National Quality Standard (NQS) - Quality Area4: Staffing arrangements
About This Policy
The use of CCTV cameras at Woodlands Long Day Care & Kindergarten to ensure the safety and security of children, employees, and visitors. The cameras are installed to reduce risks and may serve as evidence in legal matters. Surveillance footage may be shared with families at the discretion of educators, depending on the situation.
The policy ensures compliance with privacy regulations by informing staff and families about the use, storage, access, and deletion of footage. It specifies that footage will not include sound, will not capture certain sensitive areas (e.g., bathrooms), and access will be limited to authorized personnel. External parties, including families, are not allowed to view or extract footage. The leadership team manages the surveillance system, and new employees or families will be informed of the policy upon joining. The footage review is done at the discretion of the service management.
National Quality Standard (NQS)
Quality Area 4: Staffing Arrangements
- 4.2.2 Professional Standards - Professional standards guide practice, interactions and relationships
National Quality Standard (NQS)
Quality Area 7: Governance and Leadership
7.1.2 Management systems - Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality service
Related Policies
Purpose To implement a mechanism which complies with the Australian Privacy Principles and can be used to help minimise or eliminate immediate risks to children, employees or visitors, or to support matters which may be investigated by the Police or Courts/Tribunals. |
Scope This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of the Service. |
Implementation
Woodlands has installed CCTV cameras to help ensure the safety and security of children, employees and visitors to our service. Surveillance footage may be used to minimise or eliminate immediate risks to children, employees or visitors, or it may be used as evidence in any matter which involves the Police or Courts/Tribunals. With this in mind, veiled Teachers and Educators will have the right to determine whether or not CCTV footage involving them to be shared with families. We understand that each situation is unique, and individuals may have varying levels of comfort with sharing such footage. Therefore, depending on the seriousness of the incident captured, the educator or Teacher will have the discretion to decline family access to the CCTV footage.
The CCTV cameras will comply with privacy and other legislative requirements by notifying employees and families:
- that CCTV cameras will be used for security and safety purposes
- when they will start recording
- whether they will record footage continuously or intermittently
- the period of surveillance ie a specific period or for an ongoing period
- how long the footage will be kept
- who has access to the footage - ie employees or owners who use it to ensure the safety of children, families or visitors, the Police, legal representatives in the event of a Court case, and employees or owners whose role it is to maintain or delete the video
- when and how the footage will be deleted
- that they may consult with the Nominated Supervisor about the conduct of the surveillance
- displaying signs at each entrance telling people that CCTV cameras are in use and they may be recorded
- recording vision but not sound
- ensuring there is no external access to the footage eg families can't log in and view it
- ensuring there is no surveillance of adult or children's toilets, bathrooms or change rooms and no surveillance of lactation rooms. This does not prevent CCTV vision of the entrance/exit to these areas.
Woodlands Long Day Care & Kindergarten surveillance is managed by the Woodlands Leadership Team and any review of footage/surveillance is limited to Woodlands Employees only. External parties including visitors, parents, or third parties can not be given access or granted access to the main portal security systems to review or extract footage.
Once the CCTV is in operation, the Nominated Supervisor or Administration Manager will provide new employees or families with a copy of the CCTV policy before they start at the service.
Reviewing camera footage is at the discretion of Woodlands and if deemed appropriate.
NOTE:
Camera footage is saved for roughly: After this period the footage is destroyed and unable to be stored.
Truganina- 10 day | Roxburgh park- 6 days | Sunbury- 13 days | Tarneit- 11 days |
St Kilda- 10 days | Warragul- 9 days | Sunshine West- TBC |
Sources
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📅 Policy Reviewed/Modification Dates | ✍️ Modifications & Updates |
November 2017 |
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July 2024 |
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January 2025 |
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Feedback & Collaboration
- At Woodlands, we are committed to continuous improvement and ensuring that our policies and procedures reflect the needs and expectations of everyone we serve. We highly encourage all forms of feedback, whether positive or constructive, to help us refine and enhance our practices.
- 👆 Click Here To Access The Woodlands Policies & Procedure Feedback & Collaboration Form