The Importance of Reassuring Children

Describe the importance of reassuring children, young people, and adults of the confidentiality of shared information and the limits of this.
Confidentiality is the preservation of privileged information, concerning children and their families, which is disclosed in the professional relationship. It is a complicated issue which is based upon the principle of trust. Confidentiality is very important when working in a closely with parents.
Some information needs to be shared but only with your superior, i. e. head teacher, as it will be a matter of total confidence. If you suspect a child-protection issue, this should be shared only with your superior and again in strictest confidence, and the parents will need to be aware of this. It will be important from the very beginning of your relationship with parents, there is an understanding and they can tell you something in confidence, you may have to share the information with your superior.

It is important never to gossip about parents or their children.
It is important never to discuss one parent with another.
It is important not to make judgements about children or their parents.
Some information needs to be shared with the all the staff, in particular diet, allergy, religious rituals, if the child is being collected by someone other than their main carer, general records on pupils individual teachers’ records of assessment, SEN information on pupils.

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, information about pupils needs to be kept in a secure place. Never take any information off site and do not provide opportunities for others to gain access to it. When sharing information with colleagues only discuss points they need to know. If you notice any breaches of confidentiality always report the matter to an appropriate member of staff.