I got an email from my development officer today....

[venus89]

....saying that we have to pay a £35 fee to ICO, whoever they are, to register with them to take photos of our minded children on digital cameras or mobiles. Apparently the only way around it is to use good old fashioned film cameras! That's another few hours' wages spent before I get my sticky mitts on them.....

[BlondeMoment]

Oh I know! It's a nightmare!
If I used a film camera I'd use half the film trying to get the right snap of just one activity!!!!!

[PixiePetal]

I can't see it is safer taking film into Boots or somewhere that anyone can see rather than using digital, printing on personal printer (not PC) at home and deleting?!

I have registered. The form was confusing and I had to ring to help fill it in!! Loads of irrelevant stuff on it :rolleyes:

[Blaze]

It's been on the NCMA website for a while now - your lucky you got a few free months...& the certificate is 5 pages long!

[birch24]

....saying that we have to pay a £35 fee to ICO, whoever they are, to register with them to take photos of our minded children on digital cameras or mobiles. Apparently the only way around it is to use good old fashioned film cameras! That's another few hours' wages spent before I get my sticky mitts on them.....

I got that today too!:jump for joy:

[em29]

I have been on the website but I cannot find where I am supposed to register?? I have followed the link on the NCMA and it says I can register online but I cannot find where on the website! Why do they make it so hard??

Hang on - just found it! Phew that was hard!:rolleyes:

[singingcactus]

I can't see it is safer taking film into Boots or somewhere that anyone can see rather than using digital, printing on personal printer (not PC) at home and deleting?!



Me and hubby discussed this and we came to the conclusion that it actually is safer for the child if photographs have to be processed by another person. Digital cameras and phones can photograph kids in any circumstance and then be uploaded instantly, blue toothed of a camera, or printed on a home printer by absolutely anyone without another person seeing the content. Whereas with a wet film camera, another person who is required to report any untoward images, must see the pictures. In that way it is safer for the child. Of course a dedicated abuser could home develop wet films, but that does take more equipment, training and dedication - just think of those nursery workers, they couldn't have done what they did with a wet film camera.
If anyone else decides to use wet film, remember that the company called tripleprint print off a large pic, and two small ones - one for the wall display, one for the scrap book and one for the parents - perfect.

[manjay]

For me it is worth registering just so I can use my pc to it's full potential. Much easier for me to type and save everything than write out by hand. Also really couldn't be doing with using a film camera and going to get them developed. I love the flexibility of being able to take hundreds of photos and then being able to flick through and just print out the ones I need for scrapbooks or displays.

I agree it is not the easiest process to register but they still have a kind of one size fits all approach to the forms.

[rickysmiths]

It is easier to phone them and get a form sent to you.

[little miss chatterbox]

I can't figure out how to register either!

[Lady Haha]

Arrghhh!!!! I just cannot keep up with this!!! First we do have to register, then we don't, then we do, then we don't.....I keep getting told different things!!!

I'm sure I read a post on here from someone who had an Ofsted inspection and showed the inspector their registration details for this and the inspector said it wasn't needed?????

[appleblossom]

Here's the link. https://www.ico.gov.uk/onlinenotification/?page=7.html

You can complete it online but you have to print it because it has to be signed. Then you send it off by post with a cheque. We had to do it several months ago. A lot of CM I know are putting it off, saying they don't see why we have to do it. It's the law! Simples. Out of all the CM in our drop in only two of us have registered. I don't know what the others will say to Mers O when she comes knocking.
I know there are ways round it, like using single use cameras, writing all paperwork out long hand etc. etc. But I take lots of photos and it would cost me more than £5 pa in single use cameras.

Also, I did a safeguarding course last week which included a section on e-safety. We were told we should not use mobile phones to take photos.

[manjay]

I don't necessarily think you would get into trouble with inspectors as it is not their law to inforce! My inspector had no knowledge of it and was going back to to discuss with the other inspectors to pass on to other childminders. Really it is a law for any self employed person to consider.

[mrs.h]

hi,

my cdw said i don't have to register and i should save the money!

very confused,

mrs.h

[SamBaker]

I got that today too!:jump for joy:

Totally irrelavant to the thread, but can I ask how you found out who your development worker is? I am also in Kent and havn't heard from one lol!

[birch24]

Ours is from the NCMA she arranges courses and sends relevant e mails. Visits the childrens centre etc. She has never visited me tho. I don't have a development worker as such. :D

[appleblossom]

Our DO is a Surestart employee. All the Childminding Team here are employed by Surestart. However I heard last week that government cuts will affect Surestart and some Childrens' Centres will close because they will lose the funding. How that will impact on funding for the Childminding Team here is unclear as yet.

With regard to the ICO notification; I was under the impression that all Childminders were being told to check whether they meet the criteria for registration. It seems clear from the ICO website that most Childcare Services will need to register unless they keep absolutely no records about children in any form on a computer, nor do they take photographs on a digital camera or phone.Even if you download the pictures to a computer then delete them after printing you have to notify. Anyone using a pogo printer attached to a computer will also be affected, even if the images are not stored.

[venus89]

Totally irrelavant to the thread, but can I ask how you found out who your development worker is? I am also in Kent and havn't heard from one lol!

As Birch says - she's not 'mine', it's just the NCMA lady who gives us details of courses and comes to my group. I just call her mine because that sounds good!

[kentcfis]

Dear birch24 / venus89 / sambaker (and all other kent based childminders)

if you ever need contact details of various support workers drop us a line or give us a call and well put you in touch or get them to call you...

Kent CFIS
08000 32 32 30
KentCFIS@kent.gov.uk

[Leapsters]

hi there,

The funniest thing is that I don't know why it has to be paid. I've spoken to the ICO about it, but the lady did not have a clue herself. She just directed me to the 8 things we need to abide by. lol

I am registered, but it doesn't actually make it safer. Just another one of those charges the government can get away with :angry: