​

Our nurseries are aware of the growth of internet use and the advantages this can bring. However, it is also aware of the dangers and strives to support children, staff and families in using the internet safely. 

Tapestry

We use a secure online system called Tapestry to record and store all observations and assessments relating to each child. This is a safe and secure system which enables parents and carers to access their child’s learning journey at any time. 

As part of our commitment to safeguard our children, all learning journeys are password protected so that parents and carers can only access the account of their child. 

Each staff member has their own tablet which they use to add observations of their key children. These include photographs and videos. We seek parental permission to do take photos prior to the child starting with us. 

• Tablets must be stored securely at night in a locked cupboard. 

• Under no circumstances are tablets taken home with staff.

• Managers will regularly monitor tablet use and ensure no other apps have been downloaded onto the device.

• All tablets are password protected.

• Passwords are kept confidential. 

• Parents must not share any photos or videos from tapestry onto social media sites. We take this very seriously and any breach of this may lead to the parents account being made ‘inactive’ or deleted.

• Parents are required to sign a consent form giving permission for their child’s image to appear in other children’s learning journeys, and to protect images of other children that may appear in any photos contained in their child’s learning journey.

• Once photos and videos are uploaded to tapestry, staff must delete them from their tablets.

• Parents without internet access can come into the setting to look at their child’s learning journey and we will print off information for them each term. 

Mobile phone use 

To ensure the safety and well being of the children in our care, we do not allow staff to use personal mobile phones or smart watches during working hours. 

Staff must adhere to the following, failure to do so may lead to disciplinary action;

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

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

• Mobile phones and smartwatches must be stored safely in staff lockers 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 

• The nursery devices will not have any social media or messaging apps on them

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

 

Whilst we recognise that there may be emergency situations which necessitate the use of a mobile telephone, in order to ensure the safety and welfare of children in our care and share information about the child’s day. However, parents and visitors are kindly asked to refrain from using their mobile telephones whilst in the nursery or when collecting or dropping off their children.

If you are found to be using your phone inside the nursery premises you will be asked 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. 

Visitors are requested to leave their mobile phones or smart watches in the safety of the office where they will be locked away safely. 

Expectations of staff using the internet safely

Our staff have the benefit of internet access within the setting to monitor their key children’s learning and development through tapestry. We also encourage staff to use the internet with their key groups to teach them about technology and the world around them however, we have strict expectations of our staff to access the internet in a safe and respectful manner. Personal use of electronic communication such as email, internet or telephone use, is not permitted. 

Each key person is issued with a tablet which is their responsibility to keep safe and ensure that no damage comes to it. Should it become damaged through lack of care and supervision, we ask that it is replaced or fixed by the staff member with their own money.

We expect all staff to adhere to the points below. Failure to do so may lead to disciplinary action;

• Passwords must be kept confidential.

• Emergency personal calls must be authorised by the manager and where possible, made on your own device outside of the nursery building.

• The internet is not to be used to visit, bookmark, download material from or upload material to inappropriate, obscene, pornographic or otherwise offensive websites.

• Each employee has a responsibility to report any misuse of the internet or email.  By not reporting such knowledge, the employee will be considered to be collaborating in the misuse. Each employee can be assured of confidentiality when reporting misuse.

• Employees may not install any software that has not been cleared for use by the manager onto our computers or systems. Such action may lead to disciplinary action up to and including summary dismissal in serious cases.

• We expect all staff to use their common sense and good business practice when using email.  As email is not a totally secure system of communication and can be intercepted by third parties, external email should not normally be used in relation to confidential transactions.  

• Emails must not be used to send abusive, offensive, sexist, racist, disability-biased, sexual orientation based or defamatory material, including jokes, pictures or comments which are potentially offensive. Such use may constitute harassment and/or discrimination.

• Be aware of online safety and talk to children and their parents about this. 

• To celebrate ‘online safety week’ each year to inform parents of the importance of making children aware of online safety. 

• All staff to complete online safety courses.

• 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. 

• The nursery owner and managers are the only employees with access to the nurseries social media sites and will only post images of children with prior written parental consent. The owner and managers may use their mobile phone to take photos for the nursery social media sites but these will be deleted as soon as the photos are uploaded.

 

Photographs and videos

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 it is a Parents responsibility to update us if the permission or circumstances change. 

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. 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 journey. 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.  

Parents 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.

 

This policy was adopted on

Signed on behalf of the nursery

Date for review

July 2020

 

July 2021