Use of Mobile Phones and Camera’s Policy

At Truly Scrumptious Early Years Nursery, the welfare, protection, and safety of every child is our highest priority. We take safeguarding extremely seriously and have a clear, robust policy to prevent the misuse of mobile phones, smart devices, and cameras. This policy aims to protect children from the inappropriate capture or sharing of images and to ensure that staff remain fully focused and engaged during working hours.

Mobile Phones and Smart Devices (e.g., Smart Watches)

Staff Responsibilities

  • Staff are not permitted to use mobile phones or smart devices during working hours in areas where children are present.

  • Mobile phones must be switched off or on silent and stored in the designated locked phone boxes in the office throughout the working day.

  • Smart watches (e.g., Apple Watches) that allow messaging, calls, or image storage are also not permitted during contact hours with children. Staff must remove these before starting their shift and store them with their phones.

Break Times

  • Staff may access their phones during designated breaks in the staff room or other child-free areas only.

Emergency Contact

  • In the event of a genuine emergency, staff may request temporary access to their phone with prior permission from the Nursery Manager or Deputy.

  • All routine or urgent contact during the day should go through the nursery landline.

Breaches and Monitoring

  • Any member of staff found using a personal phone or smart watch in a prohibited area or time will be subject to disciplinary action in line with the nursery’s safeguarding and staff conduct policies.

  • The Nursery Manager/DSL reserves the right to inspect the contents of a staff member’s device if there are serious concerns about inappropriate use. If necessary, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and police will be contacted immediately.

Visitors and Parents

  • Parents and visitors are not permitted to use mobile phones while on nursery premises.

  • All visitors must leave personal devices in the office and are accompanied at all times by a staff member.

  • Parents taking calls upon arrival or pick-up will be politely asked to end the call or step outside.

Cameras and Capturing Images

Use of Nursery Devices

  • Only designated nursery devices (cameras and tablets) may be used to take photographs or videos of children.

  • These devices must:

    • Be stored securely in a lockable cabinet or office when not in use.

    • Only be used for legitimate educational or developmental purposes.

    • Be checked and cleared weekly by the designated safeguarding lead or manager.

Storing and Sharing Images

  • Images taken on nursery devices must never place a child in a compromising or inappropriate position.

  • Images are downloaded to secure nursery storage systems and, where appropriate, uploaded to the secure FAMLY app, accessible only to verified parents/carers of the individual child.

  • Under no circumstances should staff use personal devices to capture or store images of children.

Consent and Data Protection

  • Written parental consent is obtained upon registration regarding:

    • Use of their child’s image for observation, records, or displays.

    • Sharing images on FAMLY and within internal nursery communications.

  • No child will be included in digital records or publications without signed consent.

  • This policy complies with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 standards.

Outings and Off-Site Visits

  • For all group outings, a nursery mobile phone is taken by the designated staff member for emergency use only.

  • Personal phones must remain stored and unused.

  • The nursery phone must only be used for:

    • Contacting the nursery

    • Emergency contact with emergency services

    • Keeping in contact with parents if a planned delay occurs

Staff Vigilance and Reporting

All staff have a duty to remain vigilant and immediately report any concerns or breaches of this policy to the Nursery Manager or Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
Please refer to our Whistleblowing Policy for further guidance.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if there are updates to safeguarding legislation, EYFS guidance, or best practice recommendations.

Policy Reviewed By Brittany V – Manager – 12/06/2025

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