Confidentiality Policy

Aim

To protect the child at all times and to give all staff involved clear, unambiguous guidance as to their legal and professional roles and to ensure good practice throughout the organisation which is understood by children, parents/carers and staff.

Rationale

Northern Arts Factory seeks to put the child at the heart of the learning process and to provide a safe and secure learning environment. It seeks to implement the underlying principles of the Every Child Matters Agenda, in line with current child protection and safeguarding guidelines and to address the issues, which may arise about confidentiality. It is committed to developing creative and positive ways for the child’s voice to be heard whilst recognising the responsibility to use, hold and safeguard information received. Sharing information unnecessarily is an erosion of trust. The organisation is mindful that it is placed in a position of trust by all stakeholders and there is a general expectation that a professional approach will be used in all matters of confidentiality.

Objectives:

To provide consistent messages in organisation about handling information about children once it has been received.
To foster an ethos of trust within the organisation, where children and all staff feel safe to confide and share problems.
To ensure that staff, parents and children are aware of the organisation’s confidentiality, policy and procedures.
To reassure children that their ‘best interests’ will be maintained.
To ensure that children and parents/carers know that organisation staff cannot offer unconditional confidentiality.
To ensure that if there are child protection issues then the correct procedure is followed, working with the guidelines set out in the policy.
To ensure that confidentiality is a whole organisation issue and that in lessons ground rules are set for the protection of all.
To ensure that parents have a right of access to any records the organisation may hold on their child but not to any other child that they do not have parental responsibility for.

Guidelines

All information about individual children is private and should only be shared with those staff that have a need to know.
All social services, medical and personal information about a child should be held in a safe and secure place which cannot be accessed by individuals other than organisation staff.
The organisation continues to actively promote a positive ethos and respect for the individual:

a) The organisation has appointed the owner of the business as

Safeguarding/Child Protection Leaders and they receive regular

training.

b) There is clear guidance for the handling of child protection

incidents. All staff have regular training on child protection

issues.

c) There is clear guidance for procedures if a member of staff is

accused of abuse.

d) Staff are aware that effective growth and development education

which brings an understanding of what is and is not acceptable

in a relationship, can lead to disclosure of a child protection

issue.

e) Staff are aware of the need to handle all issues about different

types of families in a sensitive manner.

f) Information collected for one purpose should not be used for

another.

Parents/carers and children need to be aware that the organisation cannot

guarantee total confidentiality in all cases, for example issues involving child protection or criminal issues. Parents/carers and children should feel reassured that only in exceptional circumstances confidentiality will be broken.

The organisation prides itself on good communication with parents, carers and children. All staff make sure they are available to talk to all parties concerned about issues that are causing concern. The organisation encourages children to talk to parents/carers about issues causing them concern and may in some cases support the children to talk to their parents.
All children have a right to the same level of confidentiality irrespective of gender, race, religion, medical concerns and special educational needs. A lot of data is generated in organisations by these categories but individual children should not be able to be identified.
Confidentiality is a whole organisation issue. Clear ground rules must be set for any classroom work such as circle time and other session dealing with sensitive issues such as growth development and drugs. Strategies are in place and all children are aware of them for dealing with sensitive information which may fall outside the boundaries of child protection procedures. Organisation needs to be proactive so children feel supported but information is not unnecessarily revealed in a public arena. Even when sensitive information appears to be widely known it should not be assumed by those immediately involved that it is appropriate to discuss or share this information further.
Health professionals have their own code of practice dealing with confidentiality. Staff should be aware of children with medical needs and the class information sheet should be accessible to staff who need that information but not on general view to other parents/carers and children.
Photographs of children should not be used outside of the organisation premises without parents/carers permission. At no time should the child’s name be used with a photograph so that they can be identified.
Information about children will be shared with parents but only about their child.
All personal information about children including medical and social services records should be regarded as confidential. Any personal data will only be kept as long as necessary or for the length of time as stipulated by law.
Staff laptops are password protected and backed up securely.
Addresses and telephone numbers of parents and children will not be passed on except in exceptional circumstances or to a receiving organisation.

Statement of Confidentiality

All directors, members of staff, regular visitors and volunteers are required to sign the following statement relating to confidentiality.

I have read and understood the Confidentiality Policy and agree to adhere to this in my role with the organisation, during my time at the organisation and after I have left.

I recognise that I am in a position whereby, at certain times, I may have access to information concerning individual stakeholders.

I agree to only discuss information relating to the organisation and its stakeholders on a ‘need to know’ basis, as defined in the policy.

I agree not to post or share information online through any means, including all areas of social media, eg Facebook, Twitter, which relates to any individual stakeholder or brings the organisation into disrepute.

If I’m a volunteer, I understand organisation decides when and where I will be volunteering in organisation, that I am responsible to the directors or coach where I am placed with and I should discuss with them any concerns or information that needs to be shared about stakeholders.

I agree to refer all requests for information by an outside agency or the media to the Headteacher.

Signed: ……………………………………………………………….

Date: ………………………………

Name (please print): …………………………………………………………………………………………..

Role in organisation: …………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Signature of organisation representative / Date: ……………………………………………………………