Mobile Phone, Camera, Internet and Social Networking Policy

E-safety encompasses not only the internet but also wireless communications including mobile phones, cameras, web-cams, ipads and pc tablets.  There are many opportunities to learn from the internet and we use a PC, a kindle and children’s cameras to access games, take photographs and learn about technology.  My daughter has her own laptop locked away in her bedroom which is not accessible to the children and she does not use our PC downstairs.  We do not have any other apparatus at home that can access the internet (such as the Xbox).

As part of my Safeguarding procedure, I always carry a mobile phone with me.  This enables me to contact or be contacted by children’s parents/carers throughout the day as well as enabling me to be able to make emergency phone calls if this is necessary.

With all emerging technologies there is also the potential for misuse. Risks associated with user interactive services include: cyber bullying, grooming and potential abuse, identity theft and exposure to inappropriate. It is my duty to make sure that the children in my care are not subjected to any of these.

Procedure

I keep up to date with local and national e-safety awareness issues regarding existing and emerging technologies.   I receive emails from Kidsmart.org.uk who have a very informative website on being smart on the internet for parents/carers and children. The government has a very useful document  with advice on child internet safety.  Another good code to remember is:

Zip it    - keep your personal information private and think about what you say and do online

Block it - block people who send you nasty messages and don’t open unknown links and attachments

Flag it - flag up with someone you trust if anything upsets you or if someone asks to meet you offline

The PC is situated in the playroom in full view of myself and the other children. It is locked with a password (that only I know) when not in use.  The children ask me before using the PC, Kindle or cameras. In this way I can keep an eye on what they are looking at and taking part in at all times. If I think they are playing an inappropriate game etc I intervene immediately.

The PC has McAfee security protection which is updated regularly.  I have set the parental controls so that it blocks any unsafe content from popping up or coming up when key words are typed into the search engine.

I also talk to the children about using computers and internet safely and to the older children about putting information on the internet. There is an excellent website called www.thinkuknow.co.uk containing information for various aged children, parents/cares and teachers. There are age appropriate videos for the children to watch giving them valuable information about internet security.

Photographs are taken either using my mobile phone or the children’s camera.  The images are transferred to my computer each evening and deleted from my mobile phone and digital camera immediately after they are transferred.

Photographs are printed using my colour printer only for use in daily diaries, for children’s learning journeys, for my website and facebook page and for displays at my house.  I will not distribute or publish photographs of your children without asking you first, even if I have written permission to do so. I will be able to justify to Ofsted why I have taken the photographs.

Parents/carers are asked to sign a permission form for me to take photographs of their children during their time with me and how I may use these photographs.

Older photographs are either permanently deleted or stored on a disc which is kept locked away with the rest of my archived records.

Visitors to my home (this includes parents/carers) are not allowed to take photographs of the children in my setting.  Likewise I do not allow outside organisations or other parents to take photographs of the children when we are out.

I am registered with the Information Commissioners’s Office as a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 1998.  My registration number is Z6917502.

Children’s use of mobile phones and other internet connected devices

Children are discouraged from using their mobile phones and other electronic devices that connect to the internet at my house.  I have little control over who they are speaking to or what they are watching when they use equipment that they bring from home.  This also puts the youngest children at risk of seeing something that is not age appropriate.  If a child needs to bring their mobile phone for emergency reasons I ask them to keep them safely in their own personal bag only to be used in an emergency.

If I see a child misusing their mobile phones or other electronic devices I ask them to put it away in their personal bags, will discuss this with the parents when they collect and agree upon whether the child may bring the piece of equipment to my house again.

Reporting online concerns about possible abuse

If I believe inappropriate behaviour has occurred (here, at children’s homes or whilst out) including potentially illegal/abusive content or activity, including child sexual abusive images and online grooming I will report these concerns to the Internet Watch Foundation at www.iwf.org.uk and Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). I will never investigate the material myself.  Law enforcement agencies and the service provider may need to take urgent steps to locate the child and/or remove the content from the internet.

Useful websites

www.nspcc.org.uk          www.Kidsmart.org.uk

www.thinkuknow.co.uk   www.bbc.co.uk   

www.childnet.com                                                                      www.besafeonline.com

www.wisekids.org.uk

www.education.gov.uk/ukccis

www.saferinternet.org                                                                www.safenetwork.org.uk

www.ceop.police.uk                                 

www.ico.org.uk

www.childline.org.uk

 

Policy Written by:  Ilana Hill          Date: 18 September 2011    

Updated and reviewed:            Annually or as required

NOTICEBOARD

This term we will be looking at:

Food

The hungry caterpillar

stone soup

food that grows on trees

Burns Night

Chinese New Year

Shopping for food

pancake day

valentines day

food that grows underground

Handas Surprise

Mothers Day

Food that grows in other countries

My favorite foods

and our topic for this term is:

Fabulous Food

I currently have no vacancies

I am registered to provide FEET
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  Ilana Hill 2012