Be able to apply principles and practices relating to confidentiality at work.
1. Confidentiality means that you have to keep certain information private, respect people’s privacy, only the children’s parents or carers will have access to files and records of their own children but not any other child. Staff can’t discuss individual children with people other than the parents or carers of that child. Information given by parents or carers to nursery staff can’t be passed on to third parties. Personal issues will remain confidential to the people involved.
3. Sometimes there are situations when confidential information has to be shared if it has to do with a child, the parent’s permission should be given unless a child’s safety is at risk. Such as, if a child needs additional support from other professionals, you would help this child by contacting the certain professionals, if you suspect a child to be in a situation that risks their safety, an adult has disclosed information that may raise concerns over their ability to carry out daily duties in the setting.
4. Always seek advice from the manager. This is very important because if someone has asked you to keep something confidential in the workplace and you are worried about the information you have been given, you should always do this in an area where nobody can overhear what you are saying. It’s better to seek advice verbally rather than using communication such as email, which other people could access. The only other time you seek advice is when a child or adult has spoken to you in confidentiality about something such as, if the person is in danger. For example, being sexually abused, physically abused or threatened.