We’re fully into the groove of the Summer holidays now and many parents are sending their children off to different Summer camps. These are a fantastic opportunity for both children and parents/guardians to manage the long summer holidays and avoid the ‘I’m bored’ statements that I’m sure will be uttered in households across the country this summer.
When you are signing up to these camps or indeed when you are doing the drop off’s here are a few pointers for you to look for and ask to make sure both you and your child’s data is protected.
1) What information sharing on the intake form? What questions are being asked- are they all necessary?
2) If there isn’t an intake form, then ask why- all clubs should be getting parents and guardians to complete a form before the child starts any camp. It may be that you filled this in at the point of booking if it was done online – but always good to double check!
3) Will there be photos taken and shared online and what are the sharing permissions from the club page to others? Do you consent to this, or can you advise that you don’t want this? you may be of the mindset that its innocent enough having a photo of your child shared by the summer camp organisers on facebook or the like but this can be shared over and over by people who you might not even know, would you consent to that?
4) Who will have access to the information on the form? Is it shared within a group and where will that form be stored and how long for?
5) Do you consent to being added to any newsletter or subscription email? If not and you receive emails (outside of what you signed up for) then let them know asap to take your name off any list- if they don’t then you can report them to the Data
Commissioner’s Office.
6) If a Whatsapp group is set up then do you give permission for you name and number to be added? Will it be deleted once the camp has been finished?
7) Are all the staff Garda vetted? Is there insurance in place to run the camps? These two go without saying but what about any caterers on site, or ground staff who will be around your children?
These are just a few questions you can ask to make sure your child is safe, secure and their data is being managed correctly. I tried to keep them as widely applicable as possible but I am sure there are specifics to different camps – remember to ask the questions you are unsure about and raise any concerns if the answers you get are not satisfactory