SRASAC offers a free, non-judgemental and confidential service. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance if clients using the service are to feel safe & supported.

Confidentiality guidelines are discussed in detail with all clients at their initial assessment meeting.

All clients’ addresses, phone numbers and other personal information are kept on a secure, electronic encrypted database (SRASAC’s CRMS system).  All of these details are confidential to the service. 

ISVA Service

All clients need to be informed that their referral form, Risk and Needs assessment, Care and Support Plans and written notes of contact are kept on CRMS. All clients have a right to see these records and are informed of this at the start of accessing the ISVA service.

All clients’ paper records must be filed in the locked ISVA filing cabinet in the office. All paper records are scanned onto CRMS once their case is closed and paper files disposed of securely.  

After a clients’ support ends, their record will be kept for a 7 year period then deleted from CRMS.  The law states that a client, after reaching the age of 18, can still pursue a claim up to 7 years after this age therefore records for these clients will be kept until their 25th birthday then destroyed. 

Counselling Service

All clients need to be informed that notes of their counselling sessions are kept on a secure, electronic encrypted database (SRASAC’s CRMS system) and that they are confidential to the service.  All clients have a right to see these notes and are informed of this at the start of counselling.

All clients need to be informed that their initial Registration Form, their initial MAM paperwork, CORE Outcome Forms and any written work or art work produced during their session are kept in a locked cabinet within SRASAC. 

After a client leaves, their notes will be kept for a 7 year period then will be destroyed.  The law states that a client, after reaching the age of 18, can still pursue a claim up to 7 years after this age therefore notes for these clients will be kept until their 25^th birthday then destroyed. 

SRASAC Workers

Disclosures of information on staff member to any third party outside SRASAC can only take place with written authorisation of the worker concerned. This includes addresses or telephone numbers.

The location and address of the centre will be kept confidential and the PO Box number must be used for all correspondence.

Breaching Confidentiality

Any circumstances where confidentiality may be breached should be taken to a Line Manager i.e. ISVA Manager, Clinical Counselling Manager or Chief Executive Officer.

We have some legal responsibilities to breach confidentiality under specific circumstances as follows:

• If a client discloses information about
  • a terrorist plan we are legally required to disclose to the Police. The Terrorism Act 2000, s 38B
  • drug trafficking and/or money laundering Drug Trafficking Act 1994, Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 or the Money Laundering Regulations 2007
  • the driver of a vehicle at the time of an offences 21 of the Road Traffic Act 1991
  • the whereabouts of a child under police protection or subject to an emergency protection order in care, who is missing s 50 of the Children Act 1989
• a serious crime, the courts can make a Serious Crime Disclosure Order requiring disclosure. Serious Crime Act 2007

However, we also recognise that there may be exceptional circumstances where SRASAC may feel it necessary to break confidentiality and involve a third party outside SRASAC. 

We have identified these areas as the following:

• Where a client may be in danger of harming themselves
• Where others may be in danger of serious physical harm from the client
• Where the client may be threatening harm to the worker or other people involved in the service
• Concern about a child at risk or in need (please see Child Protection Procedure).
• If a client talks of known ongoing abuse of a named child we will encourage them to disclose but we will disclose without client consent.

Making a decision about breaching confidentiality

We will make all decisions based on the merits of each individual case based on consideration of the SRASAC Child Protection Policy, The Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Policy and the following

Disclosure checklist

• Is this information regulated by the Data Protection Act
• 2018 (DPA) or the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA); (for example, do the records comprise client-identifiable sensitive personal data held on computer or in a relevant filing system?
• What are the relevant rights of the person concerned under the Human Rights Act 1998?
• Is there a legitimate requirement to share this information: e.g. statutory duty or a court order?
• What is the purpose of sharing the information?
• If the information concerns a child, young person, or vulnerable adult, is sharing it in their best interests?
• Is the information confidential? If so, do you have consent to share it?
• If consent is refused, or there are good reasons not to seek consent, does the public interest necessitate sharing the information?
• Is the decision and rationale for sharing the information recorded?
• What is the most appropriate way to share this information? “

 Our website provider

Your data may also be available to our website provider to enable us and them to deliver their service to us, carry out analysis and research on demographics, interests and behavior of our users and supporters to help us gain a better understanding of them to enable us to improve our services. This may include connecting data we receive from you on the website to data available from other sources. Your personally identifiable data will only be used where it is necessary for the analysis required, and where your interests for privacy are not deemed to outweigh their legitimate interests in developing new services for us. In the case of this activity the following will apply:

1. Your data will be made available to our website provider 
2. The data that may be available to them include any of the data we collect as described in this policy.
3. Our website provider will not transfer your data to any other third party, or transfer your data outside of the EEA.
4. They will store your data for a maximum of 7 years.
5. This processing does not affect your rights as detailed in this privacy policy.