3.4 Analysing the potential tension between maintaining confidentiality and the need to disclose information

[Jesslane1992]

can some one help me please I am really stuck.


3.4 Analyzing the potential tension between maintaining confidentiality and the need to disclose information

• When poor practice is identified
• Where a child is at risk
• When it is suspected that a crime has been/may be committed.

Thanks jess.

[Ruthierhyme]

Hi, it's expected that the dilemma between witnessing practice you feel is harmful and knowing that you need to report it could cause you concern - you might doubt it's serious enough to report, be unsure if you'll be taken seriously, do you know who to report the concern to and do you know how you will be protected? Your setting's policy should explain this, can you ask for a copy?

3.4 Analyzing the potential tension between maintaining confidentiality and the need to disclose information

Quote from page 154 of this level 3 handbook

• When poor practice is identified

It is usual for most settings to have codes of confidentiality that state that details of how the seting works with children and information about staff members are not to be disussed out of work. However these restrictions on confidentiality can be broken if you have poor practice in your settingand you have either raised it with your liine manager and nothing has changed or you do not feel that you can tell anyone in the organisation. This situation is sometimes referred to whistleblowing, One of the best ways that you can report poor practice annonymously is by calling Ofsted, who will take all complaints and information seriously.

• Where a child is at risk

Where you have concerns about a child's welfare, you can break confidentiality even if a parent, colleague or child has told you something 'in privat'. Where you have concerns about a child, you should tell the person in your setting responsible for child protection and safeguarding or, if you still do not feel that the matter is being taken seriously, you could call the police or the NSPCC.

• When it is suspected that a crime has been/may be committed.

The final situation where you may break codes of confidentiality is if you think that a crime has been or is about to be committed. This might link back to concerns about a child's welfare, but it might also be where a parent is the subject of domestic abuse or where you think that a colleague is stealing money or equipment from the setting.

Hope this helps xx