The acta confidentiality policy ensures that the right procedures are in place to safeguard all of our participants, of all ages.
Confidentiality means that information that acta holds about you remains private. This includes your enrolment information e.g. name, address, telephone number, family and personal details.
Paper copies of enrolment forms will be stored in project registers, so that workers are able to access participant information as necessary throughout the project. These will be destroyed, once participants have stopped engaging with acta.
With consent, contact information from enrolment forms will also be transferred to acta’s electronic database, and be stored beyond the end date of the project. With consent, participants contact email will also be added to the acta mailing list.
Sensitive information will not be stored electronically or beyond the end of the participant’s engagement.
Confidentiality also means that when you speak to an acta worker, they will not tell another worker or anyone else what you have said, unless there is a specific need to e.g. child protection issue.
You have the right to privacy, and no information is given out to anyone outside of acta, without your prior consent; however, acta workers are required by law to discuss any issues concerning yours, or someone else’s safety, with the child protection co-ordinator, as appropriate.
When might an acta worker need to break confidentiality?
The only time an acta worker may need to break confidentiality is if they are given some information, which may lead them to believe that you or somebody else is at risk of serious harm. This includes if you or someone else is:
• Being sexually, emotionally or physically abused or neglected by someone;
• being threatened with violence;
• at risk of harming yourself or someone else;
• if a child or young person has run away from home.
What will happen then?
In the event of an acta worker having to pass on information that you have shared with them to another agency, they will aim to discuss this with you and explain what will happen next.
Policy updated
Last updated 8/2/2022
