Clear Desk Policy

This policy applies to all employees of Truly Scrumptious Early Years Nursery and its affiliates. As an Early Years childcare provider setting, we have access to children and family’s personal data.

A clear desk policy is the best way to avoid unauthorised access to physical records which contain sensitive or personal information and will protect physical records from fire and/ or flood damage.

A clear desk policy involves the removal of the physical records which contain sensitive or personal information to a cupboard or drawer (lockable where appropriate). It does not mean that the desk must be cleared of all its contents.

At the end of each day, or if the desk or said workspace is to be unsupervised at any given time, all confidential and personal data must be filed securely away in a locked cupboard, this also applied to any electronic device, including nursery laptops, Ipad’s and cameras which may hold children, staff and parent personal data.

All employees of Truly scrumptious must ensure.

1. All sensitive/confidential information in hardcopy or electronic form is secure in their work area at the end of the day and when they are expected to be gone for an extended period.
2. Computer’s must be locked when workspace is unoccupied.
3. Compute’s must be shut completely down at the end of the workday. 
4. Any Restricted or Sensitive information must be removed from the desk and locked in a drawer this also applies when the desk is unoccupied and at the end of the workday.
5. File cabinets containing Restricted or Sensitive information must be kept closed and locked when not in use or when not attended.
6. Keys used for access to Restricted or Sensitive information must NOT be left at an unattended desk and secured away in the combination lock key box. 
7. Laptops/iPads/kindles nursery cameras must be locked away in a drawer or cupboard. 
8. Passwords may not be left on sticky notes posted on or under a computer, nor may they be left written down in an accessible location.
9. Printouts containing Restricted or Sensitive information should be immediately removed from the printer.
10. Upon disposal Restricted and/or Sensitive documents should be shredded in the official shredder bins or placed in the lock confidential disposal bins.
11. Whiteboards containing Restricted and/or Sensitive information should be erased, and covered in the case of a visitor e.g maintenance or show arounds ect.
12. Treat mass storage devices such as external hard drives or USB’s as sensitive and secure them in a locked drawer.

Policy Reviewed Brittany V – 27/03/2023