Child Care Okehampton

ICT misuse policy

Posted on Monday, May 11, 2015 in Our Policies

ICT misuse policy

Procedure to follow if an allegation is made against a member of staff who has

  • behaved in a way that may have harmed a child
  • possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child

All allegations should be reported straight away, normally to the designated person (Clare Acton, Lorraine Neighbour).  A written statement of the accusation will be recorded and will include the date and time of when the accusation was first made, the name of the person making the accusation, details of the accusation together with any supporting evidence and the name of the member of staff to whom the allegation was first reported.

This statement will be signed, dated and timed by the person making the accusation and the person to whom the accusation was reported.  The Designated local authority officer (01392 384 964) responsible for advising and monitoring cases will be informed.

In the case of an allegation there will be three strands to consider;

  • A police investigation of a possible criminal offence
  • Enquiries and assessment by children’s social care about whether the child is in need of protection or in need of services.
  • Consideration by the setting of disciplinary action in respect of the individual.

The member of staff accused of the ICT misuse will be interviewed by the designated officer .  The member of staff will be made aware of the details of the allegation and that the designated local authority officer has been informed.  In some instances there may also be a need to contact DFES for consideration.

The member of staff will be asked to comment on the allegation.  The designated officer will decide on the action to be taken with support from the local authority designated officer.  This may include suspension without pay.

Parents or carers should be told about the allegation as soon as possible.  They should also be kept informed about the progress of the case and told the outcome where there is not a criminal prosecution, including the outcome of any disciplinary procedure.

In cases where children have suffered significant harm, consideration needs to be taken on supporting the child.

The alleged person should also be kept informed of the progress of the case and we should consider what support they may need.  Every effort should be made to maintain confidentiality and guard against unwanted publicity while an allegation is being investigated or considered.

If a person resigns due to allegations, they still need to be followed up.  It is important to reach and record a conclusion whenever possible.

It is important that record keeping is a clear and concise summary of the allegations made, there needs to be details on how it was followed up and a personnel file and a copy to be given to the person concerned.  This record should be retained until retirement age or for a period of ten years if that is longer.

If on conclusion of the case the nursery ceases to use the persons services or the person ceases to offer their services, the setting should consult the designated officer about whether a referral to DFES is required.  If appropriate this should be done within one mont