Rationale

Closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance systems can be a valuable tool in preventing theft, damage, violence, and other anti-social behaviours in and around our centres. As their effectiveness has increased, Kindercare has installed CCTVs at some of our premises.

This policy outlines how Kindercare uses CCTV cameras, and how the data captured is accessed and managed.

Policy Details

Objectives

Kindercare aims to provide a safe and secure environment to protect the children we serve, their families, our team members, visitors and our premises. Our intention for using CCTVs is to primarily:

• Increase personal safety of team members, children, and visitors.
• Increase the safety of Kindercare’s property and assets, from activities occurring in our neighbourhoods both after-hours and during hours of operation.

We also acknowledge that the recording could be used to:

• Support the Police in a bid to deter and detect crime, assist in identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting offenders.
• Support an investigation into actions/behaviours of parents, visitors, or employees, on or outside our premises.
• Monitor conditions at a centre in the event of a natural or man-made emergency event.

Privacy Act

We take our responsibilities under the Privacy Act seriously and recognise the operation of CCTV means that images and audio of identifiable individuals will be collected, held, and disclosed by Kindercare. Therefore, the following outlines how we will collect, store, use and access the recordings.

Placement of Security Cameras

Fixed position security cameras will be placed in designated areas of the premises, that seek to cover as wider field of view of our premises as reasonably possible. Placement will include areas such as:

• From the building toward the carpark, and fence lines.
• Centre building entrance ways, in some instances, from reception areas, toward the front entrance.

The cameras will be positioned in a manner that minimizes any potential invasion of privacy while still providing effective security coverage. Further,

• no camera will be hidden from view.
• cameras will not be positioned toward bathrooms/changing areas or anywhere people would have a heightened expectation of privacy.

Notice

Notice of the existence of cameras will be provided to families, team members, and visitors. Notification will be in the form of signage advising the use of security cameras, and will be visible in the carpark, entrance and/or reception area, as appropriate.

What is being recorded and when?

Security cameras will record picture and in some cases audio, to ensure comprehensive surveillance and enhance the security measures in place.

Outside hours of normal centre operation: All cameras will record both picture and audio where capable.

During hours of normal centre operation: All externally placed cameras will record both picture and audio. If an external camera is pointed toward a children’s play-space, it will not record during normal centre operating hours, however live view will be accessible in the event of an emergency for monitoring purposes.

All internally placed cameras will record picture-only during normal centre hours of operation.

Where is the recording stored?

CCTV recordings are stored on a hard drive located at the centre premises.

CCTV recordings will record onto the hard drive for up to approximately 60 days (depending on the number of cameras recording at the premises) before being overwritten in a continuous recording cycle.

Viewing of the recording can occur via internet access to the hard drive, however recording is not stored in the cloud.

Where an incident or suspected incident has been identified, and with the approval of the Chief Executive, a relevant portion of the recording may be copied, downloaded and stored in a secure section of Kindercare’s intranet while the investigation is carried out.

Who has access to the recordings?

Access to the recordings on the hard drive is authorised by the Chief Executive and is enabled, controlled and monitored by the IT Coordinator or IT Support.

Access to recorded data is logged to ensure only authorised personnel can access the recordings.

Access to the recordings is via the internet, either through a web browser or via a mobile app, using a login and password.

Recordings will be viewed in accordance with the objectives of the security cameras as detailed above.

How will the recordings be used?

Recordings are primarily intended to be accessed in response to an event. (For example, an alarm activation, a break-in, damage to the premises, trespass, notification of an incident, a request from an external agency such as the NZ Police).

Live view can be accessed by authorised persons in the event of an emergency for monitoring and co-ordinating a response.

An individual is entitled to request access to available recordings of themselves only.

The request can be made in writing to Kindercare, to the attention of the Chief Executive, identifying themself personally, and the time(s) at which they believe they have been recorded by the CCTV.

Any response to a request will include considerations of the ease of access to locate the relevant recording(s), and the need to protect other people’s privacy who may be in the recording(s). If a request for a copy of the recording(s) is unable to be granted without unreasonably breaching another individual’s privacy, a written description may be provided of activities in the recording(s) pertaining to the individual requesting the information. Alternatively, it may be possible to arrange a viewing of the requested recording(s).

Any request will be responded to within 20 working days.

The Chief Executive will only allow access of relevant CCTV recordings to:

• Authorised personnel who have been delegated access in pursuit of the objectives of this policy.
• Contractors on site specifically to work on the CCTV equipment at the request of the IT Coordinator or Maintenance Manager.

When a request for access to the CCTV has been received and if the recording(s) can be located, the IT Coordinator will take reasonable measures to ensure the relevant recording(s) is saved.

The Chief Executive will take reasonable steps to ensure that public disclosure of recordings does not occur.

​​The IT Coordinator will take reasonable steps to check CCTV images/recordings are accurate, complete, relevant, and not misleading before using them.​​​

Last review date: 01.06.23