PITSTONE YOUTH  CAFÉ
CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

The Pitstone Youth Café believe that the welfare of a young person is paramount and that both leaders and young people have a right to expect personal information to be treated as confidential and kept secure. Breaches of confidentiality are treated seriously.  However, in certain circumstances, information received in confidence may need to be shared with the appropriate authority to ensure best care for the individual.

Information will always be treated with the utmost confidence and not divulged outside the club apart from the exceptions that follow, which may be shared on a “need to know” basis in the following circumstances:
•	If the young person is under 18 and physical, sexual or emotional abuse is suspected
•	If a young person under 18 reports or alleges abuse
•	If the life of the young person or another is at risk
•	If information is revealed about criminal activity 
•	If a young person could cause harm to themselves or others
•	If a club leader has reasonable cause to believe a young person is suffering or likely to  
      suffer significant harm

Personal data relating to leaders and young people should be kept secure. This means information relating to an individual from which they can be identified.

If an adult or young person leaves the club all records relating to him will be kept for three years  and then destroyed.

The management committee will make sure its policy meets the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations, Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and Children’s’ Acts.

Staff and volunteers will be made aware of the policy at induction and understand they are bound by confidentiality.

Both volunteers and staff and the management committee will not discuss a young person with anyone who does not work in the club.

This policy was adopted at the Pitstone Parish Council meeting on:

……………………………………………………………………………………… (date and minute ref)

On behalf of the Pitstone Youth Café :  

…………………………………………………………………………………... (signed)

This policy will be reviewed annually by the Pitstone Youth Café  (Action4Youth will inform all clubs of changes to existing legislation)