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Computer Systems and Internet in Care Homes: Acceptable Use Policy

Policy Statement

This policy is designed to make clear the responsibilities of staff with regard to the use of care home computer hardware, software, networks and facilities, referred to in the rest of this policy as ICT systems.

ICT systems are routinely used in most aspects of the running of the home and the majority of administrative and care record systems are computerised.

Staff are provided with ICT equipment and with access to the internet appropriate to their role and sufficient to be able to perform their duties efficiently. In addition, the home has a widely available secure Wi-Fi network which can be used by service users and staff, and provides recreational computer systems for service user use.

Responsibilities for ICT Usage

[Name and job title] is responsible for:

1. ensuring that this policy is made available to all staff and that appropriate acceptable use guidelines are included in staff training and displayed by all computer workstations
2. putting systems in place to identify staff training needs
3. recommending any improvements to ICT systems to ensure the security and safety of the network.

Staff responsibilities

1. All computers and ICT equipment provided for work purposes should be used professionally, properly and safely and with due care and regard for security.
2. Staff may make reasonable personal use of computing facilities provided by the home outside of working hours, eg using a computer to read the news during break periods. This personal use should not interfere with the performance of their duties or cause any damage or difficulty to computers or to networks, or any difficulty or distress to others. It must also have a minimal effect on the home’s ICT and network resources.
3. ICT equipment and mobile phones provided on short- or long-term loan to staff remains the property of the home and must be available for inspection at all reasonable times.
4. If a laptop is provided for work outside the home, it is expected that it should be brought to the home on a regular basis. The user should ensure they follow all computer security protocols in respect of passwords and ensure that there is no third party access to the data or the home’s network from any location, where they might be working on the home’s business, or when using the computer for legitimate private purposes.
5. There is software in place to monitor all usage — by staff, managers and by service users — of the home’s internet and network, which must be kept password-protected. Staff should also be aware that computers usually leave a trail of documents worked on, websites visited, emails sent/received, and so on.
6. In no circumstances should members of staff access websites that are clearly inappropriate, eg those that could be considered:
   a. pornographic
   b. racist
   c. sexist
   d. violent
   e. discriminatory
   f. hateful
   g. illegal
   h. otherwise offensive.
   It is possible to access such sites by accident, in which case the member of staff should consider reporting this to their line manager. Evidence of repeated visits to such sites, the downloading of materials from such sites and the use of search criteria (eg individual words) that might lead to such sites will be treated as a disciplinary matter.
7. Other online activities not permitted include subscribing to any services or ordering goods or services, unless specifically approved by the home, playing computer games or using interactive chat or social sites.
8. Staff who use and send email should remember the following.
   a. Be polite and appreciate that other users might have different views from your own. Do not use strong or bad language.
   b. An email is legally equivalent to a letter. Emails can be defamatory and can form contracts. For these reasons it is important to take the same care composing emails as letters.
   c. Emails, like other documents, can be disclosed to the person they refer to in the event of legal proceedings.
   d. Messages might not be secure and so no confidential information should be sent unless using encrypted systems compliant with the home’s information governance and data protection policies.
   e. Members of staff should never send or circulate emails that are or may be considered by some to be offensive.
   f. The sending of emails that might constitute bullying or harassment, as defined in the home’s policies on bullying and harassment, will lead to disciplinary action.
   g. Never open attachments to emails unless they come from someone you already know and trust.
9. Staff may not make use of the home’s ICT facilities or network for private financial gain or for commercial purposes outside the scope of official duties or functions.
10. Staff should never attempt to hack or access systems or information within or outside the home without authority, or encourage others to do so, or try to gain access to parts of the ICT system or storage systems that they should not have access to.
11. Staff are alerted to the fact that they should only download files from reliable sources. If in doubt, they should not download and/or respond to emails from unknown sources.
12. Staff should never knowingly expose the home’s network or ICT systems to risks, such as those from computer viruses or other malicious software or programs.
13. Staff should remember that any materials downloaded for publication must include an acknowledgement of the source.
14. It is imperative that staff protect their passwords for ICT systems and websites at all times. Staff must log off or lock the screen when they are leaving a computer, even for a short time, since the security of the home’s systems depends on this. Passwords should never be shared and staff must never use someone else’s password to access the system or network. If an individual believes that someone else is accessing their account, they must report this immediately.
15. All staff who use {{org_field_name}}’s ICT resources must do so with reference to UK decency laws and data protection laws, including the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and the Data Protection Act 2018, and should report any misuse of which they find evidence.
16. Deliberate misuse of ICT systems, the internet or the network will be considered as a disciplinary matter.

Internet Filtering

All access to the internet through the home’s ICT systems is firewall protected and filtered but it is not possible to guarantee that all offensive sites will be blocked.

Equally, some acceptable sites may be incorrectly blocked and what may be acceptable or unacceptable to one person may not be to another.

Any staff or service user who finds a site that they think should be blocked or unblocked should inform the person responsible for the network.

Investigation of Misuse

{{org_field_name}} has procedures in place to be able to investigate any suspected misuse of computing facilities. Such investigations may require the home to bring in expert consultancy and investigators may need to inspect any files held on any of the home’s computing systems.

If there is a need to access files, the individual member of staff will normally be asked for his or her consent; however, in certain circumstances it may be necessary to obtain access without consent.

Measurement and Review

The responsible person for ICT usage will establish and maintain programmes for the monitoring and review of ICT usage.

Education and Training

All staff are made aware of this acceptable use policy on induction.

It is important that education and training are seen as being part of the productive use of ICT equipment. This training can be formal or informal. Through training, ICT usage can be made more productive.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

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