Confidentiality Policy

Statement of Intent

It is our intention to respect the privacy of children and their parents and carers, whilst ensuring that they access high quality early years care and education in our setting. 

Aim 

We aim to ensure that all parents and carers can share their information in the confidence that it will only be used to enhance the welfare of their children. We meet the requirements of the Human Rights Act 1998 with regard to protecting the individual’s rights to a private and family life, home and correspondence. Our only justification to interfering with this right is where we believe that a child may be at risk of significant harm, to prevent a crime or disorder. We meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 with regard to the information we gather from or about families, how we gather it, store it and use it. Our procedures enable us to meet these requirements. We have regard to the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality and only share information with other professionals or agencies on a ‘need to know’ basis, with consent from parents, or without their consent in specified circumstances to do with safeguarding children. 

Personal Records 

· These include registration and admission details, consents, and correspondence concerning the child or family, an ongoing record of relevant contact with parents, and observations by staff on any confidential matter involving the child, such as developmental concerns or child protection matters, incident and accident logs, care plans, behaviour plans etc 

· These confidential records are stored online on the BOOKING SYSTEM 

· Parents have access to the records of their own children but do not have access to information about any other child 

· Staff will not discuss personal information given by parents with other members of staff, except where it affects planning for the child’s needs. Staff induction includes an awareness of the importance of confidentiality in the role of the key person. 

Information Sharing 

There are times when we are required to share information about a child or their family. These are when: 

· There are concerns a child is or may be suffering significant harm 

· The ‘reasonable cause to believe’ a child is or may be suffering significant harm is not clear 

· There are concerns about ‘serious harm to adults’ (such as domestic violence or other matters affecting the welfare of parents). We explain to families about our duty to share information for the above reasons. Where we have concerns, we would normally gain consent from families to share. This does not have to be in writing, but we record in the child’s file that we have gained verbal consent as a result of discussing a concern that we need to refer to a social care agency. 

We do not seek consent from parents to share information where we believe that a child, or sometimes a vulnerable adult, may be endangered by seeking to gain consent. For example, where we have cause to believe a parent may try to cover up abuse, or threaten a child. Where we take a decision to share information without consent this is recorded in the child’s file and the reason for doing so is clearly stated. Where evidence to support our concerns is not clear we may seek advice from our local Social Care agency or the NSPCC. We only share relevant information that is accurate, factual, non-judgemental and up to date. Other Records Issues to do with the employment of staff, whether paid or unpaid, remain confidential to the people directly involved with making personnel decisions.