DRCA
DODDINGTON AND ROLLO COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

IT Acceptable Use Policy 

This policy was agreed by DRCA Trustees on 11th September 2013. 
All DRCA policies are reviewed every three years (or earlier if the law changes). 
This policy will be reviewed again in September 2021. 

DODDINGTON & ROLLO COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION LTD 
CHARLOTTE DESPARD AVENUE 
BATTERSEA 
LONDON SW11 5JE

0207 720 0335
www.drca.co.uk

Charity Number: 1093601
Company Number: 1710313

1.	About Doddington & Rollo Community Association
The Doddington & Rollo Community Centre is a charity that has been serving Battersea and the wider Wandsworth community since 1983. We aim to promote opportunities for education in training and employment and to provide in those areas facilities for recreation and community activities.
During this it has moved from being substantially grant aided to be financially self-sufficient for day to day running costs thus ensuring that the DRCA can plan ahead without the uncertainty of funding cuts threatening its future.

2.	Doddington & Rollo Community Association IT Acceptable Use Policy 
An IT acceptable use policy (AUP) describes the rights and responsibilities of anyone using resources, such as computers, the Internet, social media, video cameras and so on. It explains the procedures they are expected to follow and makes clear what is considered acceptable behaviour when using it, helping to ensure user safety and organisational security and maintain good practice where possible.

DRCA operates an IT policy that applies to all staff, volunteers and users of our services. This is to ensure that: 
•	We are in a position to offer effective and efficient IT facilities within available resources 
•	We can generate savings by having a co-ordinated approach to our purchasing hardware and software 
•	On-costs and on-going IT support and maintenance can be planned effectively 
•	Access to IT is appropriate to the requirements of any given role 
•	Internal training can be carried out effectively 
•	Systems are compatible throughout the organisation where possible 

DRCA’s AUP can be found in the Staff Handbook and is available on request. It forms part of the DRCA induction process. 

It should be re-read and shared with all staff, volunteers and users if a new IT project is being set up e.g. IT Youth Hub. It will be displayed on noticeboards where there is access to IT equipment e.g. IT Youth Hub. 

The policy is endorsed by the DRCA’s Trustees and will be reviewed annually to make sure it remains relevant and appropriate to the needs of DRCA. 
 
This IT Acceptable Use Policy is freely accessible to all. 

3.	Purchasing equipment, software and services 
Within budgetary constraints we aim to ensure that access to IT facilities is fair and equitable whilst being appropriate for the job to be carried out. Some projects will have specific funding for computer equipment; other staff will have access to shared computers. 

Any purchase or acquisition of all computers, software and services should be agreed in advance and authorised by the appropriate Project Manager, in conjunction with DRCA’s outsourced IT Support company, Superhighways Computers. Orders should be placed through the Administrator and Premises Manager (Justin O’Kello). 

4.	Hardware
Please treat all hardware with care and respect. Equipment that has broken or expired should be repaired where possible, otherwise disposed of responsibly. Speak to the Administrator and Premises Manager (Justin O’Kello). 

5.	Donated Equipment 
Supporters sometimes offer to donate equipment. Please consult with the Administrator and Premises Manager (Justin O’Kello) beforehand to assess how useful such a donation may be and any additional costs it may incur to the organisation e.g. upgrading. 

6.	Software
DRCA use Microsoft Office 365 cloud software. The software will be automatically updated on a regular basis. 

All programmes loaded onto computers must be licensed for use within the organisation. Software not licensed for use at DRCA should not be loaded onto any DRCA computers or equipment. The consequences for DRCA, discovered using unlicensed material, could be severe and result in hefty fines. 

A record of all software installed, licenses and applications will be kept centrally. 

Do not download software, software updates or introduce new software to work on your PC or laptop without first checking with the Administrator and Premises Manager (Justin O’Kello). Virus software is maintained and periodically updated. If your PC does acquire a virus please follow the de-bugging instructions from the anti-virus software and report the incident to your line manager. 

7.	Faults 
Faults should be reported to your Project Manager. They should try to address the issue themselves. If they are not able to your Project should seek advice from DRCA’ outsourced IT Support Company, Superhighways Computers. 

