Client Confidentiality and Privacy

 

Staff, volunteers and visitors are strictly prohibited to discuss information outside of The Snappy Trust about any of the children/young people who attend The Snappy Trust.  Anyone found to have broken client confidentiality will be faced with disciplinary action.   

 

Each child/young person, volunteer and staff member must have a profile before attending The Snappy Trust, these profiles must be locked away in a secure environment where only management have full access. Staff are permitted and encouraged to read all children's and young people’s profiles to ensure the appropriate care is being given.

Volunteers are not permitted to access any of these files.

 

A copy of a child/young person’s profile is permitted to leave The Snappy Trust building when that individual is attending a trip as it may be needed in case of emergency. A staff member must be assigned the responsibility of keeping the profiles safe and must return them to the appropriate place. 

 

Photographs of the children/young people must be taken only on The Snappy Trust cameras; no other cameras or phones should be used, and then stored securely on Snappy data storage. Photographs must be deleted from the cameras after use. Photographs are only permitted to be taken of a child/young person if parental/carer consent has been taken prior. Photographs from time to time will be used for publicity purposes. These must first be approved by Service Manager. Photographs must not be used for personal use.

 

Disclosures

 

From time to time children/young people will disclose information to staff and volunteers about elements of their lives that may suggest possible abuse. It is important that any information disclosed to you is written down and handed over confidentially to the manager as soon as possible, no other children/young people, volunteers or staff are to be informed of the disclosure. You must always tell the child you cannot keep the information confidential.

• If a child/young person discloses information you should listen to the child/young person rather than ask questions.

• Do not stop the child/young person who is freely recalling significant events.

• Remain calm and do not give the child/young person the impression that what they have said is shocking or upsetting.

• Sensitively tell the child/young person that you are concerned with what has been said and you will have to discuss it further with the Manager.

• Make a report of the discussion as soon as possible, taking care to record the timing, the setting, the people present, as well as the content of what was said, quoting wherever possible the words used by the child;

• Record all subsequent events up to the time of the decision as to whether to start a formal Child Protection investigation.

 

Staff and volunteers need to be aware that young people making allegations of abuse will often need a full interview by police and Social Services staff trained in Child Protection interview techniques. On no account should an informal investigation be instigated by staff or volunteers.  

 

Suspicions of Abuse

 

If a if a staff/volunteer has suspicions that a child/young person is being abused, but no direct evidence exists and no allegations have been made, this should be discussed with the Service Manage who will then contact the child/young person’s Care Manager. Make sure you record that you have spoken to the Service Manager.