Indecent pictures of children, including bathroom pics, were taken by teacher “K” at her early childhood centre, using her mobile phone and shared online.
Parents at the UK early childhood centre she worked at described her as bubbly, friendly, and competent. She was a married woman and mother, and the kind of person you would assume you could trust with your child.
The abuse went unnoticed at the centre and only an accidental discovery by a businessman, whose partner stumbled across the images on a computer, brought the abuse to light resulting in prosecution.
What can we learn from this case of a female teacher sexually abusing children? We learn that:
There is a danger for children of allowing camera phones or technology in centres that could transmit images of them.
It is commonly believed that women do not engage in paedophilia and that only men abuse young children – however there is possible under-reporting of women who abuse young children.
This article looks at issues of centre governance and management that allowed this to happen to identify how governance and management can be improved. It looks also at the importance of staff/teacher supervision and the role of students on teaching practice/placement.
The story as reported by the Plymouth Safeguard Children Board is summarised below highlighting the main concerns about the system and the centre itself including staff relationships, staff and child supervision, policies, and structure.
Keep children safe in your ECE service
1. Make sure your service meets the National Code for Early Childhood Service Conduct
Section 2(d) of the Code states: “No person while providing care and education will have a personal electronic device that can take photos or videos unless the device is authorised for essential purposes (such as for communication at a time of emergency). Only service-issued electronic devices are used when taking images or videos of children. The appropriate use of service-issued electronic devices and storing of images and videos of children is clearly outlined in our policies and procedures.”
2. Have an effective complaints policy and whistle-blowing procedures at your service, for any staff or parent to report their concerns safely (anonymously and without fear)
3. Ensure your service has a robust Child Protection Policy – learn more and review and improve your current policy.
4. Have safe recruitment procedures, including using values-based interviewing techniques and questions when interviewing job applicants.
Keep reading below to learn more about what happened at the centre.
The Centre is called “Z” and the teacher is “K”.
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