📱Mobile Phone/ Electronic Device Policy (inc Photo & Video)

This policy was adopted on 30 August 2022 and is reviewed annually

This policy refers to all electronic devices able to take pictures, record videos, send or receive calls and messages. This includes cameras, mobile telephones, tablets and any recording devices including smartwatches. More and more devices are technically, capable of connecting us to the outside world. We will adapt the policy to include all devices we deem necessary to safeguard children.

Mobile phones and other devices that accept calls, messages and video calling

At Natural Nurture 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, smartwatches and/or Fitbits during working hours.

We use one mobile phone supplied by the nursery only to provide a means of contact in certain circumstances such as opening the farm gate when no-one is in the office.

This policy should be used in conjunction with our online safety and acceptable IT use policies, to ensure children are kept safe when using the nursery devices online.

Staff must adhere to the following:

• Mobile phones/smartwatches/Fitbits are either turned off or on silent and not accessed during your working hours

• Mobile phones/smartwatches/Fitbits can only be used on a designated break and then this must be away from the children

• Mobile phones/smartwatches/Fitbits should be stored safely in the phone lockbox in the office at all times during the hours of your working day

• The use of nursery devices, such as tablets, must only be used for nursery purposes

• Any apps downloaded onto nursery devices must be done only by management. This will ensure only age and content appropriate apps are accessible to staff, or children using them

• Passwords/passcodes for nursery devices must not be shared or written down, and will be changed regularly

• Only nursery owned devices will be used to take photographs or film videos

• Nursery devices will not be taken home with staff and will remain secure at the setting when not in use.

Parents’ use of mobile phones and smartwatches

Parents are kindly asked to refrain from using their mobile telephones whilst in the nursery or when collecting or dropping off their children. We will ask any parents using their phone inside the nursery premises to finish the call or take the call outside. We do this to ensure all children are safeguarded and the time for dropping off and picking up is a quality handover opportunity where we can share details about your child.

Parents are requested not to allow their child to wear or bring in devices that may take photographs or record videos or voices. This includes smart watches with these capabilities, such as Vtech. This ensures all children are safeguarded and also protects their property as it may get damaged or misplaced at the nursery.

Visitors’ use of mobile phones and smartwatches

Visitors are not permitted to use their mobile phones or smart watches whilst at nursery and are asked to leave them in a safe secure place/nursery office for the duration of their visit.

Photographs and videos

At Natural Nurture 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 (via our Famly app). We will obtain this permission when each child is registered.

We ask for individual permissions for photographs and video recordings for a range of purposes including: use in the child’s learning journey; for display purposes; for promotion materials including our nursery website, brochure and the local press; and for security in relation to CCTV and the different social media platforms we use.

Photographs and videos will not be taken in areas where intimate care routines are carried out.

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, tablets or smartwatches and may only use those provided by the nursery. The nursery manager will monitor all photographs and recordings to ensure that the parents’ wishes are met and children are safeguarded.

Parents, and children, are not permitted to use any 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 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 are not posted on any social media websites/areas without permission from parents of all the children included in the picture.

Photos / Videos for Online Learning Journals

At Natural Nurture we use tablets on the farm to take photos of the children and record these on to their electronic learning journeys. We ensure that these devices are used for this purpose only.

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.