The Parish of St John Fisher and St Richard of Chichester
Guidelines on using images of people – photographs, videos
and web cams
Since
the introduction of the Data Protection Act in 1998 we must be very careful if
we use photographs, videos and web cams of clearly identifiable people, or
images of children, on our website and any printed publications.
When recording images of individuals or small
groups you must get the permission of all the people who will appear in a
photograph, video or web cam image before you record the footage. That means
children as well as adults. Sample
consent forms for both children and adults are available. |
You must make it clear: ·
why you are using that person’s image; ·
what you will be using it for; and ·
who might want to look at the pictures. |
If you are taking images at an event attended by
large crowds, such as an outdoors remembrance day service, this is regarded
as a public area so you do not need to get the permission of everyone in a
crowd shot. People in the foreground are also considered to be in a public
area, so you don’t have to get their consent. However, if you want to use an
image of, for example, a wedding – with the crowd in the background – you
must get the couple’s verbal permission and record the fact that you have
done so. You can record their consent when you take the photograph or when
you return to your office. A sample consent form is attached. |
If you intend to use images from an agency, it is
the agency’s responsibility to get permission from all those appearing in the
image before it is recorded. However, it is ultimately our responsibility to
ensure that permission was obtained, so you might want to get this in writing
from the agency concerned. |
It
is important to get consent from the parent, guardian or carer of a child or
young person up to the age of 18 (this is called ‘parental consent’). It is
suggested that you get parental consent before taking any photographs or
recording any videos, and that you renew this consent after two years if the
photographs are still to be used.
You
will have to be careful to record any changed circumstances. This will be
easier if you keep photographs and signed consent forms together. Don’t forget that you also need consent from
any other adults who may appear in the photograph or video, not just the
children. A sample consent form for adults is attached.
You
should not re-use photographs after a child appearing in them stops attending
the church or moves house, so it is suggested you remove them immediately.
You
may have photographs on file. If you are re-using older photographs where you
got consent but probably only for paper publications, we recommend that you try
to renew parental consent to use the images on your website. If you never got
consent (i.e. you had the photos before the Act came into force), you must
apply common sense when using them. Once again, avoid using photographs of
children after they have left the church.
Where
it is possible to do so remember to include images of children from different
ethnic communities in your communications, and to use positive images of
disabled children. This will ensure that your photographs are inclusive of the
whole community and comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.
Only
use images of children in suitable dress, to reduce the risk of the images
being used inappropriately.
Due
to recent negative press on photographs of children on websites, we have
decided to take our lead from the Department for Education and Employment’s Superhighway Safety Website at
www.safety.ngfl.gov.uk. This website contains lots of useful information for
organmisations that use the internet or have their own website.
As
a matter of policy the Parish will avoid using the following on its website or
in any publication without proper consent:
If
you use a photograph of an individual child, don’t include that child’s first
name in the accompanying text or photo caption. If a child is named in the
text, don’t include a photograph of them. This will avoid the risk of
inappropriate and unwelcome attention from other people.
Additionally,
you can use group photographs with very general labels such as “1st
Holy Communion” or “Confirmation”.
Although
most parish literature is sent to a very specific audience, it would be best to
avoid using personal details or full names of any child in a photograph. Also
avoid naming a child in the text or accompanying photo caption if they appear
in a photograph – and vice versa.
Before any children or young people up to the age of 18
can appear in your video, you must get parental consent. You can do this in the
same way as for photographs of children, using the relevant parental consent
form. Similarly, you must get the permission of anyone in your video who is not
part of a crowd and is easily recognisable.
The
regulations for using web cams are similar to those for CCTV (closed-circuit
television). This means that the area in which you are using the web cam must
be well signposted and people must know that the web cam is there before they
enter that area. In effect, this means you are getting their consent. As with
photographs, you must tell the person:
As
mentioned above, it is important to get parental consent when a child is being
photographed. Once the consent form has been signed, you should keep it on
file. You will also need to get consent from other adults, if you wish to use
their images too.
