Is banning mobile phones the answer?

[purepurple]

There has been a call to ban mobile phones with cameras (which is most of them) from nurseries after the recent case here
Is this really the answer?
Would it make parents feel any easier about their children's safety?
I think it is a bit of a knee jerk reaction and will make no difference at all.
We use digital cameras every day at the nursery where I work for the children's learning journeys.
What's to stop someone using a digital camera if they felt so inclined?
Are they going to ban those next?

[HSMM]

The nursery will almost certainly have a digital camera these days. I can't understand why the staff were allowed their phones while they were working anyway. They were only going to get, or make personal calls, or do something non work related with them, so (like many other jobs) they should not be allowed their phones at work, they should be doing their job and looking after the children.

[nurseryvoice]

Our rule at nursery is no mobile phones allowed in the work rooms. They have to be kept in lockers. Its nearly always been that.

[Foxy800]

I work in a nursery where we use digital cameras for the same reason as purepurple, these never leave the premises but in regards to mobile phones they are left in lockers in the staff room and are not allowed in the rooms at any time. This has been the case in every childcare setting I have worked over the years.

[atworknotworking]

Mobiles wern't allowed in rooms with the children they were kept in the staff room when I worked at a nursery and that was about 6yrs ago, so I think most progressive good quality settings have had this rule in place for some time.

I think the main difference with a mobile / camera is that images can be sent instantly with a mobile, then info deleted so not very safe, whereas a camera has to be uploaded and images printed off, generally I found that the cameras were uploaded in bulk by admin staff and printed off at the same time, so a lot safer. I find the whole thing very sad for people in the profession and also of course for those poor children and their families.