CCTV in Nurseries – Should you install it?

Is CCTV allowed in nurseries? That thought might have crossed your mind before. CCTV in nurseries can be a divisive debate. Some believe it is a great way to increase security and safety for children. Whereas, others feel that it can be too intrusive and can sometimes be seen as an unethical form of surveillance. There are many differing opinions and laws that need to be taken into consideration. The decision to implement safety monitoring in an early years’ childcare environment should be weighed with care.

If you are thinking of getting CCTV installed in your nursery, it is important to understand both the benefits and negatives, and the laws that need to be abided by in the process.

Pros of nursery installations:

With the presence of safety monitoring, nurseries can regulate quality standards. It also protects the children from harm by encouraging good practices, whilst protecting the staff and the organisation from any allegations.

For example, should a child fall sustain a small bruise, the nursery is able to rewind the CCTV footage and then show a parent exactly how their child has fallen and hurt themselves.

Certain nurseries have permitted new parents who may be concerned about their toddler’s safety to check in remotely to see whether their child is safe and being cared for properly with the intention that it can provide an element of relief and peace of mind in the initial months of leaving the child alone.

Cons of nursery installations:

Not all parents are comfortable with CCTV in their child’s nursery. Some disagree and consider it an invasion of privacy. The main point is that their children could be watched by other parents that want to access the feed.

A survey conducted by DayNurseries found that a convincing 55.31% of people think nurseries should not be allowing parents to watch their children using webcams. You can see the results in the graph below:

Some nurseries have overcome this issue by only providing access to parents whose children are currently at the nursery or by giving parents a timer with an allocated slot that they can log in to use the system for.

At Almas, when providing security installations for nurseries we advise against giving parents access to nursery footage. This is because although passwords can be given, credentials are not always deleted when children leave. In addition, screen recording software may mean that those images are recorded, even if during a short time slot, and then distributed on to, well, anyone… At this point you have lost control of the images completely.

Having a feed that numerous people can access reduces security and incurs the risk of abuse, download and potential onward distribution.

There is also the risk that a child who should not be filmed, for safeguarding issues, is caught within the frame of the footage.

In addition, settings where parents have access to CCTV footage, have reported that they feel more under pressure as they have received calls from parents berating them for something during the day.

What do parents actually think of CCTV in nurseries?

Feesh from MumsNet has found CCTV to be very reassuring:

“Our nursery had this; it was great. We limit access to 15 mins/day. Used to check-in at lunchtime, and one day saw one of my twins grab something off another plate without the staff seeing it. He has a dairy allergy, so this is a big deal. I was able to raise the issue with staff and make sure he was sat further away from others at future meals.

It was very reassuring, and it also helped me time when to collect them. The images weren’t great and only covered a limited area, and along with the 15-minute limit it didn’t feel like you were spying or anything.”

Whereas, FamiliesShareGerms from MumsNet thinks that CCTV in nurseries shouldn’t be used as a replacement for good service:

“I think it’s awful – if you don’t trust the nursery enough to look after your DC (Dear Child) without being able to check up on them, you shouldn’t be using the nursery”.

Nanynick from MumsNet on the other hand highlights how CCTV can be mutually beneficial to both staff and parents:

“CCTV can be useful. If a child wanders off while playing outside and hides somewhere, for example, the CCTV can be quickly reviewed to see which direction the child was last spotted heading, thus making the search area smaller. Not to worry you, children rarely get mislaid, but some children can be good at hiding!

Having CCTV can also protect staff from allegations of abuse. CCTV can also be used as evidence by the police if criminal damage occurs on the nursery site.”

Use of CCTV in nurseries to protect business reputation

CCTV can provide a real benefit for nursery owners as reputational damage can devastating. Embracing safety monitoring can help to illustrate that they are confident in their staff’s quality of care. Also that they are open to providing footage to be used should a dispute arise.

There have been numerous cases where staff have been falsely accused. Both the reputation of the staff and nursery suffered as a result.

A survey conducted by FACT in 2015, found that 38% had suffered a false accusation. 28% were made by a child’s parent or family member. Whilst 50% of these allegations were resolved before being taken to the police. Ongoing trauma endured by staff members from the allegations had resulted in many leaving the profession.

Here are some important guidelines that must be followed when installing CCTV in nurseries:

• The installation of CCTV in nurseries should be considered and planned alongside the undertaking of a Privacy Impact Assessment. This should clearly outline why you are implementing CCTV, how long footage will be kept, who can access it among other considerations.
• The CCTV monitoring screens should only be accessible to senior management/ owners.
• DVR/ NVRs should be held in a locked box or room and should have a complex password to access. This should be changed upon anyone with access leaving the business.
• Staff and parents should be informed and given an opportunity to comment/ object if it is the installation of a new security camera system in the nursery.
• Changing areas; we would generally not advise cameras in a changing area, or the actual changing area should be masked out.
• If used to monitor public or external areas, clear signage must be displayed to alert the surrounding public of its use. We recommend minimum A4 inside and A3 outside. These signs should be placed prominently, before someone walks into the field of view.
• Covert surveillance should not be used unless specified by a court hearing.
• Don’t forget external areas and entrances, play areas are often the backdrop of accidents. You must ensure that any neighbouring property’s private areas are masked out.
• Access points should always be covered to ensure there is a record of movements in case doors have been wedged open or there is a security alert. Almas have solutions to alert nursery owners in the event of a door been propped open and a snapshot of the footage can display the seconds before and after the event for swift investigation.

If you are thinking of investing in safety monitoring for your nursery, you need to make sure that you are abiding by the laws and are protecting all vulnerable parties.

Secure Your Nursery’s Future Today with Almas Industries

The Early Years’ Education landscape is in a state of constant flux, and so are the security challenges that come with it, as a result of pressures from staff shortages and proposed increased ratios. There’s no time like the present to reassess and fortify your security measures.

Here are three reasons why you should reach out to us now:

1. Stay Ahead with Innovative Solutions: In a world where threats are increasing, settling for outdated security systems is not an option. Our access control and CCTV solutions ensure that you’re not just keeping up but staying ahead while saving time and improving safeguarding.

2. Tailored for You: Generic solutions often lead to vulnerabilities. We offer a bespoke approach to security, designed to meet the unique needs and challenges of your nursery setting.

3. 24/7 Exceptional Customer Service: Security is a round-the-clock concern, and so is our customer service. From installation to regular maintenance checks, our support teams are always at your disposal to ensure seamless operation. Our installation and feedback scores from our customers in the last quarter were over 4.8/5.

Take the first step towards unparalleled commercial security by contacting Almas Industries. Secure your assets, safeguard your future—because your peace of mind is our business. Contact us today for more information on access control systems or any of our security solutions, 03335677799 (UK) or 016833368 (IRE) Or send us an email: [email protected]