Mobile Phones in settings and pictures on facebook...

[Tracie CYPW2+3]

This has made me a little 'uncomfortable' so I thought I'd pop in here for some advice...

Was just browsing my friends photos on facebook and noted photos of her girls taken in school uniform in the school playground during 'after school club' which they attend (other children are playing in the background). They have been taken by the woman that runs the club who appears to know my friend in some capacity as she has 'tagged' the photos-which means they show on the tagged persons facebook page.

I guess whats making me uncomfortable is, i'm obviously wondering if she's taking pics of these kids is she also taking pics of others... and also, my children (who attend the same school) will need to attend the 'breakfast club' there next year and i'm now not comfortable with this womans policies.

I'm aware that its all most likely nothing more than poor judgemet, I guess I'm just a bit stunned that not all settings operate the same policies as ours (phones must be left in the office and the setting mobile is a basic modeel which purposely does not have a camera or internet service).

What do you think?

[shannon123]

i agree with you i work in a chidren centre and we are not aloud to have are phone's and we have a work's camera that stay's in the bilding x

[Heidi]

We too have a policy stating no personal mobiles (locked away if brought in) and staff give out the setting's landline and mobile numbers to those that may need it in an emergency.

We also have a social network policy that states that whilst we understand that people as individuals can choose to use these social internet sites, they must not mention work or break confidentiality - however small in their mind. The policy states that not adhering to the policy may result in dismissal.

It's always best to be safe, rather than sorry and no one has objected at our setting. We want parents to know that we take child protection seriously.

I would have a word with whoever is in charge of the Breakfast club and/or the afterschool club, express your concerns about leaving your child where photographs are being taken and placed on public internet sites. The manager may not even be aware of what staff are doing.

[charlotte1001]

We have a works camera and a parents permission slip for photos to be taken of their child.

[Blackcurrant]

She is not allowed to put pictures of child on facebook or display them anywhere else without the permission of the children's parents she is breaking the Data Protection Act and she is not protecting the children within her care.
No mobiles phones are allowed within our setting unless its work related and any photos taken can only be displayed as we ask permission from the parents.
We have a work facebook page but no pictures of the children are put up there, just pictures of projects that we are doing.
You can report this person.

[fudge007]

OMG.....that is so wrong.....you can report her, and if my childs pictures appeared on facebook....even just in the background i would not be happy at all....she does need to be reported, she MUST realise that she is breaking the rules, and if not then she needs to be told that she is and pulled up on it!!!

[DizzyDora]

She needs to remove the photos immediately she is breaking data protection if she doesn't have the permission of the children's parents even if they are in the background. I have a long standing gripe with mobile phones in my setting and now have a policy that they must be on silent in the cupboard, emergency calls can be made to the club mobile.