Confidentiality Policy

 

 

Basic Principles

At Surrey’s SENDIAS service (SEND Advice Surrey) we understand that you need to know that:

  • we respect your right to privacy
  • you can speak to us (via the phone or virtual platform), email us (via email, our website or letter), in complete confidence
  • No-one outside our service will know that you have contacted us. We will only talk to other services and teams with written permission from yourselves
  • Children and young people have the legal right to our support without the consent or knowledge of their parents
  • We will never communicate with anyone outside of Surrey’s SENDIAS serviceabout your contact with us unless you give your written permission for us to do so.
  • The only time that we will share information with other agencies would be if we become aware that a child or young person or someone else may be at risk of serious harm or we are legally required to do so by the police or courts. (Safeguarding Policy (DFE 2013)). We will always discuss this with you first.

 

What happens when you contact SEND Advice Surrey?

  • We will have a copy of our Confidentiality Policy on our website at all times and will be happy to explain it at any point
  • You can refer yourself to our service; you do not need to tell anyone else you have contacted us
  • We will not tell anyone outside of our service that you have been in touch; you can talk to us, email us or contact us via our website, privately
  • We will ask you for your contact details so that we can open a confidential file on our database for you. We will still give you information, advice and support even if you don’t want to tell us your details
  • We will ensure that our database is password protected and that only Surrey SENDIAS service team know the password
  • We will be the only people who can see your file. Any paper files are stored in a locked filing cabinet and only our staff members have a key
  • We will not tell anyone about what is in these files without your written permission
  • Where you have given written permission to share information with someone outside of our team we will make a note of this on our database along with the date it was given
  • We have a responsibility to keep your information confidential in line with the rules of the Data Protection Act 1998