Use of personal devices for photographing children - Safeguarding risk

[elsiegee40]

Just thought I would fling this local new story into the arena to raise awareness.

 

A PreSchool in Maidstone has been graded Inadequate (previously Outstanding) due to Safeguarding issues ... particularly " The provider allows staff to use personal mobile phones to take and send photographs of children to parents and other staff. She does not monitor this practice effectively and this puts children's welfare at risk. The provider has not identified the use of mobile phones as a safeguarding issue and does not show a secure understanding of how to safeguard children."

 

Ofsted report here Ofsted | Cherubs Pre School

 

News report here: Staff members' mobile phone photos of children see 'outstanding' Cherubs Pre-School in Linton rated inadequate over safeguarding fears

 

In the paper, a much longer article than that online, there is a quote from the owners "Parents sign a form to consent to photos of their children being taken and sent via text message - not a single one objected" *Sigh *

 

For those not up to speed, the issue is the control of photographs taken on personal devices. How do you know that photos will only be used for the purposes intended in nursery? What other pictures are being taken? Where do they end up?

Edited February 5, 2016 by elsiegee40

[PotNoodleTech]

I find the parental comments extremely interesting. The inspectors are the bad guys here for identifying this bad practice. Yet if it was the other way around and photos of an inappropriate nature were found alongside the genuine photos of the pupils doing classroom work, it would be "why didn't the inspectors identify this sooner?"

[Arreks]

I would have thought that personal devices should never be used for anything related to a young person in a school.. ever.. isn't that common sense?

[elsiegee40]

The story of Vanessa George, a nursery nurse at Little Ted'in Plymouth, selling child abuse images is enough to strike fear into the hearts of most parents.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11682161

 

The issue here isn't the nursery taking photos, it's the lack of control and understanding of risk about the use of personal devices.

 

Our preschool uses Tapestry, but only on school devices.

Edited February 5, 2016 by elsiegee40

[PrimaryNetMan]

With solutions like Tapestry and 2BuildAProfile there is no reason incidents like this should still occur.

[titch]

Just playing devils advocate as I am not sure where I stand in this. But if their is not enough trust (once appropriate policy is in place in regards to security and destruction etc) in staff to take photos on their own devices then surely something is wrong? All staff at any school need a trust aspect or the whole system fails? If their is no trust then how can we possibly justify anyone access to sims record's/ access to photos on server (after all they may copy them to a USB stick) in fact should we even let them see children as how do we know what they are thinking? With all the right policies in place TRUST is still needed. If we have no trust schools could not function. If you took this approach to every aspect of school life adults would not be in schools!

[3s-gtech]

Our IT AUP specifically prohibits staff from doing this, I'm pretty surprised that a school is ignorant of this issue.

[Chrisbf1]

Taking this one stage further, does everyone have a policy for where photo's are then stored. Trying to introduce a policy of all photos being stored on a network photos drive and never in the 'my documents area'.

[Nixon77]

I work in an outstanding school, the teachers have been told over and over again not to use personal devices, but you might as well talk to a brick wall. We have "caught" them doing it. Its been the same in all the places I have worked.

 

I was not aware it could change a rating, maybe if the heads knew (maybe they do), they would come down hard on staff. i.e. do it and your sacked. If they can?

[southhamster]

We've had this come up and staff don't use their personal phones for pics. I have special dispensation ONLY for pics of kit and serial numbers. This is partly because if you need a school camera there is never one working with batteries etc depite buying loads each year and also its just so damned convenient. However I am very well aware of the issues and as you say trust is vital here.

[elsiegee40]

Taking this one stage further, does everyone have a policy for where photo's are then stored. Trying to introduce a policy of all photos being stored on a network photos drive and never in the 'my documents area'.

