UK Schools Are STILL Ignoring Covert Camera Risks
Ask your child’s school (in the UK) if you can view their Technical Surveillance Risk Assessment. It seems that UK schools are STILL ignoring covert camera risks. Verrimus have contacted a number of UK schools and found that NONE of those we spoke to have such a risk assessment in place. Why is this? Do school management teams think that covert camera installation is not a risk? That covert audio and video devices would not be able to be installed in a school setting? Perhaps they are unconcerned about the risk of covert filming happening in their schools?
UK Health and Safety Legislation requires all employers to identify risk, assess that risk and place appropriate mitigations and processes in place to deal with the risk.
FACT- Covert filming of vulnerable children in school settings happens!
Without a risk assessment and awareness of this significant safeguarding threat, UK educational settings are placing children and staff at risk of becoming victims of technical surveillance.
If, by chance, a covert device is found in situ most schools have no idea how to;
- preserve evidence,
- aid police investigations,
- ensure that there are no other devices,
- build checks into routine cleaning processes,
- mitigate the opportunity for such devices to be installed and used,
The article below is from a case in Perth, Australia. However, not all cases result in a trial or successful prosecution!
Identity of IT worker who covertly recorded Perth children in schools revealed (watoday.com.au)
This sickening recent case in the UK (of a Newcastle primary school teacher and her partner) did not involve covert recording in a school setting…but would anyone be aware if it had?
Again, what about this one? Could this member of school staff also placed covert camera devices in the school setting? Would anyone have known until he was found with the other imagery? With a technical surveillance risk assessment, devices such as ‘camera pens’ would be explicitly identified and banned from the premises. Regular TSCM surveys could identify, and pinpoint such devices in use.
Verrimus offer UK schools TSCM Awareness Briefings, specifically tailored to address the risks within schools such as covert camera installation, and can assist with the drafting of an appropriate risk assessment. Without an effective technical surveillance risk assessment in place, could your organisation be held liable by victims of such attacks?
Contact us for further information and to receive a discounted quotation quote #SCHOOLCAM23