The
consent form must make it clear that you could use the photographs on the
parish website, as well as in printed publications for promotional purposes.
For example, you could ask:
It is important that you make clear that websites can be seen throughout the world and not just in the United Kingdom, where UK law applies.
Consent form for use of photographic/video images of children by the Parish of St John Fisher and St Richard of Chichester
To |
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Name of parent or guardian: |
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Name of child/children: |
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Location of photograph(s): |
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The
parish would like to take photographs / make a video recording / use existing
photographs* of your child/children* to appear on our website or in our
printed publications, or both. (*Please delete as appropriate.) |
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To comply with the Data Protection Act 1998, we need your permission before we take or use any images of your child/children*. Please answer questions 1 and 2 below, then sign and date the form where shown. Please return the completed form to: |
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(Insert the name of the
person commissioning the photography and the return address.) |
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To the parent
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Please circle your answer |
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1. May we use your child’s image in our
printed promotional publications? |
Yes
/ No |
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2. May we use your child’s image on our
website? They will be unnamed. |
Yes
/ No |
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Please note that websites can be seen
throughout the world, and not just in the United Kingdom, where UK law
applies. Please also note that the
conditions for using these images given at the bottom of this form. |
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I have read and understood the conditions of use
at the bottom of this form. |
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Parent’s
signature: |
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Date: |
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Parent’s
name (in block capitals): |
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To the Parish Priest
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3. I have checked which parents are happy for
their children’s images to be used in the Parish’s printed
publications or on its website or both. |
Yes
/ No |
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User’s
signature: |
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Date: |
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User’s
name (in block capitals): |
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Conditions of use
1. This form is valid for two years from the date of signing only. The consent will automatically expire after this time. We will not re-use any images after this time without your consent.
2. We will not include details or full names (which means first name and surname) of any child or adult in an image on our website, or in printed publications, without good reason and without consent.
3. We will not include personal e-mail or postal addresses, or telephone or fax numbers on our website or in printed publications without consent.
4. If we use images of individual children on the web, we will not use the name of that child in the accompanying text or photo caption. And if a child is named in the text, we will not use a photograph of that child to accompany the article.
5. We may use group images with very general labels, such as “1st Holy Communion” or “Confirmation”.
6. We will only use images of children who are suitably dressed.
Consent form for use of
photographic/video images of adults by the Parish of St John Fisher and St
Richard of Chichester
To |
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Name: |
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Address: |
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Location of photograph(s): |
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The
parish would like to take photographs / make a video recording / use existing
photographs* of you to appear on our website or in our printed publications,
or both. (*Please delete as appropriate.) |
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To comply with the Data Protection Act 1998, we need your permission before we take or use any images of you. Please answer questions 1 and 2 below, then sign and date the form where shown. Please return the completed form to: |
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(Insert the name of the
person commissioning the photography and the return address.) |
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Please circle your answer |
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1. May we use your image in our printed
promotional publications? |
Yes
/ No |
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2. May we use your image on our website? They will be unnamed. |
Yes
/ No |
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Please note that websites can be seen
throughout the world, and not just in the United Kingdom, where UK law
applies. Please also note that the conditions
for using these images given at the bottom of this form. |
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I have read and understood the conditions of use
at the bottom of this form. |
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Your
signature: |
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Date: |
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Your
name (in block capitals): |
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Conditions of use
1. This form is valid for two years from the date of signing only. The consent will automatically expire after this time. We will not re-use any images after this time without your consent.
2. We will not include details or full names (which means first name and surname) of any adult in an image on our website, or in printed publications, without good reason and without consent.
3. We will not include personal e-mail or postal addresses, or telephone or fax numbers on our website or in printed publications without consent.
4. If we use images of individual people on the web, we will not use the name of that person in the accompanying text or photo caption. And if a person is named in the text, we will not use a photograph of them to accompany the article – unless with their written consent or their written request.
5. We may use group images with very general labels, such as “Palm Sunday Procession” or “Choir”.