Policy statement
At Roots and Wings Community Preschool we promote the safety and welfare of all children in our care as well as ensuring the safety of our staff team. We recognise that photographs and video recordings play a part in the life of our setting. We ensure any photographs or recordings taken of children in the setting are only done with prior written permission from each child’s parents or legal guardians. This is obtained when each child is registered and is updated on a regular basis to ensure that permission still stands. There is no preschool computer onsite,however children can access age-appropriate technology and use safely on tablets when accompanied by a Preschool Team member. Communication with families is always professional and takes place via official setting communication channels: This is to protect both staff and learners’ families. To ensure the safety and well-being of children, staff must adhere to the appropriate use of technology as listed below
Procedures
Personal Mobile Phones
- Personal mobile phones belonging to members of staff are only permitted to be used during staff lunch breaks, away from the children and are not to be used anywhere else on the premises during working hours.
- At the beginning of each individual’s shift, personal mobile phones are stored in lockers in the conservatory.
- In the event of an emergency, personal mobile phones may be used in the privacy of the office or conservatory, with permission from a member of the management team.
- Members of staff ensure that the telephone number of the setting is known to immediate family and other people who need to contact them in an emergency.
- If members of staff take their own mobile phones on outings, for use in the case of an emergency, they must not make or receive personal calls or text messages as this will distract them.
- Members of staff will not use their personal mobile phones for taking photographs of children in the setting or on outings.
- Parents and visitors are requested not to use their mobile phones whilst on the premises. All setting visitor’s mobile phones and handbags must be stored in the closed conservatory upon arrival.
There is an exception if a visitor’s company or organisation operates a lone working policy that requires contact with their office periodically throughout the day. Under these circumstances, visitors can use their mobile phone in the office where there are no children present.
Cameras and videos
- Members of staff must not bring their own cameras or video recorders into the setting.
- Photographs and recordings of children are only taken for valid reasons, i.e. to record their learning and development, or for displays within the setting.
- Photographs or recordings of children are only taken on equipment belonging to the setting.
- Camera and video use is monitored by the setting management team.
- Where parents request permission to photograph or record their own children at special events, permission will first be gained from all parents for their children to be included.
- Photographs and recordings of children are only taken of children if there is written permission to do so (found on the individual child’s Registration Form).
Smart Watches
- Staff are able to wear smart watches as long as they ensure that there is no camera on the smart watch.
- Notifications to the smartwatch should be kept to a minimum. The manager reserves the right to ask a staff member to disable all notifications if it is deemed to be affecting their work.
- Children are not allowed to wear smart watches in setting. If a child is seen to be wearing a smart watch it will be removed and returned to the parent collecting at the end of the session.