Confidentiality Policy

Aim

To protect the baby and child at all times and to provide clear, unambiguous guidance to all staff involved regarding their legal and professional roles, as well as to ensure good practice throughout the organisation that is understood by children, parents, carers, franchisees, staff and volunteers.

Rationale

Basking Babies seeks to put the baby and child at the heart of the experience and to provide a safe and secure environment. It seeks to implement the underlying principles of Every Child Matters Agenda, in accordance with current child protection and safeguarding guidelines, as well as to address any confidentiality concerns that may arise. It is committed to developing creative and positive environment for babies, children and families, while also recognising the responsibility to use, hold and safeguard information received. Sharing information unnecessarily is an erosion of trust. Basking Babies is mindful that it is placed in a position of trust by children and parents, and there is a general expectation that all matters of confidentiality will be handled professionally.

Objectives

• To provide consistent messages within Basking Babies about handling information about babies and children once it has been received.
• To foster an ethos of trust within Basking Babies, where children, parents/carers, franchisees, volunteers and all staff feel safe.
• To ensure that franchisees, staff, volunteers and parents/carers are aware of the organisation’s confidentiality, policy and procedures.
• To reassure parents/carers and children that their ‘best interests’ will be maintained.
• To ensure that parents/carers know that organisation staff cannot offer unconditional confidentiality.
• To ensure that if there are child protection issues then the correct procedure is followed, working with the guidelines set out in the policy.
• To ensure that confidentiality is a whole organisation issue and that in classes ground rules are set for the protection of all.
• To ensure that parents have a right of access to any records the organisation may hold on their child but not to any other child that they do not have parental responsibility for.

Guidelines

• All information about individual children is private and should only be shared with those franchisees and staff that have a need to know.
• All social services, medical and personal information about a child should be held in a safe and secure place which cannot be accessed by individuals other than organisation staff.
• Basking Babies continues to actively promote a positive ethos and respect for the individual: 
  • Basking Babies has appointed Carla Davison, the founder and owner of Basking Babies as a Safeguarding/Child Protection Leader.
  • There is clear guidance for the handling of child protection incidents. All franchisees, contractors, staff and employees have regular training on child protection issues.
  • There is clear guidance for procedures if a franchisee or member of staff is accused of abuse.
  • Staff and franchisees are aware that effective growth and development education which brings an understanding of what is and is not acceptable in a relationship, can lead to disclosure of a child protection issue.
  • Staff and franchisees are aware of the need to handle all issues about different types of families in a sensitive manner.
  • Information collected for one purpose should not be used for another.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The policy will be reviewed and evaluated as part of the organisation's monitoring cycle.