To be unhappy at finding my child's psychology reports in the Village Hall? And that the Head reported me to the police for taking her documents home?

[WHMum1806]

I found my DD and dozens of other kids school Special Educational Needs records in the Village Hall store cupboard (next to the school). These documents included psychology reports, learning plans, emails between parents & teachers and all their personal name and address details. The cupboard is locked but accessed by many parents and other people in the village not connected with the school. It is 100% NOT the place such sensitive information should be stored.

When I informed the Head her first response was to move the documents, her second was to report me to the police for theft as I had taken my daughters documents home with me for safeguarding until I was sure the school could look after them properly.

I try not to 'sweat the small stuff' in life but this and her subsequent disrespectful attitude has left me pretty annoyed.

I have been through the school complaints procedure and whilst acknowledging the data breach and lack of security, they seem to think calling the police (who turned up and discussed this in earshot of my DD who had no idea her documents had been compromised and was deeply upset) was perfectly reasonable response from the Head.

All I wanted was to be sure my DD's documents would be safe and stay safe (through a thorough review of how this happened) before I gave them back. My DD has left that school to go on to secondary but they need to hold her records until she is 25.

I would welcome any thoughts and advice - particularly if any Mums are involved in data protection or safe guarding of children.

Also make sure you raise an official complaint with the school Governors, following the school’s published complaints procedure. I’d also be making sure it’s noted as a safeguarding incident.

TBH I would probably have taken the whole crate next door to the school and demanded that they find a suitable storage place right there and then.

Thank you for all the support -
To answer keepondreaming the school is short on space - that is the only reason I can see why they were put there. Not that that is any excuse. The school's policies and procedures are such that 'someone' could move documents there without anyone knowing, checking or questionning. The Head and SEN claim to not know they were there or indeed where they were at all. There seems to be no-one responsible for data. As well as two big boxes of SEN records, there were several other boxes of other private but less sensitive info relating to children and staff (I didn't look in them, I've been told that). I think 7 boxes were moved in total.

You didn't steal your daughter's fils - stealing is taking with no intention of returning the property - you took it into safekeeping.

The head knows she is in the wrong and is using attack as the best form of defence.

The cow.]angry]

My Ds had some information that consultant was unable to find at Cahms . I demanded to know how and where information was stored before I decided whether to proceed further in the end someone else in Ds’s team had them securely stored this though is the opposite of this case . Short of storage is not an excuse

I would continue with all complaints and consider going to local press about the head teacher, who has behaved awfully.

Report the school to the information commission, schools have a legal responsibility to safeguard records & ensure that they are not shared. They have not fulfilled that responsibility and there are consequences.

The had was vu in reporting you to the police.

God God, this is appalling. The Head's actions are those of someone trying their hardest to intimidate you.

I would not have posted on her though, OP. The DM and Sun take threads from here.

.... unless that's what you wanted.

OP, are you at MY old School?
This is exactly the sort of thing that happened (and the sort of response).
I once used the staff loos (with permission) and found a child's medicine (that should have been in the fridge) with a rotten piece of fruit on the top of the cistern. When I told them they said:' that's where it is, we can give it to him now'.
Epipens were kept in a locked drawer that no one knew where the key was. Kids lost on residential. Minibus insurance expired. etc etc
Endless breaches of data and safety.
If challenged Head would call Police / SS (child protection concerns about whatever parent was challenging her).

Your Dd's data was vulnerable. You safeguarded it.
She will be out for blood now, that type always are.

Jeez, I'd be hung out to dry if I left confidential info where anyone else could get it.

We get a bollocking if we accidentally send something to the wrong printer and haven't run up 2 flights of stairs in time to grab it before it as it appears - and that's just another office in the same organisation.

I think the police's interpretation of 'theft' is a bit shit odd. You have been totally honest about the fact that you removed the records and the reason for doing so, you are waiting for assurances on safekeeping before they are returned. I really cannot see the CPS being interested in prosecuting that one on the basis of 'it's theft because we're not sure when/if you were going to give them back' .

This is a huge breach of data protection law relating to sensitive personal data. The Head is acting appallingly. I think involving the ICO and the LA (plus Ofsted?) is all you can do.

This is a disgrace!

Clearly the head is more concerned with saving her own arse, than the privacy of her pupils.

I think she is trying to intimidate you into dropping the matter, because she knows she is the one who will come out of this badly.

I'm sure there's policy (possibly law?) about who has the right for documents to be shared with them. I know when ds has seen Ot and Camhs etc etc (long list of people!) I've had to give permission for his information to be shared with school etc.

Therefore I wonder if there's something about whether the school actually 'owned' the documents you took or not?

Yadnbu. I suspect the schools response was because a counter claim would somehow downplay their part in this?

You need to report this to the ICO without fail.

Awful! Having seen the trouble someone got into for sending an email home from his work which at the bottom of the thread contained the CHI number of a patient (not even the name)I would say the head's reaction is totally inappropriate.

Head's an idiot calling the police: you now have a 'nominal' record created so if you're ever in trouble, this will be noted, although no record of the issue will be publicised.

Wow pinkingshears - that's awful and I thought I had problems! Does your school also include in it's mission statement 'safeguarding children is at our very heart' What a joke!

ICO - they regulate breaches of data protection. it is very serious.

“The HT's reporting you to the police is her trying to deflect from the massive breach for which she is responsible.”

Exactly. Disgraceful behaviour by Head.

WOW! I would be issuing a bulletin to all parents letting them know that if their kids were SEN then their privacy was potentially breached by the school - making it clear that you only took the file relating to your dd and did not rifle through the box. This is disgusting!

I just can’t see how this could have been allowed to happen. It’s too awful. Things like Camhs reports can be in sen files. Incredibly sensitive information. Personal family background. Left in a village hall cupboard for anyone to read. This is not just about data it’s also a safeguarding issue depending on the family backgrounds of the children whose information has been dumped like this.

Dreadful!