Confidentiality Policy

The Confidentiality Policy covers Parents Against Child Exploitation (Pace) staff and volunteers, management committee members, all Pace service users and Friends of Pace.

AIMS OF CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

To uphold the trust and confidence of the people who come to Pace for help and support.

To ensure that people providing support cause no harm or stress to the people seeking support and help by any act or omission.

To ensure that information given is treated in confidence whilst maintaining the safety of all the individuals concerned.

PERSONAL CONFIDENTIALITY

Pace recognizes the requirement for a high degree of confidentiality in its work with service users and other agencies and that the information shared is often of a sensitive nature. Many service users require this in order to engage with the organization. Any information given should therefore be treated as confidential – unless permission is freely granted by the individual concerned for all or part of said conversation to be discussed with other Pace members who hold authority. A full written record of consent must be kept on file.

WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES

Pace has a duty to share information with relevant agencies in order to protect young children/people or to assist in the prevention or detection of a crime; therefore PACE reserves the right to contact any relevant agencies to confirm the details of specific incidents and individuals. Constructive liaison with other agencies at both local and national level is essential if Pace is to offer a full supportive service to its service users. However no service user will be referred to another agency without her/his full knowledge and consent. A full written record of the referral must be kept on file.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

Prior, full written authority of the Chief Executive Officer or Chair of Pace (or nominated deputy) must be sought on the rare occasion when the need for disclosure may occur without the consent of the service user. A full written record of those spoken to, advice given and action taken must be kept on file.

THE MEDIA

PACE recognises the invaluable service the media can provide in certain circumstances but it also recognises the sensitive nature of its work with service users. No details should be given without the prior consent of the service user concerned. In the interests of the support work of the organization there may be times when it is appropriate to approach service users to ask whether they may wish to be interviewed. This should be carried out without applying pressure to the individuals concerned. The service user’s decision should be at all times final.

SERIOUS THREAT TO LIFE

In order to protect service users, the staff team and volunteers, Pace reserves the right to disclose any information to the appropriate agencies without the consent of the service user where there are serious and immediate concerns for the life of an individual.

DATA PROTECTION

Pace recognises the requirements of the Data Protection Act and acknowledges the rights of an individual to have access to their records which are held on file or computer within the organization.