Support and Advocacy: Confidentiality policy
Confidentiality statement
Support and Advocacy is committed to providing a confidential service to its users.
The following statement will be displayed in an appropriate visible place:
‘Support and Advocacy offers a confidential service - neither the fact that you
have made contact with us nor any identifying details about your case will be
shared with any other organisation or individual outside of the service without
your express permission'
Definition of confidentiality
Support and Advocacy understands confidentiality to mean that no identifying
information regarding a service user shall be given directly or indirectly to any
organisation or individual external to the service, without that service user's
expressed consent to disclose such information.
Where issues affecting individual service users have the potential to affect other
students on a wider scale the issue itself will be highlighted to others within the
Campaigns and Representation department so that it can inform the collective
representation work of the elected officers. No identifying information about the
individual service user will be disclosed when highlighting issues to others within the
Campaigns and Representation department without that service user’s expressed
consent to disclose such information.
We recognise that information may be indirectly given out through staff or officers
discussing service users. All staff and officers are therefore prohibited from
discussing an individual user of the service outside of Support and Advocacy.
Confidentiality of emails
The confidentiality of our emails and any attachments cannot be guaranteed. They
are intended solely for the addressee. Access to emails by any one else is
unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure copying,
distribution or any action taken, or omitted to be taken, in reliance on it is prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you receive an email from us in error, please immediately
notify advice@sussexstudent.com
Please note: information relevant to students' cases will be held confidentially on our
case management system where appropriate. If you do not want information to be
held, please contact advice@sussexstudent.com immediately.
Statistical recording
Support and Advocacy is committed to effective statistical recording of service users
to enable us to monitor take-up of the service and to identify relevant policy issues.
It is the Head of Campaigns and Representation’s responsibility to ensure that all
statistical records given to third parties (such as other members of the University,
outside related organisations) shall be produced in anonymous form, so individuals
cannot be recognised.
Case records
It is the Head of Campaigns and Representation’s responsibility to ensure all case
records are kept securely. All case records are kept on a secure electronic casework
management system, which is password protected. Any paperwork relating to
service users is disposed of using a confidential waste disposal service.
Support and Advocacy keeps case files for 6 years after they are closed. These
closed casefiles are kept securely and only Support and Advocacy staff have access
to them. After 6 years these casefiles are deleted from the case management
system. Any related paperwork is disposed of through a confidential waste disposal
service.
Expressed consent to give information
Where a Student Voice Advocate agrees to take any action on behalf of a client, the
client must give their express consent for them to do so. A record of this
authorisation will be held on the client's file.
If it is felt necessary we will check with clients if it is acceptable to contact them at
home or work in relation to their case. We will make no reference to the organisation
when making telephone contact with clients.
Breaches of confidentiality
We recognise that occasions may arise where Student Voice Advocates feel they
need to breach confidentiality. An example of such an occasion would be if we felt a
client were at serious risk of harming themselves or others. We also recognise,
however, that any breach of confidentiality may damage the reputation of our service
and therefore has to be treated with the most serious of approaches.
When a Student Voice Advocate feels confidentiality should be breached the
following steps must be taken:
1. The Student Voice Advocate should raise the matter immediately with the
Head of Campaigns and Representation
2. The Student Voice Advocate must discuss with the Head of Campaigns and
Representation the issues involved in the case and explain why they feel
confidentiality should be breached and what would be achieved by breaching
confidentiality. The Head of Campaigns and Representation should take a
written note of this discussion
3. The Head of Campaigns and Representation is responsible for discussing
with the Student Voice Advocate what options are available in each set of
circumstances.
4. The Head of Campaigns and Representation is responsible for making a
decision on whether confidentiality should be breached.
If the Head of Campaigns and Representation decides that confidentiality is to be
breached then they should take the following steps:
1. The Head of Campaigns and Representation should contact the Chief
Executive of The Students’ Union in the first instance. The Head of
Campaigns and Representation should brief the Chief Executive on the full
facts of the case, ensuring that they do not breach confidentiality in doing so.
The Head of Campaigns and Representation should seek authorisation from
the Chief Executive to breach confidentiality.
2. If the Chief Executive agrees to breach confidentiality, a full written report on
the case should be made and any action agreed undertaken. The Head of
Campaigns and Representation is responsible for ensuring all activities are
actioned.
3. If the Chief Executive does not agree to breach confidentiality then this is the
final decision of the organisation.
A client is fully entitled to complain about a decision to breach their confidentiality
using the Students’ Union’s complaints procedure.
Legislative framework
Support and Advocacy will regularly monitor this policy to ensure it meets statutory
and legal requirements including the Data Protection Act, Children's Act,
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Ensuring the effectiveness of the policy
All staff within the Campaigns and Representation department and the full-time
elected officers will receive a copy of the confidentiality policy and it will be fully
explained to them as part of their induction. Any breach of the policy will be treated
as a disciplinary matter.
Copies of the confidentiality policy can be obtained from Support and Advocacy
within the Campaigns and Representation department.
Updated August 2015