in the play group i attend there is cctv, what is the law on this?

Answer 1

What do you mean by law?

CCTV = closed caption television, an optional track on many TV shows that displays written words for people who are hearing impaired

Answer 2

You will then find that, the vast majority of CCTV spy cameras are illegal i.e. they have not been registered under the DPA (data protection Act) either because there is no entry for the organisation which is running them or because the DPA Register entry for the organisation mentions the usual staff records, accounts, customer databases etc but does not have an individual "purpose" covering their use of CCTV surveillance.

Of course, you as an individual or even the Police cannot prosecute anybody under the Data Protection Act - only the overworked, underfunded Office of the Information Commissioner can do this - as far as we know, they have never prosecuted anybody under the DPA regarding CCTV abuses.

Remember that the DPA does not prevent anybody from taking spy camera pictures of you in the first place (either from a CCTV surveillance camera or from a "perv cam" equipped mobile phone etc.), it only regulates what happens to the data afterwards.

You can send a written Data Subject Access request letter to the Data Protection manager if they have one. This address is easy enough to find for a large organisation like Tesco, but not for the majority of CCTV surveillance cameras that you will encounter.

They then have 41 days to reply to you, and can ask for sufficient details of proof of who you say you are, and for a fee of up to £10 (nobody ever charges less than £10). Then they might send you edited CCTV footage of yourself and of nobody else (i.e. £500 worth of Avid video editing work to obscure everyone else also on camera), or more likely, they will claim that CCTV video footage is only kept for say, a month, and there is nothing that they can send you (unless it is being kept longer due to a pending court case, presumably involving you)

If they do not reply in 41 days, you cannot start legal proceedings yourself, all you can do is report them to the Information Commissioner. Similarly this is also all that you can do if they have not registered under the Data Protection Act at all or have not registered their use of CCTV surveillance as a separate "Data Purpose".

However, in my personal opinion I'd feel a lot happier knowing that all the goings on in the playgroup are recorded. So many kiddie-abuse scandals rely on heresay, and have no witnesses.

Answer 3

What do you mean by this? Closed Captioned Television just puts up the words for a person who may have hearing issues. Do you mean do playgroups have to have a TV with captioning in case their is a child who has a hearing difficulty (as in being in compliance with some special education laws)? Or are you concerned about having a TV in the classroom where children are, that is being used to "babysit" the kids? Or are you concerned about Closed Circuit TVs- the kind that records what goes on in a room? In this case, many centers have these so that staff and parents can be observed in interactions. It really depends on how the information is used... if it is used to guide and instruct parents and staff on appropriate interactions with children, or to monitor interactions for verbal, physical or emotional abuse, then it is probably legal (but each state is different). If the information on the recordings is used to violate other's privacy (such as monitoring mothers who breastfeed), then it would not be legal. Talk to the manager of the building about it, and if not satisfied, get more info from a local lawyer if you are concerned about it. More specific info in your question would help me to answer you better....

Answer 4

As long as there is nothing dodgy going on and the play group would allow you to view the videos at any time that you wanted just to reassure yourself then i think that you have nothing to worry about. At the end of the day it could never be a bad thing to have the place and the people that you have entrusted you child to monitored - that way you know that nothing bad is going to happen to your child. Look at all the bad things that have happened at schools etc over the years - the best thing is for them all to be monitored and that way they are at least trying to prevent and perverts or gun weilding mad men entering the direct vacinity where the children play etc. The most important thing in the world is your childs safety.

Answer 5

I do not see anything wrong in having CCTV in a playgroup the management would have told the parents about this and as long as everyone is aware i do not think it is illegal.
At least the playgroup is being safe and in this day and age we have to be vigilant anything that is there to prevent the unspeakable is good in my own opinion.

Answer 6

I also work in a creche and the owners are in the process of installing the camera's so that the parents can view the rooms live. legally speaking, they are allowed, as long as the staff members have been informed that they are in operation. however do remember that there is not any speakers on these, as this would not adhere to confidentiality!
while it may feel daunting to know that you are being filmed all day, do remember that it is also an invaluable protection tool for you as much as it is for the parents and their children and you will forget that they are even there. in any other job i have had, there have been the camera's! sur they are everywhere you go have these camera's restuarants, pubs, shops, so you are used to them by now!
in our creche however parents are given a password in order to view, so its not like any joe soap can log in and watch.

Answer 7

Most of our Daycare centers have closed circuit televisions (CCTV) in their establishments and they are there to protect the children, to ensure no harm comes to them.

Answer 8

its a good idea, if the parent thinks something dodgy is going on then theres cctv evidence

Answer 9

if theres a sign stating that cctv is in use in that area then its legal. good idea anyway with the amountof pervs about

Answer 10

i heard that it was simon cowells idea to install these and apparently he studies them to see stars of the future before other rivals in the entertainment business do. my source of this information was an elderly woman queing up in the off license, smelling strongly of alcohol and stale urine