Every adult who walks into your setting carries a camera. Phones, smart watches, tablets, doorbell cameras and even some toys can capture and share images of children. This course turns your nursery mobile phone policy into consistent daily practice: where personal devices go, how photographs are taken and consented to, how images are stored and deleted, and how to challenge anyone who gets it wrong.
Why device policy matters
Device policy is safeguarding, not IT housekeeping. There are two risks. The rare one is an adult using a personal device to take or share indecent images of children, and reviews of serious safeguarding cases have repeatedly found personal devices played a part. The common one is distraction: an adult scrolling a phone is not watching the water tray or the child who has gone quiet in the corner. A clear, visible routine protects children from both, and it protects staff too. If personal phones are locked away during working hours, nobody can be accused of covert photography.
The EYFS statutory framework requires providers to have a policy on the use of mobile phones, cameras and other devices with imaging or sharing capability. Inspectors ask staff what the policy says and watch whether behaviour matches, so a perfect document that staff can’t describe is a failing policy. Photographs of children are also personal data under UK GDPR, which means your setting is accountable for every image from the moment it is taken until it is securely deleted.
What’s in the course
- Why device policy is a safeguarding issueCovert imaging and everyday distraction, why “we trust our staff” isn’t a policy, and the devices now in scope.
- What the EYFS expects your device policy to coverThe five questions a specific policy answers, links to your DSL and allegations procedure, and review.
- Personal phones and wearables at workSecure storage away from children, smart watches, and emergency exceptions that don’t become loopholes.
- Photography, recording and consentSetting devices used openly, granular consent, dignity, and running observation apps safely.
- Setting-owned devices, storage and data protectionDevice management, storage, retention, secure deletion, data breaches, and CCTV and smart doorbells.
- Visitors, parents and living the policy every dayVisitors, contractors and students, parents at events, and a challenge culture with no rank.
- Assessment10 questions. Pass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
What you’ll learn
- What a specific device policy must answer: which devices, which people, where and when, how images are handled, and what happens on breach
- Why personal devices are stored securely away from children for the whole working day, whatever your seniority
- How to handle smart watches: smart functions disabled or stored like a phone, with your policy saying which
- How to agree time-limited emergency exceptions so being reachable never needs a phone in the room
- How to set up granular photography consent for learning records, displays and newsletters, and website and social media
- Safe observation app practice: setting accounts, individual passwords, role-based access and same-day removal for leavers
- Why images are personal data under UK GDPR, and why a serious breach can need reporting to the ICO within 72 hours
- How to challenge any adult using a device around children with one warm sentence, and when to take it to the DSL
Who this course is for
- Practitioners in every room, since the policy applies to every adult every shift
- Managers and DSLs who write, review and enforce the device policy
- Staff who take photographs or manage observation apps and setting tablets
- Students, apprentices and volunteers, who follow the staff rules in full from their first session
How it works
- OnlineStudy on any device and pick up where you left off.
- 6 short lessonsAbout 45 minutes in total.
- 10-question assessmentPass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
- CertificateIssued when you pass. NFAQ accredited.
Training your team
A device policy only works when every adult follows the same routine and feels able to say “phones away in here” to anyone. Training the whole team together makes that challenge feel normal. Choose the number of learners at checkout, with group rates from 3 learners, or get it as part of the Training Portal for £5 per learner per month. It pairs well with Online Safety in Early Years and GDPR for Staff.
Frequently asked questions
Does the EYFS require a mobile phone policy?
Yes. The EYFS requires providers to have a policy on the use of mobile phones, cameras and other devices with imaging or sharing capability in the setting. It leaves the detail to you, so your policy needs to be specific enough that a new starter or an inspector knows exactly what happens in your building.
Are smart watches covered?
Yes. A watch that shows messages is a distraction risk and one that takes photos or records audio is an imaging risk. Settings either disable smart functions or store the watch like a phone, and the rule is the same for the manager as for the apprentice.
Can staff ever take photos on their own phone?
No. Images of children are taken only on setting-owned devices, used openly, never on anything personal. That holds when the setting camera is flat, when the moment seems too good to miss and when a parent asks.
What if a member of staff needs to be reachable for a family emergency?
Agree a time-limited exception with the manager in advance. Usually the setting’s office number is given as the emergency contact, or the manager keeps the phone and fetches the staff member if it rings. The device still stays away from the children.
What happens if I don’t pass the assessment?
You can resit it as many times as you need until you pass. Your certificate is issued as soon as you reach the 80% pass mark.
Will this help at Ofsted?
Ofsted does not approve training providers. The certificate is evidence your staff have completed the training, and the course helps every adult describe your device policy and show it in daily practice.
