Confidentiality

The nursery’s work with children and their families will sometimes bring us into contact with confidential information.

To ensure that all those using and working in the nursery can do so with confidence, we will respect confidentiality and abide this by the following means:

  • The nursery will work within the GDPR.
  • Parents/guardians/carers are able to seek access to files and records of their own child/children, but will not have access to information about any other child.
  • Information (observations, assessments) held by the setting regarding individual children will be kept in separate files.
  • Staff will only discuss individual children for the purpose of curriculum planning, group management, children with additional or special educational needs, and any information discussed will be within the nursery environment.
  • Staff are prohibited from discussing nursery issues upon social networking sites including children, parents and fellow work colleagues.
  • Parental permission will be sought to discuss the needs of individual children with external agencies.
  • Information given by parents/guardians/carers to the nursery Supervisor will not be passed onto other adults without permission.
  • Issues relating with employment of staff, whether paid or unpaid will remain confidential to the people directly involved with making personnel decisions.
  • Any anxieties/evidence relating to a child’s personal safety will be kept in a confidential file and will not be shared within the nursery except with staff members and senior committee members.
  • Information relating to the children (i.e a copy of system number taken from the birth certificates) will be kept in a locked filing cabinet, which senior members of staff have access to.
  • A locked case will be used for any information relating to a child that needs to be taken out of the nursery premises. Information will then be kept in a safe and secure environment and will not be accessible to anyone other than a member of staff.
  • Students on recognised child care courses that are observing in the nursery are advised of our confidentiality policy and are required to respect and adhere to it.
  • The nursery will always respect confidentiality and only share information in the interests of the child and/or their family and will seek consent where possible. However, the child’s needs are paramount and in some circumstances the lack of consent can be overridden.