Page 52 - PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL

As such care workers must not use a personal mobile phone whilst in a customer’s home
except in cases of emergency. If a care worker has a need to contact the office they can
request a call back at a designated time. Any calls made by staff with personal mobile
phones may be reimbursed in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the
business.

In the event that a member of staff has a particular need to be contacted at work, the
mobile should be switched to ‘silent ‘and left to go to the messaging service.

When convenient, the member of staff should then remove themselves to a private area
to take the message as and only when they are able to take a break from the activity they
are engaged in. This activity should never involve leaving a vulnerable individual
unattended.

Mobile phones and other mobile hand held devices must not be used with a customer’s
broadband / Wi-Fi. Staff must not connect for any reason personal devices to customer Wi-
Fi or Broadband.

There is increasing concern that the use of mobile phones that have the capability to take
high quality photographs and videos, without regard for the sensitivity of the image or
content, this may infringe customer confidentiality or the sensitivities of their relatives.

Images or videos may only be taken with the explicit consent from the care manager and
with the consent of the customer or their representative. Employees must also take into
account a customer’s capacity to give consent.

Such images also form part of the customer’s record and, as such, are subject to the Data
Protection Act 1998.

Failure to follow the above protocol may lead to disciplinary action.