hr 6. mobile technologies policy

August 2013 HR 6. Mobile Technologies Policy tpm presents its’ arrangements for the use of mobile technologies in learning and assessment.

Mobile technologies policy

Page of 7 Approved by: Board of Directors Version No. 3 Author: Lisa Riley and Brian Quinn Date Issued August 2013 Owner (Dept.): Human Resources Doc. No HR 6 Doc. Name Mobile Technologies Policy Confidential:Directors:Operations:HR POLICIES:Learner documents 2009 onwards:Safeguarding YP:HR 6 tpm Mobile Technologies Policy August 2013.docx

This Document is available in LARGE PRINT. Please call 0151 709 6000 and ask for a copy.

Mobile technologies policy for staff, learners, employers and stakeholders

62-64 Lime Street, Liverpool Phone 0151 709 6000

Fax 0151 709 1457

www.tpmnow.co.uk



FOREWORD tpm offers a professional post-16 Apprenticeship educational service to a broad range of occupational sectors. Training delivery takes places both on-the-job at employer’s premises and off-the-job at our training centre in Liverpool. It is our policy that all apprentices are offered the opportunity to experience high quality training, care and support within a safe and stimulating environment throughout their learning period. tpm believe that if young people can learn to become safe and discriminating users of technology, wherever and whenever they use it, they will be better placed to protect themselves from the risks and challenges they may encounter. To this end tpm provides apprentices with effective e-safety training and awareness to encourage responsible digital citizens and incorporates a range of high specification teaching and learning resources, materials and environments. Many of these are enhanced by e-technologies and tpm takes stringent steps to establish safe and responsible working practices to safeguard both learner’s and employer’s personal and business data and information in the process. Specifically, tpm recognise and acknowledge that staff, volunteers and parents working directly with children in the Early Years sector for example, must not use mobile phones at work as it is inappropriate and distracts them paying full attention to the children in their care. Additionally, expert guidance on the use of mobile phones and technology recommends a ‘measured highly managed’ approach versus arbitrary ‘lock-down’ policies, which is something we would endorse. As an independent training provider delivering Government (Skills Funding Agency) contracts, tpm strives to ensure that our staff are well trained and experienced and subject to the most stringent and comprehensive staff recruitment and selection processes including Enhanced CRB vetting and Disclosures. Accordingly, tpm promotes and implements comprehensive induction, training and cpd on the use of all data and information systems and equipment including safeguarding and child-protection matters with all staff. tpm is subject to regular inspection by Ofsted and the most recent (December 2011) Report commented …

“Arrangements for safeguarding are good (Grade 2)…tpm prioritises safeguarding across the company and provides good e-safety advice and support for learners…staff respond to all incidents quickly and appropriately and actions are fully recorded”



Policy for use of mobile technologies for teaching, learning and assessment.

Context: Mobile computers such as iPads and laptops are used by tpm teaching and assessment staff, for use with apprentices engaged in learning programmes. In order to ensure the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and to ensure the diverse needs of apprentices’ tpm has invested in the best and most responsive hardware and software solutions. By definition of their nature, mobile ICT devices present a safeguarding consideration to some occupational learning environments more than others; specifically in early years settings such as childcare day nurseries, crèche’s and schools. This policy therefore should be read in conjunction with tpm’s Safeguarding policy and procedures documents. This policy sets out to reassure our apprentices and employers that the use of mobile ICT devices by tpm staff is solely for the use of capturing and evidencing their developing competence and skills against the national standards and importantly to assist and enable learners with learning difference, difficulty and or disability. Furthermore, we need to reassure Early Years managers and employers that our intention in using mobile ICT devices is support their apprentices to use and make the most of the benefits of modern technology, whilst ensuring that their children are kept safe and their parents are confident that tpm’s practice and presence in the nursery is both safe and unobtrusive. Occasionally, this will or may involve digital voice recordings of professional discussion and or the recording of knowledge questions, witness reports from managers, and observations from assessors. The need for photographic or video evidence in a childcare setting is rare to negligible but commonplace in hairdressing, customer service and beauty settings. tpm procedures in early years settings:

1. Mobile phones will be surrendered for safe keeping/storage in accordance with the individual setting’s policy and procedure where these are in operation.

