Phones, photos, messages, email, and AI tools

Digital communication is a common route for confidential information to be exposed. Messages can be forwarded, phones lost, emails sent to the wrong address, photos can reveal identifying details, and unapproved apps or AI tools can transfer data outside the organisation's systems.

Use only approved systems and follow your local policies for photos, video, messaging, email, electronic care records, social media, remote access, and device security. If a policy is unclear, ask before taking a shortcut.

High-risk habits to avoid

• Personal phone photos: do not photograph residents, wounds, medication charts, care records, rotas, or incidents on a personal device unless policy explicitly allows it in a controlled emergency process.
• Unapproved messaging: do not send resident information through personal WhatsApp, social media, or informal group chats unless your organisation has an approved, secure arrangement.
• Email mistakes: check recipient, attachment, subject line, and whether the information really needs to be sent.
• Voice messages: avoid leaving sensitive details where the wrong person could hear them.
• Social media: never post identifiable resident information, images, inside jokes, incidents, or "anonymous" stories that could be recognised.
• AI tools: do not paste resident, staff, rota, incident, or care-record information into public or unapproved AI tools.

Photos and dignity

Photographs can be clinically useful, for example for wound monitoring, equipment damage, or environmental hazards. They can also be intrusive. Only take, store, label, share, and delete photos through approved processes. A photo taken for care reasons should not remain in a personal camera roll or be forwarded casually.

Approved tools and AI governance

Digital shortcuts can expose private information very quickly. Use approved systems, avoid personal devices and informal groups, and escalate mistakes immediately.