All information on children, families and anyone working with me (if applicable) is kept securely and treated in confidence. Information will only be shared if the parents/ carers/ co-workers give their permission or there appears to be a child protection issue. All details will be kept confidential and records are kept secure. The details are easily accessible if any information is required for inspection by Ofsted.
All parents receive a copy of my policies and procedures, which detail how I run my setting.
Childminders do not normally have to register with the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998. However I do need to comply with the Data Protection Act and the national standards for childminding. All written records will be kept securely locked away.
I maintain a record of parent(s)’ and/or emergency contact details, the contact details of the child’s GP and appropriate signed consent forms.
If a child is identified as a child in need (section 17 of the Children Act 1989) I will, normally with the parent’s permission, give appropriate information to referring agencies.
I expect parents to inform me of any changes in the child’s home circumstances, care arrangements or any other change which may affect the child’s behaviour such as a new baby, parents’ separation, divorce or any bereavement.
All information shared will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed without the parent(s)’ consent, except as required by law, for example, there appears to be a child protection issue. Please see my Child Protection Policy.
Ofsted may view my records at any time if required.
Parents have the right to inspect all records about their child at any time.
All accidents are recorded. All accidents and injuries will be reported to the company providing my public liability policy, however trivial, to enable a claim number to be allocated.
All significant incidents are recorded and will be shared and discussed with parents so that together we can work to resolve any issues.
If I keep records relating to individual children on my computer I will ask for the parent’s permission. The information will be securely stored to prevent viewing of the information by others with access to the computer, for example, in password-protected files. Backup files will be stored on a memory stick which will be locked away when not being used.