2. Media or voice recordings for the purpose of assessment evidence will not be conducted on any device other than tpm mobile devices identified in this policy.

3. Photographs or video will never be recorded in any work-setting without the express written permission of the person in charge and only ever for a wall display that does not contain a child’s photo or name. (see appendix).

4. tpm staff will always check with the person in charge that they consent to



the use of any mobile device for appropriate voice-recording purposes and this will always be relevant to an apprentices learning, competence and skills development

5. tpm staff will never take a voice recording or photographic image of a child

in the care of a nursery as any type of evidence of learning or competence

6. tpm staff will notify the officer in charge immediately, if a child was identified by their full name inadvertently by an apprentice and delete the recording in their presence

7. tpm staff would immediately act on any attempt to use or send an image or

recording of a child for study or assessment evidence purposes; reporting this incidence to the officer in charge of the setting and to their own organisation’s safeguarding officer

8. Employers, officers in charge or supervisors who have line-responsibility for

apprentices can ask to observe and or examine the assessment practice or evidence being recorded using the iPad, Laptop or other mobile device

9. tpm will take full legal and moral responsibility for the safe and appropriate

use of mobile technologies described within this policy

10. tpm will act with immediacy, objectivity and sensitivity on any concerns employers have on the use of mobile technology in any early years setting

11. Any mis-use of mobile technology by tpm staff which, contravenes this

policy or associated and accepted safeguarding procedures pertaining to the setting or tpm will be dealt with according to the Company’s disciplinary procedures



How to validate approved tpm devices and software used in teaching, learning and assessment

tpm use iPads predominantly in occupational settings for assessment of learners work, study and evidence. These are all electronically tagged and tracked using sophisticated technology at our central head office and each device is engraved and uniquely identifiable to tpm and its respective staff owner (Fig. 1.).

tpm use two brands of e-assessment software namely e-portfolio shown in Fig.2. and One File shown in Fig.3. The latter increasingly replacing the former as new apprentices join the learning programmes. One File is a professional and sophisticated assessment tool. It allows employers to be an intrinsic part of the learning support, monitoring and progression of apprentices through their learning and skills development. Employers, managers or supervisors can track their learner’s progress independently with a log-on available from tpm staff. Assessors also commonly use Olympus digital voice recorders (fig. 4) for recording professional discussion evidence.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2. Fig. 3. Fig. 4.



Useful contacts tpm Safeguarding Team 0151 709 6000 Director responsible; Brian Quinn Safeguarding Officer; Tammasine Vickery NSPCC Safeguarding Helpline 0808 800 5000 Contact: http://www.nspcc.org.uk Liverpool Safeguarding Children Board. Contact:[email protected] LSCB development Officer

The LSCB has representation from the following agencies:

• Alder Hey; Crown Prosecution Service; Liverpool City Council; Liverpool North PCT; Merseycare NHS Trust; National Probation Service – Merseyside; North Mersey Community Trust; NSPCC; St. Anne's Street Police Station; Sure Start; Walton Prison.

Social Services: The Integrated Children's Service 0151 233 3029

Careline Children's Service 0151 233 3700 Careline Adult Services 0151 233 3800 (for all queries about people aged 18 and over) Deaf or hard of hearing people can use the Minicom 0151 225 2500

The Liverpool Safeguarding Team 0151 737 1999 Contact:Alex Leith / Carolyn Welsh [email protected] [email protected]

• Focuses on domestic violence, offering a range of services aimed at empowering children and young people and adult victims to keep themselves safe, and helping them overcome any negative effects of their exposure to domestic violence. In addition the team are currently working to develop a multi-agency response to substance misuse and its links to domestic violence.

Merseyside police on 999 or 0151 709 6010

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre www.ceop.gov.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)870 000 3344

hr 6. mobile technologies policy

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