Mobile phone

[Myusername2015]

Our school has decided that staff working at home for the time being must change their work voicemail to give their personal mobile details to any parent etc who needs to get in touch. I know these are extraordinary times am I overthinking worrying about this?

[Whattodo121]

No no no no no no no no.

No way.

Parents can email your work email with a time they’re free to talk and you can call them and withold your number.

[juliej00ls]

No way ridiculous idea

[noblegiraffe]

No. Safeguarding.

[noblegiraffe]

What is it about this crisis that is turning some heads into total bellends?

[eggofmantumbi]

Also how many staff in an average secondary even have a work mobile?

[maddy68]

That's against safeguarding rules. Just no!

[noblegiraffe]

Can you imagine a bunch of kids getting hold of a teacher’s number at a time when they have literally nothing else to do?

[Myusername2015]

No one one has work mobiles other than SLT. I thought about just buying a cheap payg phone but surely safeguarding would be horrendous as you guys say.

[MovingBriskyOn]

We've been told that if we have to use our mobiles to speak to parents to hide the number - 141 before dialing, I think.

And they're being encouraged to contact via email

[eggofmantumbi]

@myusername2015 exactly! It's hard enough getting a school mobile for a bloody trip!

[YouAreGoldAlwaysBelieve]

Just no, always email for an audit trail

[Chochito]

No.

If they want to speak on the phone about something that can't be emailed during office hours, then they speak to a member of SLT who has a work phone.

[cliffdiver]

Ridiculous.

What do they envisage being so urgent that an email would not suffice?

[MsJaneAusten]

Nooooooooo!

[PotteringAlong]

Nooooooooo.

We’ve been told categorically that all contact is by school email / classcharts / google classrooms and anything else is strictly forbidden. Do not agree to that. Speak to your union.

[DoubleAction]

No! Just No! We will need to use our own phones to make safeguarding calls but have given strict instructions that the number must be withheld.

The office phone number has been diverted to the head's mobile.

We are giving out our personal work email addresses.

[BackforGood]

No way.
E-mail leaves a trail and doesn't give pupils (or their parents) access to your personal details.
Ridiculous ask from your school.

[BlueJava]

No way! They email you, and if you need to speak (rather than resolving it over email) you have their number and call them blocking yours. That's what I'd be doing. Especially if it's a secondary school - you'll be doing their grades soon as that would be a nightmare if they can call direct.

[ThatLibraryMiss]

Hell no! We were told very, very clearly and many times to lock our Facebook pages right down so I have no idea why giving out personal information like a phone number seems like a good idea.

[TitianaTitsling]

Absolutely not! What happens when you have a missed call at 0345am that's a crisis safeguarding issue and you don't answer? Straight away l thought of that Cpn who ended up hauled over the coals for crisis calls made to her mobile while she was on leave so didn't get them! Think the outcome was if you give out a mobile that's offering expectation of availability? Happy to be corrected!

[cupofteaplease]

We’ve been told we have to phone once a week and email in between in order that we can listen for any safeguarding concerns.
Should we not be calling?

[PhoneTwattery]

Our school bought a batch of cheap phones.

Absolutely REFUSE to do this. It breaks every Safeguarding rule going!

[echt]

We’ve been told we have to phone once a week and email in between in order that we can listen for any safeguarding concerns.
Should we not be calling

If they want you to phone, they give you phone.

[DoubleAction]

Cupofteaplease, yes of course you should be calling but you need to withhold your number.

Echt, no they don't. For a start where do you think all these phones schools will suddenly want to buy are? Companies wanting to set up homeworking can't get the tech they need either. It's fine for teachers to use their own phones, they just need to withhold the number .

[PhoneTwattery]

you should be calling but you need to withhold your number.

Have you ever made batch calls to parents? Do you know how many have set their phones not to accept calls from withheld numbers? In fact do you know how many have no voicemail? Always makes me wonder how we’d ever let them know if their child was halfway to hospital in an ambulance. .