Photography & Image Use Policy

Purpose of this Policy

This policy sets out how British Guardianship takes, uses, stores, and shares photographs and video recordings of students under its care. It ensures compliance with safeguarding law, UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and AEGIS Standard 2.7.5, which requires guardianship organisations to have consent and safeguards in place before using student images in publicity materials or online.

Scope

This policy applies to:

All British Guardianship staff
Local Coordinators
Homestays
Volunteers
Contractors (e.g., external photographers)

It covers all images for:

Publicity
Website and social media
Printed marketing
Internal training
AEGIS accreditation evidence
School communications (where authorised)

Principles

British Guardianship recognises that:

Children must be kept safe when images are taken or used
Parents and students have the right to control how their images are used
Consent must always be informed and specific
Images of students must never be used in a way that puts them at risk
No image will be used without written permission
Ensure images do not breach safeguarding risks

These principles reflect safeguarding best practice, including NSPCC image safety guidance.

Parental Consent

4.1 British Guardianship will not take or use any photographs or videos of a student without explicit, written parental consent via the Photo & Video Consent Form.

4.2 Consent will be sought for specific uses, including:

Website
Printed materials
Social media
Digital newsletters
Internal training
AEGIS inspection evidence

4.3 Parents may withdraw consent at any time.

4.4 No image will ever be used where a court order restricts publication.

Student Consent (13+)

For students aged 13 and above, British Guardianship will also seek the student’s agreement before taking or using their image, in line with best practice.

Image Capture Rules

Staff, Local Coordinators, and homestays must:

Ensure images are appropriate and respectful
Never photograph a student in a state of undress or in private areas
Avoid images that focus on a single child unless necessary and approved
Never identify a child by full name alongside an image unless explicitly authorised
Ensure backgrounds do not reveal personal information
Ensure images do not breach safeguarding risks

This reflects standard guidance from the NSPCC.

Storage & Security of Images

Any breach of this policy will result in:

All images must be stored securely on company-managed, password protected systems
No images may be stored on personal phones, personal laptops, or personal cloud accounts
Images must be deleted once no longer required for the purpose for which consent was obtained
Access is restricted to authorised staff only

Sharing Images

Any breach of this policy will result in:

Images will never be shared with third parties without written parental permission
Images will never be sold or used for commercial gain
Images may be used for AEGIS accreditation evidence only if permitted by parents
Images must never be shared on personal social media accounts
Only authorised company channels may be used