Confidentiality
Updated & Adopted - April 2019
Be reassured
Little Acorns work with children and families will sometimes bring us into contact with confidential information and situations.
All members of staff, helpers, students and cover staff will be asked to sign this policy as part of their contractual offer of employment and a copy kept on file.
To ensure that all those using and working in the kindergarten can do so with confidence, we will respect confidentiality in the following ways:
Parents will have ready access to the files and records of their own children but not those of any other child.
Permission will be sought at the start of a child’s time with us to share journals with appropriate professionals, ie. OFSTED and Buckinghamshire County Council Early Years representatives.
Staff will not discuss individual children other than for purposes of curriculum planning/group management with people other than the parents/carers of that child.The Kindergarten Manager(s), SENDCO and Key Person of any child must be consulted on any issue relating to a child first.
Staff or any other person are not to discuss any matters from the kindergarten in relation to children their families, colleagues, procedures, news, notifications etc. with anyone outside the kindergarten including staff who have left Little Acorns Kindergarten.
Information given by parents/carers to the Kindergarten Manager(s) or Key persons will not be passed onto other adults without permission.
Issues to do with the employment of staff, whether paid or unpaid, will remain confidential to the people directly involved with making personnel decisions ie. the Manager(s) and Trustees.
Any anxieties/evidence relating to a child’s personal safety will be kept in a confidential file and will not be shared within the group, with the exception of the Kindergarten Manager, the child’s Key person and the Designated Safeguarding Officer(s).
Students on recognised training courses or work experience and volunteers will be advised and asked to sign our confidentiality policy during their induction and required to respect it when they are observing/working in the kindergarten.
Parent helpers and bank staff will also be advised and asked to sign our confidentiality policy during their induction and required to respect it when they are within the kindergarten.
Under no circumstances must any information regarding families, staff, helpers be posted on any social media/electronic facility ie. Facebook, twitter, msn.If this occurs disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with our Disciplinary Procedure.
We advise that no staff member should be friends on social networking sites with parent/carers in attendance at Little Acorns to avoid problems arising.If you are posting on social networking sites, these should be closely monitored, inappropriate images or conversations will result in disciplinary action being taken in accordance with our Disciplinary Procedure.
Mobile Phones, Cameras & Social Media
Little Acorns accepts that mobile phones are part of everyday life for parents, carers and staff. This policy is part of our wider commitment to safeguarding the welfare of the children attending our setting.
Mobile Phones:
Any person working directly with a child/children must not use a mobile phone, it is deemed to be inappropriate and can distract attention from the child/children in their care.
Staff mobile phones must be kept in the kitchen or office.
Urgent calls can be made/taken on the land line, 01296 625787.
If a staff member/cover/parent/helper needs to make a call, they can request permission to use the land line or make the call during break times away from the children.
Visitors to the setting will be asked to leave their mobiles phones in the kitchen or office.At no point will any person be allowed to use their mobile phone in the main areas where children are.If a parent carer/helper is found to be using their mobile during session time in a play area, they will be asked to leave.
Parent/carers will not be allowed into the setting whilst talking on their mobile phone, but will be asked, politely, to finish their call before entering the setting.
No pictures will be taken on mobile phones.
Cameras and Camera Phones:
Only the cameras owned by Little Acorns will be used to record children for observation purposes only.
Permission is requested at the start of a child’s time with us to record by photograph.
The use of any sort of camera by parent/carers is prohibited within the preschool.The only exception would be the Nativity Play at Christmas.A general notice will be sent to all parent/carers explaining that we allow photographs/recordings during the play unless anyone objects.Any objection will be honoured and no photographs/recordings will be allowed.Parents will be asked to use their discretion and not to place any images on social networking sites.
Little Acorns Kindergarten Facebook Group
This is operated as a closed group managed by the Manager of the setting. Authorisation is given to current parents and families. No photographs or recordings will be placed without prior parental consent.
All the undertakings above are subject to the paramount commitment of the kindergarten, which is the safety and well-being of the child. Please see also our policy on Safeguarding children and Child Protection.