8.	Security and Safety
Staff are responsible for ensuring that computer hardware is secure and should speak to the Administrator and Premises Manager (Justin O’Kello) about secure storage and if they have any concerns about possible theft. This is particularly true of laptops which can be easily taken. No confidential client or staff data should be help on a laptop that is being used off site. 

You must take the appropriate steps to guard against unauthorised access to, alteration, accidental loss, disclosure or destruction of data e.g. password protection for all PCs; and log off a PC if leaving the room (i.e. press the windows key + L = this locks a computer). 

Virus software is maintained and periodically updated. If your PC does acquire a virus please follow the de-bugging instructions from the anti-virus software and report the incident to your line manager.

We pay particularly attention to systems that are used by children and young people. Additional security measures should be in place to block access to inappropriate sites and materials, agreed by the Project Manager.

All equipment will be checked regularly for safety in line with DRCA’ regular portable appliance testing schedule. 

Obviously, it is advisable to avoid eating or drinking around PCs and similar equipment to avoid accidents and damage to the machines. When using IT equipment with users and clients it is best to adopt a ‘no food or drink in the room’ approach.  

9.	Email and email attachments 
Only use email for work related purposes. 

Sending an email is sometimes far easier than speaking to someone face to face or even talking on the telephone, especially if you have something difficult to say. Once an email has been sent it cannot be retrieved. Think before you hit the send button! Do not email in anger or annoyance – avoid sending aggressive or abusive emails. 

Please do not pass on chain mail, jokes, spam or hoax virus warnings etc.  

Care should be taken when attaching documents to ensure there is no infringement of copyright and you must not disclose confidential information. If the attachment is large then please consider forwarding a link to a file uploaded or sending a compressed zip file. 

If you are unsure about the origin of an email attachment please do not open it before you contact the Administrator and Premises Manager (Justin O’Kello). Also please make contact if you are receiving large amounts of ‘junk mail’. 

10.	Internet
The internet should be used in the main for work purposes only. However, we understand that you may wish to use the internet during a work break for your own purposes and provided that your manager agrees and you follow the guidelines contained within this policy that is fine. (Please see the Monitoring section below). 

11.	Social Networking Sites 
Some of our projects use Facebook, blogs, Twitter and other social media as communications tools. Accesses to these are available to all staff. Whilst use of social networking sites, as with the use of the internet and email, is acceptable during non-work time, we would like to remind everyone that social networking sites make it very easy to say things that may be considered inappropriate in other contexts and cannot be retracted. We would like people to use the same level of care in how and what you say online and to whom as you would use face-to-face, on the telephone or by email. 

Should any inappropriate sharing of organisational information, data or derogatory comments about DRCA, about individual employees or groups of employees or our clients and users be made, DRCA will move to have such information removed and individuals involved will be dealt with through our disciplinary procedures. 

Many of our employees work with children, young people and vulnerable adults. It is never appropriate to make contact with service users or their relatives / friends via social networking sites. Any such contact will be dealt with through our disciplinary and safeguarding procedures.  

12.	Monitoring 
Staff email and internet access are not monitored on a regular on-going basis but we do undertake spot checks to ensure that inappropriate or offensive material is not being accessed or shared within our systems. Any evidence of such access will be fully investigated and confirmation of such use is likely to lead to disciplinary action. The Administrator and Premises Manager (Justin O’Kello) will undertake to investigate fully any allegation of accessing or holding inappropriate materials on work computers or portable drives and devices. 

We pay particularly attention to systems that are used by children and young people. Additional security measures should be in place to block access to inappropriate sites and materials. Regular checks are undertaken to ensure that all procedures are being complied with. Staff should also note that their own personal data, files and email accounts should not at any time be held on work PC’s or laptops.  

Please note – DRCA reserves the right to check all material held on work PCs and laptops for operational and security reasons. 

13.	Training and Development 
You are encouraged to develop your IT skills whether it is a direct requirement of your job or not. In-house peer training is encouraged and external courses are sometimes available. The DRCA Induction Process for all new staff and volunteers should cover IT usage and include such things as introduction to the systems, file management, and DRCA’ IT Acceptable Usage Policy. IT will be covered in regular supervision sessions and annual appraisals. If you have an IT training need please speak to your line manager.