 

Yes. Photographs may only be stored in shared drives. Nothing in personal areas. Photographs may only be taken using school owned devices

 

 

It's in our staff AUP which is part of induction training. The document must be signed an returned to HR after training and is clearly labelled as being part of the contract of employment

Edited February 6, 2016 by elsiegee40

[titch]

What stops your staff copying the entire photo drive and sharing it on a torrent site though? Is it the fact the you have an AUP for it or the fact they are professionals who have been entrusted with the safeguarding of our children. If you were to be cantankerous you could say that by placing the files on a staff shared drive you are exposing those children to more potential predators in your school, rather than keeping them to one potential predator.... It just all seems so cynical to me.

[elsiegee40]

Nothing stops them and never will stop the determined. However use and abuse of data is a signed part of their contract which at least gives the school some control should things go wrong

 

The AUP rules are very much sold to staff as a way of protecting their backs from accusation. Staff can see there are ways to minimise risk to their future employment

Edited February 6, 2016 by elsiegee40

[titch]

So having said that, you could have in your AUP staff may use personal devices for school related use under the understanding any school data will not be shared and responsible disposal of devices data will be adhered to?

[elsiegee40]

Possibly. But keeping it to school devices makes delineation clearer for the school. It also makes investigation much simpler. If photos are found on personal devices it is a clear breach of policy; end of.

 

If personal devices are allowed in some circumstances, the whole thing becomes more complex. My school opted for the simple route

[titch]

Yeah that makes sense to be honest. Still doesnt feel right to me though.

[elsiegee40]

Look at it from your career point of view.

 

Someone makes accusations about you taking pictures of the children for dubious purposes.

 

The school network is locked down. Your personal devices are taken from you at home by investigating authorities.

 

Nothing on your personal stuff. Easy to sort out.

 

Something on them or in your personal area at school, however innocent, explanation required. I would rather not have to explain in the first place.

 

Accusations don't happen often, but when or if they do I am all for clearing myself as quickly as possible.

 

I shouldn't have to protect myself like this. That annoys me. However, I will do everything in my power to make sure that flying mud does not have the remotest chance of sticking

Edited February 6, 2016 by elsiegee40

[biz]

News report here: Staff members' mobile phone photos of children see 'outstanding' Cherubs Pre-School in Linton rated inadequate over safeguarding fears

 

In the paper, a much longer article than that online, there is a quote from the owners "Parents sign a form to consent to photos of their children being taken and sent via text message - not a single one objected" *Sigh *

 

For those not up to speed, the issue is the control of photographs taken on personal devices. How do you know that photos will only be used for the purposes intended in nursery? What other pictures are being taken? Where do they end up?

 

@elsiegee40 I can't believe the flak you got in the comments of that article. The readers of the Kent Messenger don't really seem to get the issue.

[elsiegee40]

I can. Actually I had forgotten to look. I must go back and stir it a bit defend myself Edited February 6, 2016 by elsiegee40

[Guest WMITTech]

It's just a big no no... Common sense should kick in!

[elsiegee40]

Their beef is that the single inspector is either incompetent or was out to get the nursery. They argue that there was no evidence that personal devices were used at the preschool and that they were forbidden. It seems unlikely the inspector got this so completely wrong to me.

 

In any case Ofsted won't change the judgement. They will reinspect at regular intervals... the outraged can continue but it will make no difference.

[witch]

Personal devices are used to take photos in both my schools, no matter what is said or done. I can always tell because of the resolution of said pics. Which are all over the server - in shared drives, personal document areas, you name it....

[gaz350b]

laws don't stop people from doing all kinds of stuff.... So why would a policy stop someone from taking inappropriate images wether it be on a personal or school device.

 

Move it off the device and delete.... Most people wouldn't even notice. Might aswell ban all cameras.

[elsiegee40]

Laws and policies are there to set standards of acceptable behaviour. The determined will always get round them, but this isn't a reason to not have policies in place

 

Schools have policies to minimise risk and to steer best practice.

 

There is much greater risk when there is no clear policy or the policy is ignored which is why Ofsted gave Inadequate here

Edited February 7, 2016 by elsiegee40

[jdoyle]

also worth mentioning that photographs of students (and staff) fall under Data Protection legislation as well as safeguarding.