brochure and the local press; and for security in relation to CCTV. We ensure that parents understand that where their child is also on another child’s photograph, but not as the primary person, that may be used in another child’s learning journal.

If a parent is not happy about one or more of these uses, we will respect their wishes and find alternative ways of recording their child’s play or learning. 

Staff are not permitted to take any photographs or recordings of a child on their own information storage devices e.g. cameras, mobiles or smartwatches and may only use those provided by the nursery. The nursery management will monitor all photographs and recordings to ensure that the parents’ wishes are met, and children are safeguarded.

Parents are not permitted to use any mobile phone, recording device or camera (including those on mobile phones or smartwatches) on the nursery premises without the prior consent of the manager.

During special events, e.g. Christmas/weekly photos or leaving parties, staff may produce group photographs to distribute to parents on request. In this case we will gain individual permission for each child before the event. This will ensure all photographs taken are in line with parental choice. We ask that photos of events such as Christmas parties or children’s graduation are not posted on any social media websites/areas without permission from parents of all the children included in the picture. Parents are free to decide to upload pictures of their own children on sites without notifying the nursery.

Applicable for settings using Online Learning Journals only

At The University of Dundee Nursery Ltd we use tablets in the rooms to take photos of the children and record these directly on to their electronic learning journeys. We ensure that these devices are used for this purpose only and do not install applications such as social media sites on to these devices. We also do routine checks to ensure that emails and text messages (where applicable) have not been sent from these devices and remind staff of the whistleblowing policy if they observe staff not following these safeguarding procedures.

Staff must adhere to the following:

  • Mobile phones/smartwatches are either turned off or on silent and not accessed during your working hours
  • Mobile phones/smartwatches can only be used on a designated break
  • Mobile phones/ should be stored safely with personal belongings at all times during the hours of your working day
  • During outings photographs must not be taken of the children on any phones or any other information storage device.

Staff must not post anything on to social networking sites such as Facebook that could be construed to have any impact on the nursery's reputation or relate to the nursery or any children attending the nursery in any way. Staff must not post anything on to social networking sites that could offend any other member of staff or parent using the nursery.

If staff, choose to allow parents to view their page on social networking sites this relationship must remain professional at all times

If any of the above points are not followed then the member of staff involved will face disciplinary action, which could result in dismissal.

 

Document information

Date policy adopted 12 August 2022
Signed on behalf of Nursery Jacky Jones, Senior Manager,
Malgorzata Mazanka, Junior Manager
Date for review 12 August 2023
Enquiries

Jacky Jones

Nursery Manager

nursery@dundee.ac.uk
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