Covering data protection and sharing Essay

In my setting all information collected and held regarding pupils who are in attendance is kept safe and secure by using passwords on the computer and it can only be accessed by those who are in charge of it. Educational records kept in each classroom are locked into cupboards with padlock, and only senior staff hold the key School only collects information that is used for a specific purpose, i.e. the children’s address and parent/carer contact information. School also holds files containing staff details and training courses attended etc, which are again kept electronically with a password protection. The school ensures the information they require is relevant and accurate and they ensure the information is kept up to date, by sending letters out to parent/carers to remind them to update information since the last academic year. The information is kept for the duration the child is in attendance at the school and after which they will delete the files containing the personal data and shred any paper documents. Personal information is available to the pupils and parents should they wish to view their own details. Staff have access to the shredding machine and can use at any time, to shred scribble notes during meetings, that may not be needed anymore, but may contain children’s names etc. Also, in my setting, surnames are not written onto the front of any child ‘s books, which makes them harder to identify outside the setting, protecting identity. Some of the children at my current work setting are on the child protection register and this information is only available to the designated safeguarding officer. If the safeguarding officer has been notified of some child protection issues in relation to any child then they must disclose it to the child’s teacher in confidence to ensure the information shared is in the strictest confidence. The information the CPO holds must also be kept secure at all times (is kept in locked drawers and her office locked every time she is not there ) and it is imperative that the information stored does not become public knowledge. The data collected must at all times be kept on the premises to ensure it does not become public knowledge. If the information needs to be shared with external agencies then it must be done appropriately, by using their discretion, and following all policies at all times. As a 1:1 I keep information on my charge such as IEP, speech and Lang letters etc. These are all kept in a file in a cupboard away from the entrance used by parents. I can share these documents with relevant staff or outside agencies ( SENCo or Autism Outreach), but only at appropriate times and if relevant to do so. It is important to keep information confidential and only disclose to staff as necessary. Electronic details are password protected onto individual staff folders on the school computer system and screens must ALWAYS be shut down when finished with, and before walking away from the screen. Helen Purvis CYP 3.3 1.5 contd Data Protection Act 1998 is an updated version of the 1988 Act. It says an organisation should hold an individual’s information confidentially and not disclose to other members of the public. It also states that the individual has a right to view or amend the information held regarding them. School use the Data Protection Act and have included it their confidentiality policy and safeguarding policy and all staff musts adhere to these policies and procedures at all times. Reference : data protection act on Wikipedia accessed 13.2.13