I have a friend who has CCTV installed inside his house to monitor meetings with social services as he has short term memory problems and this way he can record the meeting and make sure he does not miss anything that is said to him.
Social Services are now stating he must turn his camera off when they arrive, but when he did do this the Social worker then lied about the discussion that took place (she did not know he had done an audio recording) and tried to state my friend was unfit to care for his children - he was able to prove otherwise with the audio recording.
My friend wants to know does he have to turn the CCTV off when the social worker comes into his house?
Social Services have stated unless he turns it off when they arrive they will view this as non complicance and take his children into care regardless.
CCTV for Domestic Use
According to the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 there is no reason why CCTV cannot be used to record meetings in a person’s home. There is a common thinking that domestic use of CCTV does not come under the remit of data protection law but this is not necessarily the case. This is not true as nearly all recording of personal data including recording images and conversations in the home falls within the remit of data protection law. However, there are certain exemptions that may apply with this case. Under the household exemption provisions, there is an exemption. This section states that if the recording is made inside the data controller’s (person making the recording) own home then the person making the recording is entitled to do so. The person making the recording also does not need to inform those that he or she is recording the meeting or the fact that they are actually being recorded. The person making the recording also does not have to give a copy to those recorded if they were to request a copy.
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Justifying the use of Domestic CCTV
Exemptions can always be overruled in certain cases but a big factor in this case would be justification for the use of CCTV. If the data controller can justify why the recording is needed then this should be taken into account by any regulatory body. As to the manner in which the social services officer has acted there may be certain reasons why recording is not permitted with regards to information on other people involved, for example, children. However, the social services department should be able to provide documented official government information on why CCTV is not permitted on the data recorder’s premises during the meetings. It would be in the best interests of the data recorder to contact the senior social worker in this case or a higher lever employee at the social services department to discuss the matter. Another official agency that will be able to give more advice on the matter will be the Citizens Advice Bureau. More information on data protection and CCTV recordings can be found on the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website.
They have been threatening and abusive and and said in front of witnesses that they were going to break into my home . The same night my windscreen was smashed on my car outside. The following night all the windows and glass door where smashed at the rear and someone trued to get in . This has all been in the last three weeks. My front door lock has been superglued seven times twice with small tiny steel bolts shoved into the mechanism .
The police are aware of all and have once warned the four people living in the two bed terrace opposite. They cannot arrest because no evidence. On top of all this the people have two cctv cameras either side of the front bedroom window on the street . They have clearly trained one of the cameras to look at my house . They watch me going in and out every day or if i speak to a neighbour . They start using eggs and police think they have a catapult. They instantly start with the eggs as soon as i open front door or go to car . It happens most days . They are watching my house 24/7. I have repeatedly asked the police to speak to them about the camera but the police have said they cant do anything . It is making me ill and anxious and i dont know when it is going to end . Please can someone help me . Maureen
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