At SEN Space, staff can be said to have a ‘confidential relationship’ with families. It is our intention to respect the privacy of children and their parents and carers, while ensuring that they access high quality early years care and education. 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 have record keeping systems in place that meet legal requirements; the means that we use to store and share that information takes place within the framework The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act (2018) and the Human Rights Act (1998). It is important to note that the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 do not prevent, or limit, the sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children and young people safe.

 

Confidentiality Procedures

 

· Most things that happen between the family, the child and the setting are confidential to our setting.

· Occasionally it may be necessary to share information about a child with, for example, other agencies or professionals, or possibly social care or the PSNI.

· If we judge that information needs to be shared with another agency we will ask for consent from a parent/carer, except in exceptional circumstances in which the safety or welfare of the child might be jeopardised.

· We will follow the advice set out in the Government document, Information sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents, and carers (2018) when making decisions regarding the sharing of confidential information, including whether, in exceptional circumstances, to share information without consent.

· Some parents may share information about themselves or their child with other parents; we cannot be held responsible if information is shared by those parents whom the person has confided in.

· We inform parents when we need to record confidential information beyond the general personal information we keep – for example regarding any injuries, concerns, or changes in relation to the child or the family, any discussions with parents on sensitive matters, any records we are obliged to keep regarding action taken in respect of child protection and any contact and correspondence with external agencies in relation to their child.

· All records, whether on paper or electronic, are kept securely. No-one outside the SEN Space staff has access to any information kept by the organisation about the children at the setting.

· Staff discuss children’s general progress and well-being together in meetings, but more sensitive information is restricted to our manager and the child’s key worker and is shared with other staff on a need-to-know basis.

· We do not discuss children with anyone who is not involved in the child’s care, including with other parents or anyone else outside of the setting.

· Our discussions with other professionals take place within a professional framework and not on an informal or ad-hoc basis.

· Parents may at any time request to see all confidential information that SEN Space holds about their child. To do so they need to email the manager, who will arrange for all such information to be provided to them.

· Our recording procedures and guidelines ensure that all records made about a child or family reflect an accurate and non-judgemental account of any work done or discussions held.

· The law requires that the information we hold must be accurate. If a parent says that the information we hold is inaccurate, then the parent has a right to request for it to be changed.

 

 

Written by Vikki Benton 22/9/2023

To be reviewed on 22/9/2024