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Confidentiality of People Receiving Care’s Information (Scotland) Policy

Policy Statement

This policy sets out the values, principles and procedures underpinning this care service’s approach to confidentiality of information. It is written in line with the requirements of the national health and social care standards set out in My Support, My Life, which emphasise the importance of people who use the service needing to be confident that the people and services providing their care and support will treat them with respect and recognise their human rights.

The service has a duty of confidentiality to the people who use their service. It considers this to be of the utmost importance; a key to building trusting relationships whereby individuals can be safe in the knowledge that their confidences will be kept and where information about them will be protected safely.

All the information we receive about or from people who use the service is confidential and only those people who need to know the information will have access to it. The service always seeks permission before we share information people have given us with anyone else.

Values and Principles

{{org_field_name}} adopts the Caldicott principles of confidentiality as they apply to Scotland, which were developed for health services and are equally applicable to social care. These are:

In applying these principles, {{org_field_name}} will follow these rules.

  1. We treat all information about people who use the service confidentially and respectfully.
  2. We share our information when needed so that the person receives safe and effective care.
  3. If we publish information about people who use the service, it will always be on an anonymous basis.
  4. We will respect the right of people to object to any sharing of their personal information.
  5. We apply these rules and rights to people without capacity to give their consent to any sharing or disclosure of their personal information for whom best interests decisions might need to be taken.

Procedures

To comply with this policy, staff must:

Rare situations may arise which give rise to exceptions to this duty where confidential information may relate to harm to other people who use the service or harm to the person sharing the confidence. In such circumstances, the service expects staff to report the information to a senior member of staff for further consideration.

In such circumstances:

Initial Assessment Policy

New people to the service or people considering using the service are shown a copy of this confidentiality policy on initial assessment or the policy is explained to them and their representatives so that they can understand it as fully as possible.

Every effort is made by staff to ensure that people who use the service fully understand the implications of the policy. The member of staff carrying out the assessment will ensure that the new people to the service understand and have read the following statement.

To help us make an assessment of your needs, we will need to ask you for personal information about your circumstances and to record this information. We will not share this information with anyone, including friends and relatives, without your agreement (unless they have legal authority as guardian or attorney) and it will be kept securely in a confidential file. Only care staff with permission to see the file will be able to access it. Care staff will record in the file on a daily basis information relevant to your care and will pass on information relevant to your day-to-day care to your key worker or to whoever is in charge of your care. You may have access to your notes at any time to see what is actually being recorded. It is the service’s policy that all the information we receive about or from people who use the service is confidential and that only those people who need to know the information will have access to it. The service will always ask your permission before we share with anyone else the information you have given us. In certain circumstances, however, we may need to share information in your best interests and may do so to fulfil our duty of care to you to keep you safe from risk of harm by following the procedures that are set out in the service’s policy on protection and support. Signed (person who uses the service/lawful representative): _________________________ Countersigned (manager/representative): _________________________ Date: _________________________

Requests for Information

The service will not provide information to relatives, spouses, friends or advocates without the consent of the individual person concerned (unless they have a legal right to the information). If the person is unable to give their consent, a decision will be taken in line with a mental capacity assessment.

All enquiries for information, even if they are from close relatives, should be referred back to the person using the service or their permission sought before disclosure. If the relative or person who seeks to have access to this information objects to the decision, they will be asked to make a formal written complaint, which will be addressed through the service’s complaints procedure.

The service might be asked for reports by insurance companies, solicitors, employers, etc. Before providing these reports, we shall require written consent from the person who uses the service concerned, and will never divulge information without consent unless obliged to by law.

Record Keeping

We keep files on all our individuals but only keep relevant information to ensure that the care we offer is of the highest quality. The files are only available to staff who need to use them. We keep very personal letters or notes in a secure place.

This service believes the following.

  1. Records required for the protection of people who use the service, and for the effective and efficient running of the service are maintained, are up to date and are accurate.
  2. People who use the service have access to their records and information about them held by the service, as well as opportunities to help maintain their personal records.
  3. Individual records and care service records are kept in a secure fashion, are up to date and in good order, and are constructed, maintained and used in compliance with current data protection laws and other statutory requirements.

Access to personal information and security and privacy of data is an absolute right of every individual, and they are entitled to see a copy of all personal information held about them and to correct any error or omission in it.

{{org_field_name}} will ensure the confidentiality of all information covered by the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

The service adheres fully to the current standards on record keeping, while recognising the importance of responsible information sharing to enable a person to receive safe and effective care from the responsible sharing of information, particularly in emergencies such as occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Training

All new staff are required to read and understand the policies on data protection and confidentiality as part of their induction process.

Existing staff are offered training to national vocational standards covering information about confidentiality, data protection and access to records. Training in the correct method for entering information in individual’s records is given to all care staff.

The nominated data user/data controller for the service is trained appropriately in the current data protection laws.

All staff who use the computer system are thoroughly trained in its use, including data security..


Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}

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