Communication & WhatsApp Policy

Last updated: 8 June 2026

Hollyhill Knocknaheeny Family Centre is committed to clear, respectful, safe, and appropriate communication with parents, guardians, children, staff, students, volunteers, and members of the wider community.

This policy explains how the Centre communicates with parents and guardians, including the use of phone, email, Child Path, WhatsApp Community/groups, letters, notices, and face-to-face communication.

Hollyhill Knocknaheeny Family Centre
Harbour View Road, Hollyhill
Cork T23 T861
Ireland

Phone: +353(0) 21 439 2300
Email: thefamilycentre2020@gmail.com

1. Purpose of This Policy

The purpose of this policy is to:

support clear communication between the Centre and families
help parents and guardians understand how information is shared
protect children’s privacy and safety
protect parent, guardian, staff, and child personal data
promote respectful communication
explain the correct use of WhatsApp Community/groups
reduce misunderstandings about urgent, confidential, or sensitive information

This policy should be read together with our:

Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Child Safeguarding Statement
Parent Code of Conduct
Complaints Policy, where applicable

2. Communication Methods Used by the Centre

The Centre may communicate with parents and guardians through:

face-to-face conversations at the Centre
phone calls
email
letters or printed notices
noticeboards
Child Path or other childcare communication systems
WhatsApp Community/groups
text messages, where appropriate
the Centre’s website
Facebook or other public social media updates

Different communication methods may be used for different purposes.

3. General Communication Principles

The Centre aims to communicate in a way that is:

clear
respectful
professional
timely
appropriate to the situation
mindful of privacy and confidentiality
focused on the child’s wellbeing, safety, and development

Parents and guardians are also expected to communicate respectfully with staff, other parents, children, students, volunteers, and service users.

4. Face-to-Face Communication

Face-to-face communication is often the best way to discuss day-to-day matters about a child.

Parents and guardians may speak to staff at drop-off or collection where appropriate. However, staff may not always be able to have a detailed conversation at busy times, especially when children are arriving, leaving, or being supervised.

If a longer or more private conversation is needed, parents and guardians should request a suitable time to speak with the Manager, Lead Educator, or relevant staff member.

5. Phone Communication

Parents and guardians may contact the Centre by phone for general enquiries, attendance updates, urgent matters, or important information relating to their child.

The Centre may also contact parents and guardians by phone where direct communication is needed, for example:

illness
injury
accident or incident
collection arrangements
absence
urgent updates
emergency situations
safeguarding or welfare concerns

For urgent matters during Centre hours, phone contact is usually the most appropriate method.

6. Email Communication

Email may be used for general enquiries, application forms, enrolment information, documentation, policy information, appointment requests, and non-urgent communication.

Parents and guardians should avoid sending highly sensitive or urgent information by email unless this has been agreed with the Centre.

The Centre will aim to respond to emails as soon as reasonably possible, but email should not be used for emergencies or urgent same-day issues.

7. Child Path Communication

The Centre uses Child Path to support communication with parents and guardians and to share appropriate information about children’s daily care, learning, and development.

Child Path may be used for:

daily updates
messages
care information
meals
sleep
nappies or toileting updates
learning observations
activity updates
photos or videos, where appropriate consent has been given

Parents and guardians should use Child Path respectfully and only for communication connected to their own child and the Centre’s service.

Child Path should not be used for:

emergencies
complaints
safeguarding concerns
confidential information about other children or families
inappropriate, offensive, or abusive messages

8. WhatsApp Community and Groups

The Centre may use WhatsApp Community/groups to share information and updates with parents and guardians.

WhatsApp may be used for:

general Centre updates
reminders
notices
event information
class or room updates
schedule changes
non-confidential parent communication

WhatsApp is intended to support communication. It does not replace direct communication with the Centre where a matter is urgent, private, sensitive, or important.

9. WhatsApp Participation

Participation in WhatsApp Community/groups is optional.

Parents and guardians should only be added to a WhatsApp group where they have agreed to participate.

By joining a WhatsApp group, parents and guardians should understand that:

their phone number may be visible to other group members
their WhatsApp name or profile photo may be visible to other group members, depending on their own WhatsApp settings
WhatsApp is operated by Meta and is subject to WhatsApp’s own terms and privacy practices
the Centre does not control WhatsApp’s platform, security, or privacy settings
parents and guardians may leave the group at any time

Parents and guardians are responsible for managing their own WhatsApp privacy settings.

10. Appropriate Use of WhatsApp

WhatsApp groups should be used respectfully and appropriately.

