Branksome Heath Middle School
Confidentiality Policy
Approved by Governors June 2011
Child Protection Officer (CPO) Mrs Karen Wrixon
Pastoral Care Workers (PCW) Mrs Rachel Baker and
Mr Martin Leadley
At Branksome Heath we believe that:
o The safety, wellbeing and protection of our pupils are the paramount considerations in all decisions staff at this school make about confidentiality. The appropriate sharing of information between school staff is an essential element in ensuring our pupils' safety and wellbeing.
o The school's attitude to confidentiality is open and easily understood. Everyone should be able to trust the boundaries of confidentiality operating within the school.
o Trust is established to enable pupils, staff and parents/carers to seek help, both within and outside the school to ensure pupils and staff are supported and safe.
o Pupils, parents/carers and staff need to know the boundaries of confidentiality in order to feel safe and comfortable in discussing personal issues and concerns, including sex and relationships.
o Everyone in the school community needs to know that no one can offer absolute confidentiality.
Definition of Confidentiality
The dictionary definition of confidential is 'something which is spoken or given in confidence; private, entrusted with another's secret affairs'.
There are no situations where absolute confidentiality can be offered in Branksome Heath Middle School. The safety and wellbeing of all child protection procedures are of primary importance.
Staff should make clear that there are limits to confidentiality at the beginning of the conversation. These limits relate to ensuring children's safety and wellbeing. The pupil will be informed when a confidence has to be broken for this reason and will be encouraged to do this for themselves whenever this is possible.
Different levels of confidentiality are appropriate for different circumstances:
Ground rules for lessons
We adopt ground rules to ensure a safe environment for teaching, in particular in PSHCE and Circle Time. This reduces anxiety to pupils and staff and minimises unconsidered, unintended personal disclosures.
The teacher establishes the ground rules together with the pupils at the beginning of each academic year as well as regularly referring to them in lessons.
For example:
We listen when someone else is speaking.
We signal if we want to speak.
We speak positively to each other.
We do not name anyone in a negative way.
We respect all our different ideas.
We have the right to 'pass' during Circle Time.
One to one disclosure to members of school staff (including voluntary staff).
It is essential that all members of staff know the limits of the confidentiality they can offer to both pupils and parents/carers. All staff at this school encourage pupils to discuss difficult issues with their parents/carers and vice versa. The needs of the pupil are paramount and school staff will not automatically share information about the pupil with her/his parents/carers unless it is considered to be in the child's best interests. All information needs to be passed onto the CPO or PCW.
NB When concerns for a child or young person come to the attention of staff, for example through observation of behaviour or injuries or disclosure, the member of staff must share this with the designated Child Protection Officer. Please see the school Child Protection Policy for additional clarification.
Disclosures to a counsellor, school nurse or health professional operating a confidential service in the school
Health professionals can give confidential medical advice to pupils provided they are competent to do so and follow the Fraser Guidelines (guidelines for health professionals on giving medical advice to under 16s). School nurses are skilled in discussing issues with young people and always have in mind the need to encourage pupils to discuss issues with their parents/carers. However, the needs of the pupils are paramount and the school nurse will not insist that a pupil's parents/carers are informed about any advice or treatment they give.
It is the view of police that they should be informed of cases where a person under the age of 16 discloses sexual activity, which includes sexual intercourse. This is not for the purposes of prosecution, unless that course of action was appropriate, but to enable the police to share information concerning the parties concerned. The police are of the view that this information sharing would enable a better assessment as to whether a child was being abused or exploited.
The legal position for school staff:
School staff are NOT obliged to break confidentiality except where child protection is or may be an issue. However, at Branksome Heath Middle School, staff share their concerns about pupils with the CPO or PCW.
Teachers, counsellors and health professionals:
Professional judgement is required by a teacher, counsellor or health professional in considering whether s/he should indicate to a child that the child could make a disclosure in confidence and whether such a confidence could then be maintained having heard the information. In exercising their professional judgement the teacher, counsellor or health professional must consider the best interests of the child.
All teachers at the school receive basic training in child protection as part of their induction to this school and are expected to follow the school's child protection policy and procedures.
Pastoral Care Worker and Health Professionals:
At Branksome Heath, we offer pupils the support of a Pastoral Care Worker with appointments accessed through request or referral. The school nursing service may also operate drop in services for pupils. These services are confidential. Information is only shared with school staff as defined in the school's Child Protection Policy.
Visitors and non-teaching staff:
At Branksome Heath, we expect all non-teaching staff, including voluntary staff, except those identified in the above paragraph, to report any disclosures by pupils or parents/carers of a personal nature to the designated CPO as soon as possible after the disclosure. This is to ensure the safety, protection and wellbeing of all our pupils and staff. The designated CPO will decide on any further action required, both to ensure the pupil receives the help and support they need and that the member of staff also receives the support and supervision they need.
Parents/carers:
Branksome Heath believes that it is essential to work in partnership with parents/carers and we endeavour to keep them aware of their child's progress at school, including any concerns about their progress or behaviour. However, we also need to maintain a balance so that our pupils can share any concerns and ask for help when they need it. Where a pupil does discuss a difficult or personal matter, staff will encourage them to also discuss the matter with the parent/carer themselves. If unsure, refer to CPO or PCW.
Where the Child Protection Policy does not apply, but you still have concerns about whether a disclosure made to you should be passed on, speak to the CPO.
Principles to be followed in all cases:
o Ensure that if the timing is not appropriate, the child sees the CPO or PCW. Explain to the child that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed if we think they will:
o Hurt themselves;
o Hurt someone else;
o Tell us that someone is hurting ourselves and others.
This situation will be followed up immediately with the CPO.
o Do not interrogate the child or ask leading questions.
o Do not put children in the position of having to repeat distressing matters to several people.
o Inform the pupil first before any confidential information is shared, with the reasons for this.
o Encourage the pupil, whenever possible, to confide in her/his own parents/carers.
o Follow procedures to refer pupils who need additional support to the appropriate agency.
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