Childcare chain backflips on CCTV move
Parents who send their children to a major childcare chain have raised concerns about their kids’ safety after a decision was made by the operator.
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EXCLUSIVE
A major childcare chain has backflipped on a decision to “cease the recording of CCTV footage” after a backlash from parents, some of whom, are “furious” after being told they will no longer be able to view the footage.
The chain, Mini Masterminds, has 16 childcare centres scattered across Sydney with 10 more centres in new suburbs calling for “expressions of interest”, according to its website.
Tom, who did not want his surname used, sends his son to one of Mini Masterminds’ Sydney Olympic Park centres.
“My wife and I decided on this centre not just for location, educators and staff but having CCTV has been the deciding factor to have extra protection and comfort,” he told news.com.au.
“To date we have had to ask the centre to review footage in the past for incidents between my child and others to learn what had happened, who is at fault and mitigate future issues.”
The 39-year-old and his wife were alarmed to receive a message from Mini Masterminds shared through an app announcing “the senior leadership team, has decided to cease the recording of CCTV footage”.
“This action is intended to enhance the protection of children’s rights to respect and dignity and to further minimise the risk of misuse of their digital images, in accordance with sector-wide child protection,” it read.
‘Rash decision’
Tom said there was no consultation with parents, describing the initial announcement as a “bit alarming”.
“It’s just a rash decision – they don’t ask for feedback and make people accept it,” he said. “We got that notification and were told it’s immediate.”
News.com.au was also leaked a chat thread from Mini Masterminds’ Brighton Le Sands centre’s app where parents expressed concerns about the decision.
In the thread, parents said CCTV was “crucial”, while one asked what Mini Masterminds had to “hide” with ceasing recording CCTV.
Another parent said it was in the “best interests” of the children that cameras were on at all times.
Do you have a story? Contact sarah.sharples@news.com.au
Backlash prompts backflip
But after parents expressed their concerns and a day after inquiries from news.com.au were sent to Mini Masterminds, a new message was sent to parents backflipping on the decision.
However Mini Masterminds’ lawyers denied that the childcare chain had backflipped or back-pedalled on any decision. They said Mini Masterminds had never intended to cease recording CCTV – but instead had updated their CCTV policy.
In the communication sent to parents, Mini Masterminds acknowledged and apologised that the initial announcement had created concerns and said it wanted to “elaborate on the intention of this communication from management”.
The message said the intention was not to cease the recording of CCTV footage “but rather to restrict access to such footage in accordance with the minimisation of child exploitation”.
“For example preventing parents and staff from recording footage on their personal devices without consent,” it read.
The message said it was part of Mini Masterminds’ “ongoing commitment to upholding childrens’ rights and protection measures as well as sector-wide protection guidelines”.
“You will continue to see that CCTV cameras will remain at the service and Mini Masterminds will continue to record footage at the centre, however such footage will no longer be accessible at a centre level,” the message read.
“When a regulatory authority such as Department of Education, Office of the Children’s Guardian or police requires footage to support an investigation, the footage will be readily made available to them through our third party IT-security and monitoring partner.”
But some parents remained unhappy, with one parent describing the decision as “absolutely laughable”.
‘Complete rubbish’
Tom is still “furious” and said he felt Mini Masterminds’ claims that it was addressing parent’s concerns was “complete rubbish”.
“My wife and I are still not happy. You can imagine if a child that’s yours falls over and hits their head with a gash – what, we are to call the police for video review?” he angrily said.
“Then this vicious cycle can go on for weeks for every incident that needs evidence. Then when the police option fails parents need to channel requests via the NSW (Department of) Education or Office of the (Children’s) Guardian. Then this will infuriate parents and they will pull their kids out.”
Another parent Zoe* told news.com.au that there has been “considerable backlash” from families about the decision. She sends her son to the Brighton Le Sands campus.
She said Mini Masterminds “are trying to back-pedal” on their first decision and claimed they are now are no longer “responding in writing to anyone”.
“Given their change of tact on this issue I have raised the question if they now intend to stop photography that they share with parents on daily journals, available through the Kinder M8 app for all to see,” she said.
“In my view, this would also fall under the same parameters of trying to protect the children. They haven’t responded nor do I expect that they will respond, as this is a service that every daycare offers. It would present a commercial disadvantage to them.”
However, Mini Masterminds lawyers “categorically rejected” claims that there had been widespread parent backlash to the initial decision.
“Parents and/or guardians of children who attend our client’s daycare centres never had a carte blanche right to access CCTV footage,” the lawyers said.
They added the CCTV policy complied with the Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 (NSW) and the Privacy Act 1988.
“Access has always been restricted to certain persons – predominantly government authorities with investigatory powers,” they added.
No right to access CCTV footage has ever been given to parents or guardians, because the CCTV cameras have been installed within a workplace and there are restrictions on the use and disclosure of surveillance records under the Workplace Surveillance Act 2005, Mini Masterminds lawyers added.
In most circumstances, Mini Masterminds is “prohibited from disclosing such footage” under legislation, they noted.
Policy criticised
However, Zoe criticised Mini Masterminds’ updated policy, claiming it would mean the footage would only be “produced when mandated by an authority”.
Mini Masterminds lawyer’s “categorically rejected” any suggestions the new policy meant that issues would be covered up.
Zoe said she was considering moving her child to another daycare provider.
Tom is also now weighing up a decision to find alternative daycare centre for his son.
“It’s hard thing to assess as he made friends there … (it’s) a difficult decision,” he said.
“But this mob continue to make decisions that stem from the top and (with) zero consultation.”
But Mini Masterminds’ lawyers said the daycare chain had “generally received positive feedback” when the reasons as to why it had “updated” its CCTV policy were explained.
“The ‘update’ to the CCTV access policy was not much more than a mere communication as to the then current policy in place, with minor amendments – the main amendment being the removal of access by the approved provider or a person in management,” they said.
They added Mini Masterminds decision was complemented by a report from the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority, which placed emphasis upon and encouraging the implementation of preventive measures for the purposes of child protection at childcare centres.
Protects against child exploitation
The updated policy also “better protects children against child exploitation”, they added.
“If our client had not, and did not, update, from time to time, its policies surrounding access to CCTV footage, or place restrictions upon the same, such footage may be able to be accessed by persons with no legitimate or reasonable interest in accessing the same, and, potentially, for nefarious or ulterior purposes,” they added.
Mini Masterminds’ paramount duty was “for the welfare of the children in its care, and our client will take any and all necessary steps it sees fit to safeguard and protect children, which may or may not include consultation with parents or guardians”, its lawyers added.
Mini Masterminds strictly adheres to the guidelines published by the Office of Children’s Guardian, which includes the reporting of any serious incidents involving children, they said.
Regulations require childcare centres to have policies and procedures in place for dealing with a complaint and parents or guardians can raise a concern with the director of the relevant childcare centre, which will be escalated in accordance with Mini Masterminds’ complaint policies, its lawyers added.
“All feedback, whether good or bad, is used for continuous improvement,” they added.
“Our client otherwise recognises that parents, guardians, children and employees need to have confidence that any concerns or issues which they raise will be handled promptly and effectively, and our client has appropriate management systems in place to meet these needs.”
*Name changed for privacy reasons
sarah.sharples@news.com.au
Originally published as Childcare chain backflips on CCTV move
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