Parents and guardians should:

use polite and respectful language
keep messages relevant to the Centre or group purpose
respect staff working hours
avoid repeated unnecessary messages
avoid sharing personal information about other children, parents, families, or staff
avoid sharing photos or videos of other children without permission
avoid forwarding group messages outside the group unless appropriate
contact the Centre directly for private or sensitive matters

11. What WhatsApp Must Not Be Used For

WhatsApp must not be used for:

emergencies
urgent medical concerns
safeguarding or child protection concerns
complaints or formal concerns
confidential child information
sharing information about another child or family
discussing staff members inappropriately
offensive, abusive, threatening, discriminatory, or aggressive messages
gossip, rumours, or personal disputes
sharing photos or videos of children without permission
sending inappropriate images, videos, links, or files
advertising or unrelated promotions, unless approved by the Centre

If an issue is urgent, parents and guardians should phone the Centre directly or speak to staff in person.

If there is an emergency, parents and guardians should contact the appropriate emergency services.

12. Complaints and Sensitive Concerns

WhatsApp is not the correct place for complaints or sensitive concerns.

If a parent or guardian has a concern, they should speak directly with the Manager, Lead Educator, or relevant staff member.

Where a concern needs to be handled formally, the Centre’s complaints procedure should be followed.

Safeguarding or child protection concerns should be raised directly with the Centre’s Designated Liaison Person or through the appropriate safeguarding procedure.

13. Photos, Videos, and Children’s Information

Parents and guardians must not share photos, videos, names, personal details, or private information about other children or families in WhatsApp groups without permission.

The Centre may share photos or videos through approved communication systems only where appropriate consent has been obtained.

Parents and guardians should not download, copy, repost, or share images of children from Centre communication channels unless they have permission to do so.

This includes sharing images on:

Facebook
Instagram
WhatsApp
Messenger
TikTok
email
other websites or social media platforms

14. Staff Communication Boundaries

Staff are expected to communicate professionally and appropriately with parents and guardians.

Parents and guardians should respect staff boundaries, including staff working hours and personal privacy.

Unless specifically approved by the Centre, parents and guardians should not use staff members’ personal phone numbers, personal social media accounts, or private messaging accounts for Centre-related communication.

Where possible, communication should take place through official Centre communication channels.

15. Group Moderation

WhatsApp Community/groups may be managed or moderated by authorised Centre staff.

The Centre may:

remove inappropriate messages where possible
remind group members of communication rules
contact a parent or guardian directly about inappropriate communication
restrict or remove a person from a WhatsApp group if the policy is not followed
close or reorganise a group where necessary
move a discussion to a more appropriate communication channel

The Centre reserves the right to remove a parent or guardian from a WhatsApp group if communication becomes inappropriate, unsafe, abusive, disruptive, or contrary to this policy.

16. Privacy and Data Protection

The Centre takes privacy and data protection seriously.

Communication through email, Child Path, WhatsApp, phone, and other systems may involve personal data. This may include parent/guardian contact details, child information, attendance information, care updates, photos, videos, or other service-related information.

The Centre will aim to use personal data only where necessary and appropriate for the purpose of providing services, supporting children, communicating with families, meeting legal obligations, and operating safely.

More information is available in our Privacy Policy.

17. Urgent and Emergency Communication

For urgent matters during Centre hours, parents and guardians should contact the Centre by phone.

Examples of urgent matters may include:

illness
injury
collection changes
emergency contact updates
medication or allergy concerns
immediate safeguarding or welfare concerns
unexpected absence or urgent attendance information

WhatsApp and email should not be relied on for urgent matters because messages may not be seen immediately.

In an emergency, contact the appropriate emergency services.

18. Communication About Absence, Illness, or Collection

Parents and guardians should inform the Centre as soon as possible if their child will be absent, unwell, collected by a different authorised person, or affected by any important change.

Changes to collection arrangements should be communicated clearly and directly to the Centre. The Centre may need to verify the identity and authorisation of any person collecting a child.

For safety reasons, important collection changes should not rely only on WhatsApp group messages.

19. Respectful Communication

All communication with the Centre should be respectful.

The Centre will not accept:

aggressive language
threatening behaviour
abusive messages
discriminatory comments
harassment
repeated unreasonable messaging
inappropriate social media contact
public naming or shaming of children, families, staff, or the Centre
sharing private information without permission

Where communication becomes inappropriate, the Centre may take appropriate action in line with its internal procedures, safeguarding duties, and Parent Code of Conduct.

20. Leaving a WhatsApp Group

Parents and guardians may leave a WhatsApp group at any time.

Leaving a WhatsApp group will not affect a child’s place at the Centre or the parent/guardian’s right to receive important information.

If a parent or guardian does not wish to use WhatsApp, they should inform the Centre so that important communication can be provided through another suitable method where possible.

21. Changes to This Policy

The Centre may update this Communication & WhatsApp Policy from time to time to reflect changes in communication methods, technology, privacy requirements, safeguarding procedures, or Centre operations.

The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will be changed when the policy is updated.

22. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Communication & WhatsApp Policy, please contact: