DOCUMENTING AND REPORTING
- Should never really have staged audio or video recordings of disclosures. That is called an interview and that is the job of authorities. If you have concerns and think an interview is warranted, then report officially and let the authorities conduct the interview.
- If you do have audio or video recordings to document child abuse concerns, then treat them as you would photographs.
- You can use audio recordings as a way of noting concerns “on the go”.
It is rare that you would have audio or video recordings of a conversation between yourself and a child – and this should only happen by accident eg you are recording the Xmas play and a child says or does something concerning on video – or discloses on video.
If a child discloses this will usually happen without sufficient warning for you to activate a recording device. You should also be clear about your role and your duty to the child - you are not an investigator – your first and foremost responsibility is towards the child and ensuring their best interests are protected. If you have enough evidence or strong indicators of abuse then you shouldn’t be sitting down for a planned recorded interview with the child – you should be reporting.
If you do end up with audio or video recordings of children that document concerns, then the rules are the same as for photographs.
You may use audio recordings to note concerns “on the go” so that you can later transpose that into a written document. If you notice a concern and don’t have time to document appropriately, you may be able to access a digital voice recording device. You should record all the same information as though you were writing a document – particularly the date and time and your name. Eg. “It’s 11.15am on Thursday 22nd January 2012 and I’ve just been in the playground after morning tea and Emma came out etc etc.
If you record audio notes, you should keep a copy of the audio file and note in your written document the fact that you have an audio recording.