Date of Last Review: November 2024
1. Introduction and Purpose of Image Retention
Community Senior Letters (CSL) is dedicated to showcasing the positive impact of its programs by sharing images that reflect the involvement and achievements of students and care home residents. These images help promote the mission of CSL, foster community engagement, and celebrate the connections built between students and elderly residents.
This Image Retention Policy outlines how images collected from schools and care homes will be handled, stored, and used in a secure, respectful, and compliant manner. The policy also details the steps schools and care homes must follow to ensure proper consent is obtained and that images are used in line with both legal requirements and ethical standards.
2. Consent and Permissions
Before submitting any images to CSL, it is essential that schools and care homes obtain and ensure the following:
- Parental/Guardian Consent: Written consent must be obtained from the parent or guardian of any student under the age of 18 who is featured in the image. This consent should cover the potential use of the image in promotional materials, social media, and other related platforms.
- Staff Consent: All school or care home staff members who appear in the images must have granted written consent for their image to be used. This consent should be clear and cover the same range of uses as for students.
- Approval from School/Care Home Administration: All images submitted to CSL must be approved by the relevant school administration or care home management prior to submission. This ensures that the institution is aware of the images being shared and that they meet the internal policies regarding image sharing.
Confirmation of Consent: CSL requires written confirmation from the school or care home that appropriate consent has been obtained from all individuals, including students, staff, and guardians, before any images are shared with or used by CSL. This permission must be in accordance with the appropriate policies of the school or care home.
3. Image Guidelines and Standards
To ensure the privacy and safety of all individuals depicted, and to promote respectful and positive representation, CSL asks schools and care homes to follow these guidelines when selecting and submitting images:
- Avoid Identifiable Information: Images should not include any identifiable personal information. This includes, but is not limited to, name tags, badges, or any personal identifiers that may be visible in the image. The aim is to protect the privacy of students, staff, and care home residents.
- Group Photos Preferred: Whenever possible, CSL encourages schools and care homes to submit group images rather than individual photos. Group images help protect the identity of individuals and foster a sense of community involvement.
- Respectful Representation: Images should reflect a positive, respectful, and inclusive portrayal of all individuals involved. This includes portraying individuals in a dignified manner, ensuring that they are presented in a positive light, and avoiding any images that could be considered offensive, inappropriate, or insensitive.
- Sensitivity to Vulnerable Populations: Special consideration should be given when submitting images of elderly care home residents. Images should respect their dignity, privacy, and personal space.
4. Intended Use of Images
CSL will use images only for the following purposes, with the understanding that images will not be used for any purpose outside these specified areas without further consent:
- Website: Images may be used to illustrate CSL’s impact and mission on its official website. This helps to highlight the program’s success and demonstrate the positive effects of student participation in the program.
- Social Media: Images may be shared on CSL’s official social media platforms. The aim is to inspire participation, share success stories, and encourage community involvement.
- Promotional Materials: Images may be incorporated into promotional materials such as newsletters, brochures, funding applications, and community outreach efforts. These materials are designed to raise awareness about CSL’s work and encourage further participation in the program.
- Press and Media: In some cases, CSL may use images for press releases or media campaigns aimed at raising awareness or securing funding for the program.
Third-Party Sharing: CSL will not share images with third parties for commercial purposes. Images will not be sold or used outside of the stated purposes unless explicit written consent has been obtained from the school or care home involved.
5. Secure Storage, Retention, and Deletion of Images
CSL is committed to maintaining the confidentiality and security of all images collected. The following practices will be adhered to:
- Secure Storage: All images submitted to CSL will be stored on secure platforms with restricted access. Only authorised CSL staff members will have access to these images. CSL takes all reasonable steps to protect images from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse.
- Retention Period: Images will be retained by CSL for a maximum of three years from the date of submission or the end of the academic year during which the images were collected. After this period, images will be securely deleted from all CSL systems unless continued use is necessary and explicitly approved by the school or care home.
- Archiving: In some cases, CSL may archive images for historical or documentation purposes, with the prior consent of the school or care home. Any archived images will continue to be protected according to the guidelines outlined in this policy.
- Deletion Process: Once the retention period has expired, or if consent is withdrawn, CSL will ensure that all images are securely deleted from its systems, including backups, to prevent any future use. The deletion will be done in compliance with data protection regulations to ensure the complete removal of any stored images.
6. Right to Withdraw Consent
All individuals featured in images, including students, staff, and care home residents, or their parents/guardians, have the right to withdraw consent for the use of their images at any time. This includes the right to request the deletion of images from CSL’s platforms.
- Withdrawal of Consent: If a school or care home wishes to withdraw consent for any image, or if an individual (or their parent/guardian) no longer wishes for their image to be used, CSL will immediately remove the image from all online platforms, including the website and social media, and will cease any further use of the image in future materials.
- Action Upon Withdrawal: Schools and care homes must notify CSL in writing if consent is to be withdrawn. Upon receipt of this request, CSL will promptly remove the image from all relevant platforms and cease its use in any ongoing or future promotional materials.
7. Contact Information
For any questions, concerns, or requests regarding the use of images or the withdrawal of consent, please contact the Community Senior Letters team at:
+447448200161
ryan@communityseniorletters.com / legal@communityseniorletters.com
CSL is committed to ensuring that all individuals and institutions involved in the program feel safe, respected, and confident in how their images are handled.
8. Changes to the Image Retention Policy
CSL reserves the right to modify or update this Image Retention Policy at any time. Any significant changes to the policy will be communicated to all relevant schools, care homes, and participants. The revised policy will take effect immediately upon being published on CSL’s website and will apply to all images submitted thereafter.